Earlier today, we had the announcement of Adrian Healey being named as ESPN’s new voice of Major League Soccer. We now have the entire 2011 MLS regular season schedule on the ESPN family of networks and platforms. Most of the games will be on ESPN2 and all will be seen on the ESPN3.com broadband service. Overall, 21 regular season games will be aired either on ESPN or ESPN2. We have the schedule for you.
ESPN’s 2011 Major League Soccer Schedule
ESPN’s coverage of Major League Soccer’s 16th season will begin Tuesday, March 15, at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN3.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio and ESPN Mobile TV with a live telecast of the Los Angeles Galaxy at Seattle Sounders FC from Qwest Field in Seattle, Wash. The conference rivalry match will be part of Major League Soccer’s First Kick 2011, a series of 10 season-opening week matches (March 15-20). Highlights:
- All 21 (17 on ESPN2, four on ESPN) regular season matches will be available in high definition, simulcast on ESPN3.com, and aired on ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio and ESPN Mobile TV;
- The two regular season meetings between New York Red Bulls, featuring France 1998 winning striker Thierry Henry and Mexico’s National Team captain Rafael Márquez, and Los Angeles Galaxy, with David Beckham, U.S. National Team star Landon Donovan and former Red Bulls striker Juan Pablo Ángel, acquired by Los Angeles in the off-season (Sat., May 7, and Sun., Aug. 28);
- Nine matches featuring matchups between regional rivals – New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. in the East, Portland and Seattle in the Northwest, the Galaxy and Chivas USA in the West, and more;
- The SuperClásico between the Galaxy and Chivas USA, Major League Soccer’s only intra-city rivalry (derby) matches in 2011, exclusively on ESPN2 (May 21 on ESPN2 and Oct. 16 on ESPN);
- ESPN2 will feature the expansion Portland Timbers’ first home match in renovated PGE Park (Thurs., April 14 at 11 p.m. vs. Chicago Fire), and the grand opening of Sporting Park, home for Sporting Kansas City (Thur., June 9 at 10 p.m. vs. Chicago Fire);
- A special “Independence Day” primetime doubleheader Monday, July 4, on ESPN2: New England Revolution at Real Salt Lake (8:30 p.m.) and Seattle Sounders FC at Los Angeles Galaxy (10:30 p.m.);
- Top three teams by appearances – New York Red Bulls (eight), Los Angeles Galaxy (six), and Seattle Sounders with Swiss national team striker Blaise Nkufo and former U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper Kasey Keller (five);
- ESPN’s 2011 MLS season includes eight international matches featuring MLS clubs;
- The 2011 MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup Playoffs schedule will be announced at a later date.
2011 MLS Schedule on ESPN
Schedule Subject to Change
Date Time (ET) Networks Match Tu 3/15 9:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Los Angeles Galaxy at Seattle Sounders FC Sa 4/9 7 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes New York Red Bulls at Philadelphia Union Th 4/14 11 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Chicago Fire at Portland Timbers Th 4/21 8 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes New York Red Bulls at DC United Sa 5/7 11 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes New York Red Bulls at Los Angeles Galaxy Sa 5/14 11 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Portland Timbers at Seattle Sounders FC Sa 5/21 10 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Los Angeles Galaxy at Chivas USA Th 6/9 10 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Chicago Fire at Sporting Kansas City Th 6/23 10 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes New York Red Bulls at Seattle Sounders FC Su 6/26 2 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes New York Red Bulls at Chicago Fire Sa 7/2 10:30 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes New York Red Bulls at San Jose Earthquakes Su 7/3 9 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Houston Dynamo at Colorado Rapids Mo 7/4 8:30 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes New England Revolution at Real Salt Lake Mo 7/4 10:30 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Seattle Sounders FC at Los Angeles Galaxy Su 7/10 5 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Seattle Sounders FC at Portland Timbers Th 8/18 9 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes D.C. United at Chicago Fire Su 8/28 7 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Los Angeles Galaxy at New York Red Bulls Th 9/29 8 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes DC United at Philadelphia Union Fr 10/14 10:30 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Real Salt Lake at Colorado Rapids Su 10/16 9 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Chivas USA at Los Angeles Galaxy Th 10/20 8 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes Philadelphia Union at New York Red Bulls
That’s all for now.
