2017 Schedule Thread

[LionNYC]

It's not going to be released until early January but based on previous seasons, here's our likely schedule. When the games will happen I do not know...

Things to consider...
- In 2015, we played Red Bulls, Orlando, New England, Philadelphia, Montreal, and Toronto, three times.
- In 2016, we played Red Bulls, Orlando, New England, D.C., Chicago, and Columbus three times.
- There are two new expansion clubs in Atlanta, who we'll play twice, and Minnesota, who we'll play once. So that removes at a minimum of three of those three games series with opponents.
- The Red Bulls are a mainstay for three games. I think are Orlando as well. New England may have just been because of travel and scheduling. The only guess is that third team to play three games and I think it will be Toronto. We played them three times in 2015, and four times in 2016 (playoffs, ugh). Regardless, as a neural and member of the general tv audience, it's an entertaining game.

Red Bulls - A, A, H
Toronto - A, A, H
DC - A, H
Montreal - A, H
Philadelphia - A, H
New England - A, H
Orlando - A, H, H
Columbus - A, H
Chicago - A, H
Atlanta - A, H
--------------------
Dallas - A
Colorado - A
LA - A
Seattle - H
SKC - H
RSL - A
Portland - H
Vancouver - A
San Jose - H
Houston - H
Minnesota - H (Likely, to make it 17 home matches)

 

[ZYanksRule]

It's not going to be released until early January but based on previous seasons, here's our likely schedule. When the games will happen I do not know...

Things to consider...
- In 2015, we played Red Bulls, Orlando, New England, Philadelphia, Montreal, and Toronto, three times.
- In 2016, we played Red Bulls, Orlando, New England, D.C., Chicago, and Columbus three times.
- There are two new expansion clubs in Atlanta, who we'll play twice, and Minnesota, who we'll play once. So that removes at a minimum of three of those three games series with opponents.
- The Red Bulls are a mainstay for three games. I think are Orlando as well. New England may have just been because of travel and scheduling. The only guess is that third team to play three games and I think it will be Toronto. We played them three times in 2015, and four times in 2016 (playoffs, ugh). Regardless, as a neural and member of the general tv audience, it's an entertaining game.

Red Bulls - A, A, H
Toronto - A, A, H
DC - A, H
Montreal - A, H
Philadelphia - A, H
New England - A, H
Orlando - A, H, H
Columbus - A, H
Chicago - A, H
Atlanta - A, H
--------------------
Dallas - A
Colorado - A
LA - A
Seattle - H
SKC - H
RSL - A
Portland - H
Vancouver - A
San Jose - H
Houston - H
Minnesota - A/H (Expansion Club, No History, No Idea)

Considering the rest of your math, Minnesota would have to be a home game otherwise we'd only have 16 home games. Unless we'd get an extra home game against Toronto.

 

[LionNYC]

Considering the rest of your math, Minnesota would have to be a home game otherwise we'd only have 16 home games. Unless we'd get an extra home game against Toronto.

Didn't even count the home matches. Thanks.

 

[mgarbowski]

I don't think playing RB and Orlando 3 times is a certainty. A regular rotation is also a rational option. I would not be shocked if the league does it as you suggest, but I'm not putting it in ink yet either.

ETA: Had there been no new expansion this year I would have fully expected playing RB, Orlando and NE 2 times this year because that was what the rotation dictated. Adding teams might give the league an excuse to reset the rotation and play Orlando and RB 3 times.

 

[Gotham Gator]

In leagues where you have uneven scheduling, it is quite common to have a permanent opponent(s) that you play every year and a rotation against the rest. I think that will be the case with us and NJ. I would venture to say the only thing we know for sure is that we will play them 3 times.

Also, I could be wrong, but I don't think it is possible to do a round robin, plus 3, with 11 teams, which means at least some teams will end up with an extra out of conference match.

Let me explain. It is reasonable to assume that the schedule will involve one game against each out of conference opponent. This year that would be 11 games leaving 23 against opponents in conference. That suggests 2 games against each of the other teams in your conference, which is 20 games, and an extra game against 3 of those teams.

Here's the issue. I don't think there is a way to have each of the teams in a conference play a third game against only 3 teams and work it out consistently across all 11 teams. I've tried, and I can't get it to work. Please see if you can, but I have my doubts. I think it is because there is an odd number of teams in the conference. My guess is that they can and will deal with this by having Minnesota and Atlanta play twice, which means each of them would also have only 2 extra games against a conference foe. I think that works, although I haven't tried to do it.

 

[Gotham Gator]

So here is what I think we know, or can guess at, regarding schedule, generally in decreasing order of likelihood.

• 34 games
• At least 2 games, home-away, against each Eastern Conference team
• At least 1 game against each Western Conference team, probably (but not definitely) the reverse of the home-away makeup from last year
• A 3rd game against some Eastern Conference teams
  • Probably an extra game against 3 Eastern Conference teams in total, but could be fewer
  • One of the 3 game opponents will be New Jersey
  • The others could be anyone
• Possibly 1 extra game against one or more Western Conference teams, and perhaps as many as 3, but more likely none

 

[mgarbowski]

Here's the issue. I don't think there is a way to have each of the teams in a conference play a third game against only 3 teams and work it out consistently across all 11 teams. I've tried, and I can't get it to work. Please see if you can, but I have my doubts. I think it is because there is an odd number of teams in the conference.

I think you're right.


I think it's not that it is an uneven number of teams but that you actually need a number divisible by 4.

 

[mgarbowski]

To those positing that we play RB 3-games in perpetuity (or pending future expansion), please explain your thoughts as to whether RB also plays DC 3-times every year. That rivalry is as big to them as we are and has more history. And if so, does the league really limite RB's schedule that much? And if not, are we certain the league will prioritize the new big rivalry over the old big rivalry?

 

[Ulrich]

To those positing that we play RB 3-games in perpetuity (or pending future expansion), please explain your thoughts as to whether RB also plays DC 3-times every year. That rivalry is as big to them as we are and has more history. And if so, does the league really limite RB's schedule that much? And if not, are we certain the league will prioritize the new big rivalry over the old big rivalry?

Dollars and cents.... the league needs bodies in the stands for TV and DC/RB doesn't do that.

 

[mgarbowski]

Dollars and cents.... the league needs bodies in the stands for TV and DC/RB doesn't do that.

Maybe. We're also (I'm pretty sure) the top draw for road attendance league-wide. I can't find a source for that at the moment, but I remember reading that in 2015 and I've no reason to think it changed. Hosting NYCFC is an economic positive for every team. Besides the one-time attendance boost they all hope that those one-time fans will come back, and buy a 5-pack or more.

The following 3 East Conference teams have only hosted us twice.
Chicago
Montreal
Toronto
All others have done so 3 times.
If we play RB 3 times this year they probably host us 2 more times, which would raise them to 5. Chicago, Montreal and TFC have cause to object (and vote against that schedule) if that means they lose out on a chance to host us 2x in 2017. And the other East teams would also vote against because an annual 3x Hudson derby means they lose out eventually too.
Now maybe they get bought off. Or Maybe the Don and the networks tell them to pound sand. But there are multiple losers if the league keeps making us play 3x every year and those teams get a vote. I'm not making a prediction and curious to see how the league handles it because I see it as a close call.

 

[LionNYC]

To those positing that we play RB 3-games in perpetuity (or pending future expansion), please explain your thoughts as to whether RB also plays DC 3-times every year. That rivalry is as big to them as we are and has more history. And if so, does the league really limite RB's schedule that much? And if not, are we certain the league will prioritize the new big rivalry over the old big rivalry?

The Red Bulls front office pleads to MLS, Garber, and the those creating the schedule to have NYCFC play at RBA twice a year every other year so they can get enough ticket revenue to stay in the black.

 

[Kjbert]

The Red Bulls front office pleads to MLS, Garber, and the those creating the schedule to have NYCFC play at RBA twice a year every other year so they can get enough ticket revenue to stay in the black.

While you may be right, don't you think we beg for two home games against them too for us to not lose as much money?

 

[LionNYC]

While you may be right, don't you think we beg for two home games against them too for us to not lose as much money?

I don't know how much rent costs for Yankee Stadium, but I'm sure we're solid because we average 27K over the course of the season, which is grater than the capacity at RBA.

 

[Ulrich]

While you may be right, don't you think we beg for two home games against them too for us to not lose as much money?

It would need to flip each year to keep the "competitiveness" of the location "equal".

 

[JGarrettLieb]

I don't know how much rent costs for Yankee Stadium, but I'm sure we're solid because we average 27K over the course of the season, which is grater than the capacity at RBA.

Rent is in effect a shell game at YS. Since the part owner of the team, people with a financial stake in seeing the valuation rise, own the stadium. I would not be surprised if it was simply a cost plus contract where the plus part is quite low. And the costs are based on something reasonable, like the actual running costs, not running costs + bond service + depreciation.

But even still, that's basically shifting money from one hand to the other. Yes Yankees only own 20%, but the growth on that 20% is probably more than what they would get in a strict stadium deal.

 

[mgarbowski]

I'm going to predict that Atlanta plays us three times, hosts us twice, and both of those games in Atlanta are in the second half of the season. In doing so the league boosts ATL in trying to set a first year attendance record. Putting games in the second half of the season means the games are in their new stadium and we are more likely to have a third DP to add to the draw.

 

[engine46]

Vancouver - A

Safe to say two of the four charters will be burned on this, unless its combined with some sort of West Coast road trip, since it is the only MLS destination not served by a -domestic- airline from New York. (Cathay Pacific and Philippine Airlines do, but $$$$).

 

[Kjbert]

I don't know how much rent costs for Yankee Stadium, but I'm sure we're solid because we average 27K over the course of the season, which is grater than the capacity at RBA.

Rent isn't our only cost. We spent $23 million on salaries this year.

 

[Sabo]

3 official Heineken Rivalry Weeks with each team playing its official rival (NYCFC-NJRB) except the 1st rivalry week features a rematch of the MLS Cup.

 

[NYCFC_Dan]

I really just want to know the home opener so I can book my trip in advance. Got a lot of moving parts.