Wizards Announce 2003 Schedule, Host D.C. United on Saturday
January 7, 2003 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
KANSAS CITY, MO - Kansas City Wizards General Manager announced today the team's 2003 MLS regular season schedule. The 2003 season features a 30 game schedule, including 15 home games and 15 road games, and culminates in the 2003 MLS Cup on Sunday November 23rd at the new Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy. The MLS Cup will be broadcast live on ABC. The Wizards will open the 2003 season at home when they host Eastern Conference rival D.C. United on Saturday, April 12th at 7:30 p.m. CT at Arrowhead Stadium.
"It seems we say this every year, but this is our best schedule in the eight-year history of our organization," said General Manager Curt Johnson. "With 14 of our home dates on either Friday or Saturday night, this is very fan friendly. The momentum we have as an organization in conjunction with this fantastic schedule puts us in a great position to grow our attendance for the fifth consecutive year."
Kansas City will face each opponent in the Western Conference, including Colorado, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Jose four times during the season, twice at home and twice on the road. They will then face Chicago, Columbus, D.C. United and the MetroStars three times each and New England twice.
In addition to the MLS schedule, the Wizards have plans for a number of great promotions in 2003 that will rival the many successful promotions from years past. Last season the Wizards hosted a music concert with Michael W. Smith, Kansas City's largest Independence Day Fireworks display, the first ever Wizards Bobblehead Night, a Wizards hat giveaway, poster giveaway and Wizards jersey giveaway. This season, Kansas City's promotions will include a music concert in conjunction with a Wizards game, a Mexican Soccer Doubleheader as well as a Wizards Bobblehead Night and a Wizards Soccer Ball giveaway, though specific dates have not been determined.
On Saturday, May 24th, the Wizards will host the largest Memorial Day celebration in Kansas City when they face the defending MLS Cup Champion Los Angeles Galaxy. The Memorial Day celebration will include a fireworks display following the game. Fans will be allowed on the field following the game to watch the fireworks display above Arrowhead Stadium.
The Wizards offer a number of season ticket packages for the 2003 season including full and half season ticket plans and a Spectacular Six Game Sports Pack as well as group ticket packages. For more information on tickets, log on to www.kcwizards.com or call 816-920-9300. Individual tickets will go on sale Monday, March 10th and can be purchased by calling TicketMaster at 816-931-3330 or logging on to www.ticketmaster.com.
2003 KANSAS CITY WIZARDS SCHEDULE
(as of January 7, 2003)
DAY DATE OPPONENT
Saturday Feb. 9 Moroka Swallows# - at Mafikeng, South Africa
Wednesday Feb. 12 TBD# - at Johannesburg, South Africa
Saturday Feb. 15 Ajax Cape Town# - at Cape Town,
South Africa
Saturday March 22 Columbus Crew# - site TBD
Saturday March 29 Columbus Crew# - site TBD
Saturday April 5 Dallas Burn# - at Tulsa, OK
Saturday April 12 D.C. United
Saturday April 19 at San Jose Earthquakes
Saturday April 26 Chicago Fire
Saturday May 3 Columbus Crew
Saturday May 10 at Dallas Burn
Wednesday May 14 New England Revolution
Saturday May 17 at D.C. United Saturday May 24 Los Angeles Galaxy Saturday May 31 at New England Revolution Saturday June 7 MetroStars
Saturday June 14 at Los Angeles Galaxy Saturday June 21 Chicago Fire
Saturday June 28 at San Jose Earthquakes
Friday July 4 at Colorado Rapids Saturday July 12 Dallas Burn
Saturday July 19 at Columbus Crew
Wednesday July 30 at Chicago Fire
TBD TBD 2003 MLS All-Star Game
at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA
Friday August 8 San Jose Earthquakes
Wednesday August 13 at MetroStars
Saturday August 16 at Dallas Burn
Friday August 22 Colorado Rapids
Saturday August 30 at Columbus Crew Saturday Sept. 6 MetroStars
Saturday Sept. 13 at Colorado Rapids
Saturday Sept. 20 San Jose Earthquakes
Saturday Sept. 27 at Los Angeles Galaxy
Saturday Oct. 4 Colorado Rapids
Saturday Oct. 11 Los Angeles Galaxy
Saturday Oct. 18 Dallas Burn
Saturday Oct. 25 at D.C. United
Saturday Nov. 1 MLS Cup Playoffs - First Round (2
games)
Saturday Nov. 15 MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Championship
(1 game)
Sunday Nov. 23 MLS Cup 2003 - at The Home Depot Center in
Carson, CA
Home Games in Bold
# Exhibition Games
All Dates Subject to Change
Kickoff times and television schedule will be released at a
later date
2003 Kansas City Wizards Preseason Calendar of Events
All dates tentative
Jan. 15-19th 2003 NSCAA Convention - Bartle Hall, Downtown Kansas
City
Fri. Jan. 17th 2003 MLS SuperDraft - Bartle Hall, Room 1203, 2:30
p.m. CT
Fri. Jan. 31st First Look Practice - Open to the public
at Arrowhead Indoor Training Facility
Tues. Feb. 4th Depart for South Africa - Preseason Tour
* Feb. 9th vs. Moroka Swallows
* Feb. 12th vs. TBD
* Feb. 15th vs. Ajax Cape Town
Tues. Feb. 18th Return to Kansas City from South Africa
Sun. Mar. 2nd Depart for Florida Spring Training
Mon. Mar. 17th Return to Kansas City from Florida
Sat. Mar. 22nd Exhibition match vs. Columbus - site TBD
(In Ohio or Mid America)
Sat. Mar. 29th Exhibition match vs. Columbus - site TBD
(In Ohio or Mid America)
Wed, Apr. 2nd Meet the Players Event Followed by Crusaders Awards
Dinner
Sat. Apr. 5th Exhibition match vs. Dallas Burn - in Tulsa,
Oklahoma
Thurs. Apr. 10th Media Day 2003
Sat. Apr. 12th 2003 Home Opener vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. CT
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Major League Soccer Stories from January 7, 2003
- Crew Unveils 2003 Schedule - Columbus Crew SC
- Fire Announces 2003 MLS Schedule - Chicago Fire FC
- Wizards Announce 2003 Schedule, Host D.C. United on Saturday - Sporting Kansas City
- Galaxy Announces 2003 MLS Schedule - LA Galaxy
- Earthquakes Announce 2003 Schedule - San Jose Earthquakes
- United Announces 2003 MLS Schedule - D.C. United
- MetroStars Announce 2003 Schedule - New York Red Bulls
- MLS Announces 2003 Schedule - MLS
- Fire Trades Wolff to Kansas City - Chicago Fire FC
- Wizards Acquire World Cup and Chicago Fire Standout Josh Wolff - Sporting Kansas City
- MetroStars Place U-17 Team in Super Y-League - New York Red Bulls
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