Calendars can be marked and travel plans can be made. Sporting Kansas City released its 2018 MLS regular season schedule on Thursday, allowing fans to cast anticipatory eyes on the year ahead.
While some matches may pop out more than others, compelling storylines surround all 34 games on the slate. We zip through each contest in our rapid-fire rundown below — all in 140 characters or less.
<strong>DATE</strong> |
<strong>OPPONENT</strong> |
<strong>RUNDOWN</strong> |
Sunday, March 4 |
NEW YORK CITY FC |
Sporting KC is unbeaten in all seven home openers at Children's Mercy Park. The club is 13-2-7 all-time in home-opening matches. |
Saturday, March 10 |
at Chicago Fire |
Chicago made a 24-point improvement in the regular season from 2016 (31 points) to 2017 (55 points), the largest jump in MLS last year. |
Saturday, March 17 |
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES |
A St. Patrick's Day celebration could be in store, as Sporting KC has won 10 of its last 11 regular season home games against San Jose. |
Saturday, March 24 |
at Colorado Rapids |
Sporting KC's last three trips to Colorado have resulted in 1-0 defeats. The Rapids will be led by first-year head coach Anthony Hudson. |
Saturday, March 31 |
D.C. UNITED |
Sporting KC hasn't lost a home game in the month of March since 2009, going unbeaten in 13 such matches since then. |
Sunday, April 8 |
at LA Galaxy |
Last June, Sporting KC beat LA 2-1 for their first road win over the Galaxy since 2010. LA had a league-high nine home losses in 2017. |
Sunday, April 15 |
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC |
Seattle has suffered a shutout loss in each of its previous three visits to Children's Mercy Park, including 3-0 thumpings in the last two. |
Friday, April 20 |
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC |
Sporting KC's lone Friday home game could be a reunion with forward Kei Kamara, who joined Vancouver this offseason. |
Saturday, April 28 |
at New England Revolution |
Speaking of reunions, Sporting KC could run into the likes of Teal Bunbury and Krisztian Nemeth in this compelling interconference matchup. |
Saturday, May 5 |
COLORADO RAPIDS |
This Cinco de Mayo showdown comes against a Colorado side that went 1-14-2 on the road and scored just seven away goals in 2017. |
Wednesday, May 9 |
at Atlanta United FC |
Sporting KC's first trip to high-end Mercedes-Benz Stadium makes for a mouthwatering matchup, as Atlanta exploded for 70 goals in 2017. |
Sunday, May 20 |
at Minnesota United FC |
Attention, travelers: this is the closest Roaddron by distance, as the Loons play their home games just six hours from Kansas City. |
Sunday, May 27 |
COLUMBUS CREW SC |
A fine way to ring in Memorial Day Weekend. In their last four home games against Crew SC, Sporting KC has racked up four wins and 11 goals. |
Sunday, June 3 |
MINNESOTA UNITED FC |
Minnesota United visited Children's Mercy Park twice in 2017 across all competitions, losing 3-0 and 4-0. |
Saturday, June 9 |
at Portland Timbers |
Sporting KC boasts a 4-2-1 regular season record at vaunted Providence Park, where they have recorded four clean sheets against the Timbers. |
Saturday, June 23 |
HOUSTON DYNAMO |
In the first game after the World Cup break, Sporting KC will shoot for revenge against the team that eliminated it from the 2017 playoffs. |
Saturday, June 30 |
at Montreal Impact |
Sporting KC boasts a 10-6-8 record on Canadian soil in the MLS regular season, including a 3-1-2 mark in Montreal. |
Wednesday, July 4 |
at Real Salt Lake |
Sporting KC will play on the Fourth of July for the first time since 2012 and the 12th time overall. They are just 2-7-2 in such matches. |
Saturday, July 7 |
TORONTO FC |
This one's huge. Sebastian Giovinco and treble-winning Toronto FC visit Children's Mercy Park in one of the biggest matchups of the season. |
Saturday, July 14 |
at New York Red Bulls |
A rematch of the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final will see Sporting KC visit Red Bull Arena, where the club is 3-1-1 since 2012. |
Saturday, July 28 |
FC DALLAS |
Sporting KC is 6-0-1 in its last six home meetings with FC Dallas across all competitions, scoring 20 goals and conceding just three. |
Saturday, Aug. 4 |
at Houston Dynamo |
Sporting KC ended its 2017 season at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, falling to the Dynamo 1-0 in extra time in the Knockout Round. |
Saturday, Aug. 11 |
at LAFC |
Sporting KC will visit Banc of California Stadium in downtown Los Angeles for their inaugural tilt with Carlos Vela and expansion side LAFC. |
Saturday, Aug. 18 |
PORTLAND TIMBERS |
Reigning MLS MVP Diego Valeri scored a goal and had a penalty saved by Tim Melia in his previous visit to Kansas City, a 1-1 draw last July. |
Saturday, Aug. 25 |
MINNESOTA UNITED FC |
Minnesota United is the only team Sporting KC will play three times in 2017. The Loons leaked 70 goals in 2017, more than any other club. |
Saturday, Sept. 1 |
at Seattle Sounders FC |
Eight of the last nine MLS matches played between these clubs at CenturyLink Field have produced a goal or less. |
Saturday, Sept. 8 |
ORLANDO CITY SC |
The last time Orlando visited Children's Mercy Park in May 2016, Sporting KC racked up a club-record 34 shots in a 2-1 victory. |
Saturday, Sept. 15 |
at San Jose Earthquakes |
The last time Sporting KC visited San Jose in June 2017, the Earthquakes were held to five shot attempts, their fewest all-time in a regular season home game. |
Sunday, Sept. 23 |
at Philadelphia Union |
This serves as a rematch of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, as Sporting KC edged the Union on penalties at Talen Energy Stadium. |
Sunday, Sept. 30 |
REAL SALT LAKE |
Real Salt Lake revisits the venue where it lost the 2013 MLS Cup and 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals. |
Saturday, Oct. 6 |
LA GALAXY |
LA is 0-4-3 all-time at Children's Mercy Park and 0-5-5 in their last 10 visits to Kansas City dating back to 2008. |
Wednesday, Oct. 17 |
at Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
Sporting KC went 4-0-1 against Vancouver from 2015 to 2016 before losing both meetings in 2017. |
Sunday, Oct. 21 |
at FC Dallas |
Sporting KC is 1-5-3 in its last nine games at Toyota Stadium, with their lone win coming in June 2011 by a 4-1 scoreline. |
Sunday, Oct. 28 |
LAFC |
The 2018 season comes to a climactic end on Decision Day when Sporting KC hosts LAFC for the first time. |
