Long breaks, no local TV on docket for next Union season

The Union will open the 2023 MLS season at home on Feb. 25, a schedule revealed Tuesday to include three national television games and seven midweek games.

The Union start at home against the Columbus Crew on a Saturday night at 7:30. Their first road game is the following week at Inter Miami. That means that unlike its last experience with CONCACAF Champions League in 2021, the Union will have two matches under their belts before their first CCL match, in El Salvador against Alianza on March 7.

The other big date on the calendar is Sept. 23 when the

Union host a rematch of the 2022 MLS Cup final against LAFC. Decision Day brings the Union to New England on Oct 21.

All MLS games will be broadcast exclusively on MLS Season Pass through Apple+, with no local television broadcasts. Select games will be simulcast on national television. That includes a May 17 meeting with D.C. United on FS1, a July 2 trip to Atlanta United on Fox and a Sept. 3 visit from New York Red Bulls on FS1.

Notable in the schedule is the month-long hiatus that MLS will take in July for the new Leagues Cup against Mexico’s Liga MX. The Union host New York City FC on July 15, then don’t play in the league again until a visit from FC Dallas on Aug. 20.

The Union will play homeand-away against the 14 other Eastern Conference teams — Nashville moves back to the East, with expansion club St. Louis joining the West. The Union’s six intra-conference games are at Colorado, San Jose and the LA Galaxy, while hosting Dallas, LAFC and Sporting Kansas City.

The Union have seven midweek games, the first the national-TV date with D.C. United. That game is after the scheduled dates for the CCL semifinals, which the Union made in 2021. The first leg of the final is slated for May 31; the Union are scheduled to play Charlotte that night.

Also notable is a stretch of five road games in six outings leading into the Leagues Cup break. The Union visit San Jose June 10 before 11 days off ahead of a trip to Orlando. After hosting Inter Miami midweek, they visit Atlanta United, then LA Galaxy the next weekend and swing through Nashville midweek before wrapping up the de facto first half of the season with NYCFC in a rematch of the last two Eastern Conference finals in Chester.