2019 Schedule Thread

MumonA

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I know it's only August, but with MLB releasing their 2019 schedule last week, I took a peek at the Yankees homestands (pdf). Looks like NYCFC's weekend home dates are pretty much set for next year. We've had 12 or 13 weekend home matches scheduled each season so far. If that pattern holds, the team will likely play on all but one of the following weekends. Available dates during the baseball season based on the 72-hour turnaround rule.

March 2/3
March 9/10
March 16/17
*March 23/24
April 6/7
April 27/28
June 29/30
July 6/7
July 27
Aug 24/25
*Sept 7/8
Sept 14
Oct 20/27 -- Game 34
(* FIFA dates; Gold Cup: June 15-July 7)

A total of 13 weekends. One of the March weekends is likely out. That's still four potential cold-weather matches through the first weekend in April. Then there's a two-month gap between late April and late June. July 27 and Sept 14 are Saturdays with scheduling pressure that may push the matches to Friday. The Yankees play the following Tuesday in each case. A 72-hour turnaround would mean that the NYCFC match would need to end by late afternoon. That may be problematic for July 27 with the shift to evening kickoffs during the summer. Three other Saturdays -- April 6, June 29 and Sept 7 -- face scheduling pressure from the other side with Yankees games on the prior Wednesday. Getaway day games would mean a Saturday evening kickoff at the earliest. But the Sundays on those weekends are available in each case, so not a big deal. Game 34 is a wildcard as usual with the Yankees' likely playoff run.

If NYCFC plays 12 weekend home matches, that leaves five midweek dates out of the following:

Wed/Thu
April 24/25
May 22/23
*June 5/6
July 3/4
July 24/25
Aug 7/8
Aug 21/22
Sept 11/12
Sept 25/26

If the potential Saturday match on July 27 is pushed to Friday as mentioned above, that would take July 24/25 out of play. Blocking off the June 5/6 FIFA dates leading up to the Gold Cup would leave seven options. Much more speculative on the midweek situation, so I'll stop there until we have more information.

Edited to correct Gold Cup dates.
 
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The most home games we have ever played in March is 3, in 2016. We also played 3 at home in April that year. We have also never started the season at home. I really hope we don't start with so many at home in 2019 as your research indicates. It makes for a better season, both for the team and fans, when things are more balanced. But there doesn't seem to be much flexibility.
 
I'm very lazy so I won't do it myself, but if someone can do the same analysis with the Mets and try to show some options involving 2 to 4 games at Citi. Thanks!
 
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I know it's only August, but with MLB releasing their 2019 schedule last week, I took a peek at the Yankees homestands (pdf). Looks like NYCFC's weekend home dates are pretty much set for next year. We've had 12 or 13 weekend home matches scheduled each season so far. If that pattern holds, the team will likely play on all but one of the following weekends. Available dates during the baseball season based on the 72-hour turnaround rule.

March 2/3
March 9/10
March 16/17
*March 23/24
April 6/7
April 27/28
June 29/30
July 6/7
July 27
Aug 24/25
*Sept 7/8
Sept 14
Oct 20/27 -- Game 34
(* FIFA dates; Gold Cup: June 18-July 18)

A total of 13 weekends. One of the March weekends is likely out. That's still four potential cold-weather matches through the first weekend in April. Then there's a two-month gap between late April and late June. July 27 and Sept 14 are Saturdays with scheduling pressure that may push the matches to Friday. The Yankees play the following Tuesday in each case. A 72-hour turnaround would mean that the NYCFC match would need to end by late afternoon. That may be problematic for July 27 with the shift to evening kickoffs during the summer. Three other Saturdays -- April 6, June 29 and Sept 7 -- face scheduling pressure from the other side with Yankees games on the prior Wednesday. Getaway day games would mean a Saturday evening kickoff at the earliest. But the Sundays on those weekends are available in each case, so not a big deal. Game 34 is a wildcard as usual with the Yankees' likely playoff run.

If NYCFC plays 12 weekend home matches, that leaves five midweek dates out of the following:

Wed/Thu
April 24/25
May 22/23
*June 5/6
July 3/4
July 24/25
Aug 7/8
Aug 21/22
Sept 11/12
Sept 25/26

If the potential Saturday match on July 27 is pushed to Friday as mentioned above, that would take July 24/25 out of play. Blocking off the June 5/6 FIFA dates leading up to the Gold Cup would leave seven options. Much more speculative on the midweek situation, so I'll stop there until we have more information.
Note that those March games are spring training and not at Yankee Stadium.
I'm very lazy so I won't do it myself, but if someone can do the same analysis with the Mets and try to show some options involving 2 to 4 games at Citi. Thanks!
4/14-18
5/5-6, 16, 29
6/20-24
7/11-19
8/1, 15-16
9/2, 19

Only 4/14, the stretch in July, and 9/2 include weekends. And also none of those dates line up with Yankee Stadium being available, meaning they're all *extra* available dates.
 
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So there are 28 available weekday/weekends, if you combine Citi Field and YS? Even without, that makes 22 at YS, and if you take out FIFA dates that's 19. I think we'll be able to fit in 18 games, if they change from the 17-game format to an 18 or 19-game format. Though that might not matter until 2020 when all the new teams come in.
 
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Note that those March games are spring training and not at Yankee Stadium.

4/14-18
5/5-6, 16, 29
6/20-24
7/11-19
8/1, 15-16
9/2, 19

Only 4/14, the stretch in July, and 9/2 include weekends. And also none of those dates line up with Yankee Stadium being available, meaning they're all *extra* available dates.

Thanks! It would be nice to fit 3 weekend games in July and early September at Citi instead of march or April at YS or squeezing in a 3 game week.
 
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I like the idea of some games at Citi planned from the start, but I don’t think it’s in the works. They should have already announced it by now for one, as it raises all sorts of issues related to renewals: can we opt out of the games, seat selection, pricing, lack of close comparables to Legends, Champions and Delta, etc. For the one game last year they refunded and let people buy what they want, but that’s not what they would want to do for 3-5 games scheduled there from the outset. And it would be a mess to spring it on people in January when the schedule comes out, after we’ve renewed and paid in part.
 
I like the idea of some games at Citi planned from the start, but I don’t think it’s in the works. They should have already announced it by now for one, as it raises all sorts of issues related to renewals: can we opt out of the games, seat selection, pricing, lack of close comparables to Legends, Champions and Delta, etc. For the one game last year they refunded and let people buy what they want, but that’s not what they would want to do for 3-5 games scheduled there from the outset. And it would be a mess to spring it on people in January when the schedule comes out, after we’ve renewed and paid in part.

It would be a mess. But it would have locked us in.
 
Interesting.

Presumably, they would not make that announcement for 2019 until they've come to a decision on whether and how to rearrange the schedule.
 
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I'm cross-referencing the MLB playoff and MLS playoff schedule here:

Screenshot 2018-12-17 11.27.01.png Screenshot 2018-12-17 11.26.00.png

Looks like AL Divisional games 1 = 10/4, 2 = 10/5, 3 = 10/7.
Decision Day is 10/6. No way we get to play that at home if Yanks make the playoffs.

MLS Round 1 is Sunday 10/20
AL Championship games 5 = 10/17, 6 = 10/19, 7 =10/20
If Yankees make that round, no way they let us play at YS for our 1st playoff game

MLS Round 2 is Sunday 10/27
World Series Games 3 = 10/25, 4 = 10/26. 5 = 10/27, 6 = 10/29
If Yanks make the WS, no way they let us play at YS for the 2nd round of the playoffs.

MLS Round 3
(conf final) is Sunday 11/3
World Series Game 7 (if necessary) is Wed 10/30.
I feel like even that would be a close call, considering all the extra stuff they do to the field for a WS game.

Sadly, it looks like if the Yanks make a run we wouldn't get to play a playoff game at YS till the MLS Cup final. So much for those Season Ticket Playoff value. They Probably sell in order of when you signed up to matches at Citi (and that's IF the Mets don't make the playoffs).

Speaking of the Mets:

NL Divisional games 1 = 10/2, 2 = 10/4, 3 = 10/6.
Decision Day is 10/6. No way we get to play that at Citi if Mets make the playoffs.
So Decision Day HAS to be an away game this year to save us from Homelessgedddon.

MLS Round 1 is Sunday 10/20
NL Championship games 5 = 10/16, 6 = 10/18, 7 =10/19
If Mets make that round, no way they let us play at Citi for our 1st playoff game.
This could be a complete disaster if NYCFC make's the playoffs as a top 4 seed and both local baseball teams make 2nd round of the playoffs. Homelessgeddon would occur. Worse, if NJ is also hosting a match, we'd really have NOWHERE to play that Sunday. Hartford anyone???

MLS Round 3 (conf final) is Sunday 11/3
World Series Game 7 (if necessary) is Wed 10/30.
Odds are slim on this one, but... If we also host the Conf Final and there's a Subway Series this season, we're triple screwed. But RB Arena would be available that day, one way or another in that scenario. Could you imagine if it's NYC v RB in the Conf Final, and we had the home draw. But we had to play at NJ because both baseball teams were in the WS?

Conclusions (TLDR):

Decision Day WILL be played away this season.
If the Yankees have a long playoff run, we're playing our playoff matches at Citi.
If both the Yankees and the Mets have long playoff runs, we're SOL and should be huge black eye for this organization.

ETA. Looks like MLS officially announced. And playoffs start Saturday 10/19. Doesn’t change anything above. Same problems, same MLB playoff dates.
 
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From April 15th until the end of June (when weather is basically at its best in NYC) - there is ONE home game.

Oh well, can’t wait to zip up that parka for more freezing March games instead. Sigh. Getting tired of this crap.
 
From April 15th until the end of June (when weather is basically at its best in NYC) - there is ONE home game.

Oh well, can’t wait to zip up that parka for more freezing March games instead. Sigh. Getting tired of this crap.
You need to read beyond the first post, which listed only weekends.
 
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I'm cross-referencing the MLB playoff and MLS playoff schedule here:

View attachment 9385 View attachment 9386

Looks like AL Divisional games 1 = 10/4, 2 2 = 10/5, 3 = 10/7.
Decision Day is 10/6. No way we get to play that at home if Yanks make the playoffs.

MLS Round 1 is Sunday 10/20
AL Championship games 5 = 10/17, 6 = 10/19, 7 =10/20
If Yankees make that round, no way they let us play at YS for our 1st playoff game

MLS Round 2 is Sunday 10/27
World Series Games 3 = 10/25, 4 = 10/26. 5 = 10/27, 6 = 10/29
If Yanks make the WS, no way they let us play at YS for the 2nd round of the playoffs.

MLS Round 3
(conf final) is Sunday 11/3
World Series Game 7 (if necessary) is Wed 10/30.
I feel like even that would be a close call, considering all the extra stuff they do to the field for a WS game.

Sadly, it looks like if the Yanks make a run we wouldn't get to play a playoff game at YS till the MLS Cup final. So much for those Season Ticket Playoff value. They Probably sell in order of when you signed up to matches at Citi (and that's IF the Mets don't make the playoffs).

Speaking of the Mets:

NL Divisional games 1 = 10/2, 2 2 = 10/4, 3 = 10/6.
Decision Day is 10/6. No way we get to play that at Citi if Mets make the playoffs.
So Decision Day HAS to be an away game this year to save us from Homlessgedddon.

MLS Round 1 is Sunday 10/20
NL Championship games 5 = 10/16, 6 = 10/18, 7 =10/19
If Mets make that round, no way they let us play at Citi for our 1st playoff game.
This could be a complete disaster if NYCFC make's the playoffs as a top 4 seed and both local baseball teams make 2nd round of the playoffs. Homelessgeddon would occur. Worse, if NJ is also hosting a match, we'd really have NOWHERE to play that Sunday. Hartford anyone???

MLS Round 3 (conf final) is Sunday 11/3
World Series Game 7 (if necessary) is Wed 10/30.
Odds are slim on this one, but... If we also host the Conf Final and there's a Subway Series this season, we're triple screwed. But RB Arena would be available that day, one way or another in that scenario. Could you imagine if it's NYC v RB in the Conf Final, and we had the home draw. But we had to play at NJ because both baseball teams were in the WS?

Conclusions (TLDR):

Decision Day WILL be played away this season.
If the Yankees have a long playoff run, we're playing our playoff matches at Citi.
If both the Yankees and the Mets have long playoff runs, we're SOL and should be huge black eye for this organization.

ay yo....citifield MLS playoffs then. if not then cyclones park...that way we expand the "brand" to as many boroughs as possible.
 
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