February 3, 2010
OFFSIDE REMARKS
Breaking down the Red Bulls schedule
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
Some quick early thoughts about the Red Bulls schedule, which was announced by the team and MLS earlier on Wednesday.
Thanks to Red Bull Arena, it certainly is an improvement over last season’s schedule.
Three openers
As we already know, there are three opening for RBA in Harrison, N.J.
* On Saturday, March 13, the Red Bulls Academy Under-18 team takes on the U.S. U-17 National Team in what is called the "soft opening" at the new, 25,000-seat stadium.
* On Saturday, March 20, Santos, Pele's old Brazilian team, will play the Red Bulls in the first professional match at the soccer-specific stadium.
* And on Saturday, March 27, the Red Bulls and the Chicago Fire will play the very first MLS match at the ground.
We also knew that the league would have a two-week break between games in June due to the World Cup. The break will be slightly longer for the Red Bulls, who will have no MLS matches scheduled for almost a month, from May 30 until June 26.
But here are some more things to consider:
Home and away
Unlike last year, which seemed to go from one long home stand to an endless road trip, this year's schedule is much more moderate.
The worst away streak comes in June through August, when the Red Bulls will play three consecutive games on the road -- at Columbus July 17 at Houston July 31 and at Chicago Aug. 8. If you add three games in June and July, the Red Bull will wind up playing five of six matches away. That's when you include the Kansas City match June 26 and Colorado encounter July 4 (the lone home encounter during that spell would be D.C. United July 10.
There are no more than two home games in a row, which will happen five times.
Three games in seven days
Outside of Lamar Hunt/U.S. Open Cup matches and international friendlies, the worst stretch of MLS matches for the Red Bulls (three games in seven days) will happen once this season, when the Red Bulls play at the Chicago Fire Sunday, Aug. 8 and then return home to host Toronto F.C. Wednesday Aug. 11 and the Los Angeles Galaxy Saturday, Aug. 14.
They will play three games in eight days once -- visiting the New England Revolution Saturday, May 29 before returning home to meet Houston Wednesday, June 2 and Chivas USA Saturday, June 5.
When King David comes to town
That will be on Saturday, Aug. 14, when the Los Angeles Galaxy takes on the Red Bulls at 6 p.m. Becks is expected to return to the Galaxy when the July 1 summer transfer window opens.
Mid-week games
The Red Bulls play three at home and none on the road. They host the Columbus Crew Thursday, May 20 at 8 p.m., Houston Dynamo Wednesday, June 2 at 7:30 p.m. and the New England Revolution Thursday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Home games in June
Thanks to the New Jersey State Fair at the Meadowlands in June, the Red Bulls were lucky to get one and sometimes two games at Giants Stadium. Even with this year's abbreviated schedule that month, they got two home matches -- the Houston encounter June 2 and Chivas USA Saturday, June 5.
Local rivalries
If you like to support the team on the road, thanks to the Philadelphia Union, there are three games to circle on the sked:
* At D.C. United on Saturday, May 1 at 4 p.m.
* At New England, Saturday, May 29, 4 p.m.
* And at Philadelphia on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m.
Starting times
Season ticket-holders and the club's most ardent supporters will have to remember six starting times -- 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Michael Lewis would like to hear from you. If you have a comment, drop him a line at email.
