Monday, November 25, 2013

2014 Schedule Released

The 2013 season hasn't ended, and we already have the 2014 schedule. For the past few years it's been January, or even February before we got the schedule for the new year, so getting it in late November is already a real treat.

For the fourth straight year, Sporting KC opens the season on the road. This time it's a trip to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Sounders in an afternoon game on NBC Sports. The game is the first of 12 that Sporting KC will have on national TV this year.

The home opener is the next weekend, on the 15th, when they'll welcome FC Dallas to Sporting Park. In between those two games is their CCL quarterfinal opener at Sporting Park against Cruz Azul. The Wednesday after the Dallas game, Sporting will travel to Mexico for the return leg. KC also hosts San Jose and travels to Colorado in the month of March, giving them a busy start to the league season.

Like the 2010 World Cup, the league will take a break for the group stage from June 12th through the 24th. KC's break during that stretch sees their last game on Friday June 6th in Houston, returning to action on June 27th at Portland. The team will go from May 27th through July 6th without a home game, but have just two games in that stretch with the World Cup.

Any players going to the World Cup from KC will likely miss 3-4 games before the World Cup depending on how early Jurgen Klinsmann pulls the players in. With games on May 23rd (Toronto), 27th (New York), 31st (at DC), and June 6th (at Houston), the likes of Matt Besler and Graham Zusi could miss all those games while with the US team. Advance from the group stage and they'll miss the trip to Portland on June 27th. A quarterfinal birth would see them miss the game against the Chicago Fire on July 6th.

KC will get to close the season at home this year though, ending against New York on October 26th on ESPN. Along with the opener and finale, KC's other nationally televised games feature them at home against the Crew (May 4th, NBCSN), at Chicago (May 18, Unimas), vs New York (May 27th, ESPN2), at Portland (June 27th, NBCSN), vs Chicago (July 6th, ESPN), vs LA (July 19th ESPN2), vs Philadelphia (August 1st, NBCSN), vs Houston (August 29th, NBCSN), vs New England (September 26th, NBCSN), at DC (October 3rd, NBCSN). SO KC get a total of 7 games on NBC Sports, 4 of them home games, 4 ESPN games, all at home, and 1 Unimas game.

Sporting will play the majority of their games on Saturday's again this year. They'll play seven times at home on Saturday, 10 on the road. They'll have five games on Sundays, three at home, two away. KC will have just two midweek home games, one on a Tuesday and one on Wednesday. They'll also have two Wednesday away games. KC will get to play Friday night lights eight times through the season next year, five times at home, three on the road.

Unfortunately for road trippers, there is no Cascadia Wednesday-Saturday trip this year to make; KC will make three separate trips to the Northwest. If you are looking for a Wednesday-Saturday trip though, September 3rd against New England and September 6th in New York is your best bet. A trip to Colorado in March or the always well-traveled trips to Chicago are some of your other prime choices this year.

1 comment:

Ed said...

The release day is May 26th. Think Sporting would be asked to release before that?

Unless the US gets in group A or B they can't make it back for the 27th can they?

The three separate trips to the NW and the crazy start to the season are the only complaints that I see. Should be a fun season again.