Portland Timbers release 2012 schedule
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers will open their 2012 season at home versus the Philadelphia Union on March 12. Major League Soccer unveiled the full season schedule on Thursday morning.
The Timbers will also host fierce rival Seattle twice during the season, first on June 24 and again on Sept. 15. The September game will be on NBC, while the June game will be on ESPN.
Under the new competition format for MLS, the Timbers will play a conference-based schedule in 2012, taking on each of their eight Western Conference opponents three times and each Eastern Conference club once during the regular season.
Major League Soccer will also have its longest season this year, with the final played Dec. 1.
The league announced in November that its 17th season will start March 10, five days earlier than in 2011. Last year's final was Nov. 20.
With the expansion Montreal Impact giving the league 19 teams, MLS is switching to an unbalanced schedule while keeping the regular season at 34 games per team.
Just seven games conflict with FIFA fixture dates, when many star players are away with national teams: Chicago at New England (June 1); Los Angeles at Columbus; Portland at Toronto and Houston at Vancouver (Aug. 15); Portland at Colorado (Sept. 5); Salt Lake at Houston (Sept. 6); and Chivas USA at Seattle (Sept. 8).
About 83 percent of games are on weekends and holidays, and all 323 games will be televised live.
A record nine games are scheduled for April 28.
The league announced in November that its 17th season will start March 10, five days earlier than in 2011. Last year's final was Nov. 20.
With the expansion Montreal Impact giving the league 19 teams, MLS is switching to an unbalanced schedule while keeping the regular season at 34 games per team.
Just seven games conflict with FIFA fixture dates, when many star players are away with national teams: Chicago at New England (June 1); Los Angeles at Columbus; Portland at Toronto and Houston at Vancouver (Aug. 15); Portland at Colorado (Sept. 5); Salt Lake at Houston (Sept. 6); and Chivas USA at Seattle (Sept. 8).
About 83 percent of games are on weekends and holidays, and all 323 games will be televised live.
A record nine games are scheduled for April 28.
Here is Portland's full 2012 schedule with home games in caps:
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Kickoff (Pacific)
|
Television
|
|
Monday, March 12
|
PHILADELPHIA UNION
|
6:30 p.m.
|
ESPN2
|
|
Saturday, March 17
|
@FC Dallas
|
5:30 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Saturday, March 24
|
@New England Revolution
|
1 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Saturday, March 31
|
REAL SALT LAKE
|
7 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Saturday, April 7
|
CHIVAS USA
|
7:30 p.m.
|
KPTV
|
|
Saturday, April 14
|
@LA Galaxy
|
7:30 p.m.
|
KPDX
|
|
Saturday, April 21
|
SPORTING KANSAS CITY
|
7:30 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Saturday, April 28
|
@Montreal Impact
|
11 a.m.
|
KPDX
|
|
Saturday, May 5
|
COLUMBUS CREW
|
7:30 p.m.
|
KPTV
|
|
Tuesday, May 15
|
@Houston Dynamo
|
5:30 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Sunday, May 20
|
CHICAGO FIRE
|
4 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS, Galavisión
|
|
Saturday, May 26
|
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
|
7 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Sunday, June 17
|
@LA Galaxy
|
4 p.m.
|
KPTV
|
|
Sunday, June 24
|
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
|
2 p.m.
|
ESPN
|
|
Saturday, June 30
|
@Colorado Rapids
|
6 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Tuesday, July 3
|
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
|
7:30 p.m.
|
KPTV
|
|
Saturday, July 7
|
@Real Salt Lake
|
6 p.m.
|
KPDX
|
|
Saturday, July 14
|
LA GALAXY
|
8 p.m.
|
NBC Sports Network
|
|
Wednesday, July 18
|
@Chivas USA
|
1 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Saturday, July 21
|
@FC Dallas
|
6 p.m.
|
KPTV
|
|
Saturday, July 28
|
CHIVAS USA
|
8 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Sunday, Aug. 5
|
FC DALLAS
|
4 p.m.
|
NBC Sports Network
|
|
Wednesday, Aug. 15
|
@Toronto FC
|
4 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Sunday, Aug. 19
|
@New York Red Bulls
|
4 p.m.
|
KPTV, Galavisión
|
|
Saturday, Aug. 25
|
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
|
7:30 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Friday, Aug. 31
|
COLORADO RAPIDS
|
7:30 p.m.
|
NBC Sports Network
|
|
Wednesday, Sept. 5
|
@Colorado Rapids
|
6 p.m.
|
NBC Sports Network
|
|
Saturday, Sept. 15
|
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
|
12:30 p.m.
|
NBC
|
|
Wednesday, Sept. 19
|
@San Jose Earthquakes
|
7:30 p.m.
|
KPDX
|
|
Saturday, Sept. 22
|
@Real Salt Lake
|
5 p.m.
|
NBC Sports Network
|
|
Saturday, Sept. 29
|
D.C. UNITED
|
7:30 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Sunday, Oct. 7
|
@Seattle Sounders FC
|
6 p.m.
|
ESPN
|
|
Saturday, Oct. 20
|
@Vancouver Whitecaps FC
|
1 p.m.
|
ROOT SPORTS
|
|
Saturday, Oct. 27
|
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
|
3:30 p.m.
|
NBC Sports Network
|
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