MLS released their schedule for the 2016 season, and the mad rush is on for people to plan the rest of their year around home games, potential road trips, family vacations, and weddings. Sporting KC will start the season off quite busy. After just three games in March, KC will play 13 games between April 2nd and June 2nd, Sporting will basically play a game just under ever five days over that stretch, an absolutely brutal start to the season that will test the team's depth early on. The busy beginning to the season has to do with the league taking a two week break in the summer for the Copa America that is taking place in the US combined with Sporting KC's participation in the 2016-2017 CONCACAF Champions League which will make the second half of KC's season busy. After Copa America KC's schedule picks up again with six more games in July, and this isn't even counting the club's US Open Cup run which could make the stretch even harder. After that, while the league schedule lets up for KC, the overall schedule will not as the club's run in the 2016-2017 CCL will get started in August, when the club has four league games and run through September (three league games) and October (three league games). KC ends the season with three difficult road games, a trip to San Jose where the club hasn't won since 2000, New England, where KC has been historically good, but have won just once there since the team's re-branding, and Salt Lake where they've won just one time since the 2010 season. The on decision day Sporting welcome the Earthquakes to Children's Mercy Park to close out the regular season.
Despite the difficult stretches, it is a big season for KC, the club will have 15 games on national television, including one game on Fox on July 31st at home against Portland. KC has six games on ESPN, six on Fox, two on UniMas to go along with the national broadcast on Fox this season, almost half the team's games. Of those, 11 of those 15 games are at Children's Mercy Park, which means Kansas City will have a number of Sunday games against this year, in fact, 10 of the club's 17 home games are on Sunday this year, just four are on Saturday, one is on Wednesday, and two are on Friday. On the other side of things, KC plays away on Wednesday three times, once on Thursday, eight times Saturday, and five times on Sunday. With all the games on national television, KC has a number of different kickoff times at home, kicking off anywhere from 12, noon to 7:30 in the evening.
On a cool note, on the 20th anniversary of the club's first game against the Colorado Rapids, Sporting will once again host the Rapids at Children's Mercy Park. A nod to the history of the team and the league, I like it.
Here's the full schedule
Sun., March 6 at Seattle Sounders FC 6:00
Sat., March 12 Vancouver Whitecaps 7:30
Sun., March 20 Toronto FC 6:00
Sat., April 2 Real Salt Lake 7:30
Sat., April 9 at New York Red Bulls 6:00
Wed., April 13 Colorado Rapids 7:30
Sun., April 17 at FC Dallas 6:00
Sun., April 24 at San Jose Earthquakes 2:30
Wed., April 27 at Vancouver Whitecaps TBD
Sun., May 1 LA Galaxy 7:00
Sat., May 7 at Houston Dynamo TBD
Wed., May 11 at Colorado Rapids 8:00
Sun., May 15 Orlando City SC 2:30
Sat., May 21 Real Salt Lake 7:30
Fri., May 27 D.C. United 6:00
Thur., June 2 at LA Galaxy 9:30
Sun., June 19 FC Dallas 4:00
Sat., June 25 at Montreal Impact TBD
Sun., July 3 Columbus Crew SC 6:00
Sun., July 10 New York City FC 7:00
Wed., July 13 at Chicago Fire 7:30
Sat., July 16 at Colorado Rapids 8:00
Sun., July 24 Seattle Sounders FC 2:00
Sun., July 31 Portland Timbers 1:00
Sun., Aug. 7 at Portland Timbers 3:00
Sat., Aug. 13 at FC Dallas 8:00
Sat., Aug. 20 Vancouver Whitecaps 7:30
Sat., Aug. 27 at Philadelphia Union TBD
Fri., Sept. 9 Houston Dynamo 7:00
Sun., Sept. 18 LA Galaxy 12:00
Sat., Sept. 24 at San Jose Earthquakes 9:30
Sat., Oct. 1 at New England 6:30
Sun., Oct. 16 at Real Salt Lake 6:00
Sun., Oct. 23 San Jose Earthquakes 3:00
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