2019 Schedule Thread

[Jon]

In 2020, season will start in mid Feb in warm weather cities. Couldn't this year because of CBA and mandatory time off. Extra mid week games aside this year aside, this not only is going to help create a better playoff system but will help MLS teams in CCL

If this is the case that the case (big IF) then a mid-February opening should only be played in:

Miami
Orlando
Atlanta
Nashville
Dallas
Houston
LA x 2
Portland
Seattle
San Jose

(that brings me to 11)

I'm looking for another city where the average high temp is above 50 in February. Intern??

 

[adam]

If this is the case that the case (big IF) then a mid-February opening should only be played in:

Miami
Orlando
Atlanta
Nashville
Dallas
Houston
LA x 2
Portland
Seattle
San Jose

(that brings me to 11)

I'm looking for another city where the average high temp is above 50 in February. Intern??

Is Minnesota’s new stadium covered?

 

[Jon]

Is Minnesota’s new stadium covered?

Negative...

Denver's average February is 49 degrees but there's always the risk of bad weather. Other option would be DC I guess.

 

[Kjbert]

Now that I’m back, I’m all for midweek games. I get an easier pass for a Wednesday night than a Saturday.

 

[Gotham Gator]

If this is the case that the case (big IF) then a mid-February opening should only be played in:

Miami
Orlando
Atlanta
Nashville
Dallas
Houston
LA x 2
Portland
Seattle
San Jose

(that brings me to 11)

I'm looking for another city where the average high temp is above 50 in February. Intern??

You've hit the issue square on.

To play a full schedule in February, you need half the teams to be in warm weather cities - and in 2020, that is 13 of 26. You've listed 11, and even those include places like Seattle, Portland and Nashville, where the February weather can be pretty bad.

The only additional alternatives would be indoor games in local stadiums that are not made for soccer (Montreal, Toronto or Minnesota) and the potential that Columbus in playing in Austin. Outside of those, the league could play incomplete schedule for a few weeks, with a few teams rotating weeks off, or just buckle up and play a few games in the cold.

 

[Jon]

You've hit the issue square on.

To play a full schedule in February, you need half the teams to be in warm weather cities - and in 2020, that is 13 of 26. You've listed 11, and even those include places like Seattle, Portland and Nashville, where the February weather can be pretty bad.

The only additional alternatives would be indoor games in local stadiums that are not made for soccer (Montreal, Toronto or Minnesota) and the potential that Columbus in playing in Austin. Outside of those, the league could play incomplete schedule for a few weeks, with a few teams rotating weeks off, or just buckle up and play a few games in the cold.

I also can't imagine teams happy about front loading their schedule with 2 or 3 home matches to start the season every single year.

 

[Shwafta]

You're right about that. It takes time to develop a fanbase, especially in a city as cynical as this. It takes more than desire to replicate what happened in Seattle, Portland, and Atlanta. But the one thing those cities have in common is a theme of major professional sports letting those cities down. Seattle lost the Sonics, Portland only has hoops, and Atlanta has had numerous teams leave. Obviously New York City has never had any of those issues and as you said, it's such a busy market.

In a way, you can argue NY has a huge portion of that as well: Islanders leaving the coliseum for Barclay's Center (which, can I point out, going back to the coliseum for this year was one of the best decisions they've ever made...) Plus we have three major league teams that consider themselves "ny" but play in NJ, and so many fans know this... Plus the Brooklyn Dodgers used to be a thing and aren't anymore.
Either way, yes there are just so many sports teams here... but the fact is that every single one of them gets great attendance. There are over 8 million people in NYC alone. You could theoretically stick 8 teams in here from one sport and they'd all get good attendance. London as of 2011 has also in the 8million area and they have too many London soccer teams to count, and each has a thriving fanbase.

 

[adam]

In a way, you can argue NY has a huge portion of that as well: Islanders leaving the coliseum for Barclay's Center (which, can I point out, going back to the coliseum for this year was one of the best decisions they've ever made...) Plus we have three major league teams that consider themselves "ny" but play in NJ, and so many fans know this... Plus the Brooklyn Dodgers used to be a thing and aren't anymore.
Either way, yes there are just so many sports teams here... but the fact is that every single one of them gets great attendance. There are over 8 million people in NYC alone. You could theoretically stick 8 teams in here from one sport and they'd all get good attendance. London as of 2011 has also in the 8million area and they have too many London soccer teams to count, and each has a thriving fanbase.

You forgot about the NY giants baseball team leaving too . And Nets used to play on LI, then NJ, now Brooklyn.

 

[Kjbert]

I’d love an excuse to visit Miami every February again.

 

[EganSoccerWords]

If this is the case that the case (big IF) then a mid-February opening should only be played in:

Miami
Orlando
Atlanta
Nashville
Dallas
Houston
LA x 2
Portland
Seattle
San Jose

(that brings me to 11)

I'm looking for another city where the average high temp is above 50 in February. Intern??

Vancouver plays indoors. Montreal has played indoors at Olympic Stadium in the beginning of past years.

 

[Fantazma]

Vancouver plays indoors. Montreal has played indoors at Olympic Stadium in the beginning of past years.

i hear montreal fans hate it though, place is dump apparently.

 

[EganSoccerWords]

i hear montreal fans hate it though, place is dump apparently.

Worst field in the league by far.

 

[adam]

i hear montreal fans hate it though, place is dump apparently.

They packed it during their CCL run a couple years back.

 

[mgarbowski]

The Impact just announced earlier this month that they will play the 2019 season opener in Stade Saputo instead of Olympic Stadium for the first time ever.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/12/03/montreal-impact-have-home-opener-stade-saputo-first-time

 

[Fantazma]

The Impact just announced earlier this month that they will play the 2019 season opener in Stade Saputo instead of Olympic Stadium for the first time ever.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/12/03/montreal-impact-have-home-opener-stade-saputo-first-time

so they do hate the olympic stadium, unless their home opener is in like mid-late april

 

[Fantazma]

They packed it during their CCL run a couple years back.

true, and i think against toronto in playoffs. I just recall some reddit posters saying they still think place is a dump and there are also lots of temporary seating needed for soccer and its not that great.

 

[Kjbert]

so they do hate the olympic stadium, unless their home opener is in like mid-late april

I’ve been to Montreal for a late Easter (April 20th or so) and it never rose above 32 degrees.

 

[Rimil]

Soccer in America. Soccer in a baseball stadium. Not top clubs soccer. Soccer.

Occam's Soccer?

 

[LionNYC]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1075457070919548933

 

[Schwallacus]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1075457070919548933

So NYCFC will announce theirs tomorrow then?