The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Season opens March 3 in Houston
Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host All-Star game Aug. 1.
Atlanta United will have 16 games nationally televised in its next MLS season, tied for the most in the league, according to a copy of the schedule released by the league Thursday.
The Five Stripes became the first expansion team since Seattle in 2009 to advance to the playoffs in its inaugural season. The team, led by manager Gerardo Martino, scored the second-most goals (70) in the league, but lost to Columbus in the first round of the playoffs in a penalty-kick shootout.
Atlanta has added several players in the offseason, including midfielder Darlington Nagbe, and has held on to Josef Martinez, Miguel Almiron and Hector Villalba, rumored transfer targets.
Here are a few things to note about the schedule.
Home and road openers and closers: The team will open on the road at Houston on March 3 and will host D.C. United on March 11. For the second consecutive season, Atlanta United will play its final game against Toronto. This season, the game will be at the reigning MLS champ’s BMO Field on Oct. 28. Atlanta United’s home finale will be against Chicago on Oct. 21.
The TV docket: Univision will carry the March 3 game at Houston, the July 21 game against D.C. United, and the Oct. 6 game against New England. Unimas will televise the Sept. 15 game at Colorado.
ESPN will carry six games — March 11 vs. D.C. United, April 7 vs. expansion side LAFC, June 30 vs. Orlando City, Aug. 4 vs. Toronto, Aug. 24 at Orlando City and Sept. 30 at New York Red Bulls.
FS1 will carry four games — April 15 vs. NYCFC, May 13 at Orlando City, May 20 vs. New York Red Bulls, Sept. 2 at D.C. United.
Fox will carry two games — June 24 vs. Portland and July 15 vs. Seattle. Fox Sports South will carry the rest.
The bad-blood games: The Orlando City games May 13, June 30 and Aug. 24 will
be interesting after the billboard bought in downtown Orlando last year stoked the rivalry, which then became
more heated following Villalba’s late winner in the first game, and then his tying goal in the rematch at Bobby Dodd
Stadium, which included the arrests of a few Orlando City supporters. The games against Red Bulls on May 20
and Sept. 30 will be interesting after New York coach Jesse Marsch accused Martino and his coaches of encouraging their players to kick the Red Bulls players in their final meeting last season. New York will be without Sacha Kljestan, who was traded to Orlando City.
The tough stretch: The toughest portion of Atlanta United’s schedule may come in June when the team faces three consecutive playoff teams, including two on the road. The Five Stripes will play at NYCFC on June 9 at Yankee Stadium, travel to Columbus for a game four days later on the 13th, and then host Nagbe’s former team, Portland, on the 24th.
New places: The team will visit several stadiums it missed last season. It starts with the opener at Houston, continues with the team’s first game in California when it plays at LA Galaxy on April 21, goes on with a game at Dallas on July 4, keeps going with what may be a game at under-construction Audi Field and D.C. United on Sept. 2, and ends with games at Colorado on Sept. 15 and San Jose on Sept. 19.
All-Star game: Atlanta and Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host the MLS All-Star game Aug. 1.