MLS unveils home openers for 2017, first games for Atlanta, Minnesota
The opening bits of the 2017 MLS calendar have trickled out, with the league unveiling the home openers for each of the 22 teams, including the first games for expansion clubs Minnesota United and Atlanta United.
Minnesota will play in the first game of the season, opening at the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on March 3. Its first home game, which will be at temporary home TCF Bank Stadium, will be in Week 2 against Atlanta.
For its first game, Atlanta will play at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium against the New York Red Bulls on March 5. It will make that stadium its home until the new, state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium is ready later in the year.
One new stadium that is expected to be ready for opening day is in Orlando, where Orlando City SC will open its new home against New York City FC, also on March 5.
The defending champion Seattle Sounders will play on the road for its first two matches, opening at the Houston Dynamo and then heading to Montreal to face the Impact before returning to the confines of CenturyLink Field to face the Red Bulls in Week 3.
Here is the full set of home openers for the 2017 MLS season (all times Eastern):
WEEK 1
Friday, March 3, 2017
9:30 p.m. – Portland Timbers vs. Minnesota United FC (Providence Park)
Saturday, March 4, 2017
2 p.m. – Columbus Crew SC vs. Chicago Fire (MAPFRE Stadium)
4 p.m. – LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas (StubHub Center)
4:30 p.m. – Real Salt Lake vs. Toronto FC (Rio Tinto Stadium)
6 p.m. – Colorado Rapids vs. New England Revolution (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park)
7 p.m. - D.C. United vs. Sporting Kansas City (RFK Stadium)
8:30 p.m. - Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders FC (BBVA Compass Stadium)
10 p.m. – San Jose Earthquakes vs. Montreal Impact (Avaya Stadium)
Sunday, March 5, 2017
5 p.m. – Orlando City SC vs. New York City FC (Orlando City SC Stadium)
7 p.m. – Atlanta United vs. New York Red Bulls (Bobby Dodd Stadium)
9:30 p.m. – Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Philadelphia Union (BC Place)
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WEEK 2
Saturday, March 11, 2017
2 p.m. - Chicago Fire vs. Real Salt Lake (Toyota Park)
2 p.m. – New England Revolution vs. Orlando City SC (Gillette Stadium)
4 p.m. – New York Red Bulls vs. Colorado Rapids (Red Bull Arena)
4:30 p.m. – Philadelphia Union vs. Toronto FC (Talen Energy Stadium)
7 p.m. – Montreal Impact vs. Seattle Sounders FC (Olympic Stadium)
9 p.m. – Sporting Kansas City vs. FC Dallas (Children’s Mercy Park)
Sunday, March 12, 2017
2 p.m. – New York City FC vs. D.C. United (Yankee Stadium)
5 p.m. – Minnesota United FC vs. Atlanta United (TCF Bank Stadium)
WEEK 3
Saturday, March 18, 2017
8 p.m. – FC Dallas vs. New England Revolution (Toyota Stadium)
Sunday, March 19, 2017
7 p.m. – Seattle Sounders FC vs. New York Red Bulls (CenturyLink Field)
WEEK 5
Friday, March 31, 2017
7:30 p.m. – Toronto FC vs. Sporting Kansas City (BMO Field)
