MLS unveils 2012 schedule
Steel yourself.
The 323-game season, which begins March 10 and concludes Dec. 1 with MLS Cup, is the longest in league history at 267 days.
Each of the league's 19 clubs will play 34 matches, 17 at home and 17 away, during the 34 week season.
And get ready for saturation television coverage.
A total of 89 games will be televised live nationally by ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, NBC, NBC Sports Network, and Univision. More than 83% of all MLS games will take place on weekends or holidays, with every day of the week having at least one scheduled match during the year.
I always look for a tasty road trip.
Galaxy fans might want to consider games on July 14 and 19 in Portland and Vancouver respectively. You just can't beat those microbreweries in that part of the world.
For the truly ambitious, the Galaxy's longest road trip of the year goes from July 28 to Aug.15 and includes games against FC Dallas, Seattle Sounders FC, Chivas USA (well, OK, maybe that HDC game doesn't count) and the Columbus Crew.
Chivas USA fans might be eying games Sept. 2 and 8 in San Jose and Seattle respectively, assuming the club is still in the playoff mix at that relatively late stage of the season.
Also, the Galaxy's longest homestand of the year runs from Aug. 26-Sept. 22 and includes games against FC Dallas, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Colorado Rapids and Toronto FC.
Check out:
*The complete Galaxy schedule here.
*The complete Chivas USA schedule here.
*The national television schedule here.
*The complete MLS schedule you can download to that new iPad/tablet/iPhone/Android you got for whatever holiday you celebrate here.
Game on.
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
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