Timbers host Sounders, Whitecaps each twice
Complete 2012 MLS schedule is released
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Portland Timbers will have home-field advantage for the Cascadia Cup in 2012.
The Timbers will play rivals Seattle and Vancouver twice at Jeld-Wen Field during the 2012 Major League Soccer season, while visiting each only once.
Major League Soccer released its 2012 regular-season schedule on Thursday. In a change from last season, a team will face each of its conference opponents three times and each team from the other conference once.
2012 Timbers Schedule
(home matches in CAPS; all times Pacific)
Monday, March 12 PHILADELPHIA UNION, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday, March 17, at FC Dallas, 5:30 p.m. ROOT SPORTS
Saturday, March 24, at New England Revolution, 1 p.m. ROOT SPORTS
Saturday, March 31, REAL SALT LAKE, 7 p.m. ROOT SPORTS
Saturday, April 7, CHIVAS USA, 7:30 p.m. KPTV
Saturday, April 14, at LA Galaxy, 7:30 p.m. KPDX
Saturday, April 21, SPORTING KANSAS CITY, 7:30 p.m. ROOT SPORTS
Saturday, April 28, at Montreal Impact, 11 a.m., KPDX
Saturday, May 5, COLUMBUS CREW, 7:30 p.m. KPTV
Tuesday, May 15, at Houston Dynamo, 5:30 p.m. ROOT SPORTS
Sunday, May 20, CHICAGO FIRE, 4 p.m. ROOT SPORTS, Galavisión
Saturday, May 26, VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC, 7 p.m., ROOT SPORTS
Sunday, June 17, at LA Galaxy, 4 p.m. KPTV
Sunday, June 24, SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC, 2 p.m. ESPN
Saturday, June 30, at Colorado Rapids, 6 p.m., ROOT SPORTS
Tuesday, July 3, SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES, 7:30 p.m. KPTV
Saturday, July 7, at Real Salt Lake, 6 p.m. KPDX
Saturday, July 14, LA GALAXY, 8 p.m. NBC Sports Network
Wednesday, July 18, at Chivas USA, 1 p.m. ROOT SPORTS
Saturday, July 21, at FC Dallas, 6 p.m. KPTV
Saturday, July 28, CHIVAS USA, 8 p.m. ROOT SPORTS
Sunday, Aug. 5, FC DALLAS, 4 p.m. NBC Sports Network
Wednesday, Aug. 15, at Toronto FC, 4 p.m. ROOT SPORTS
Sunday, Aug. 19, at New York Red Bulls, 4 p.m. KPTV, Galavisión
Saturday, Aug. 25, VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC, 7:30 p.m. ROOT SPORTS
Friday, Aug. 31, COLORADO RAPIDS, 7:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network
Wednesday, Sept. 5, at Colorado Rapids, 6 p.m. NBC Sports Network
Saturday, Sept. 15, SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC, 12:30 p.m. NBC
Wednesday, Sept. 19, at San Jose Earthquakes, 7:30 p.m. KPDX
Saturday, Sept. 22, at Real Salt Lake, 5 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Saturday, Sept. 29, D.C. UNITED, 7:30 p.m. ROOT SPORTS
Sunday, Oct. 7, at Seattle Sounders FC, 6 p.m. ESPN
Saturday, Oct. 20, at Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 1 p.m., ROOT SPORTS
Saturday, Oct. 27, SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES, 3:30 p.m.
Portland opens its second MLS season on March 12 with a home game against Philadelphia. The 34-game regular season ends Oct. 27 with a home game against San Jose.
Highlighting the Timbers home schedule are games against Seattle on June 24 and Sept. 15. The Timbers play at Seattle on Oct. 7 and at Vancouver on Oct. 20, their final two road games of the season.
The Whitecaps visit Portland on May 26 and Aug. 25.
Defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles visits Portland once, on July 14.
In addition to Seattle and Vancouver, Portland also hosts San Jose and Chivas USA twice, while twice visiting the Galaxy, Colorado, FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake.
The Eastern Conference teams visiting Portland are Philadelphia, Sporting Kansas City, Chicago, Columbus and D.C. United.
All of the Timbers MLS matches will be televised by either national or local outlets.
Among the Eastern Conference teams that will not come to Portland in 2012 are the New York Red Bulls and the 2011 MLS Cup runners-up Houston.
In addition to the league schedule, the Timbers are expected to host several international exhibition matches that have not yet been announced. The team might also host some U.S. Open Cup matches.
Individual game tickets for Timbers 2012 home games are not yet for sale. The Timbers sold out of season tickets, capping those at 14,750 for 2012. The team is expanding seating at Jeld-Wen Field to more than 20,000 this year.
The Timbers play MLS home matches on five different days of the week, including 15 weekend contests. The Timbers will play 11 Saturday home matches, three Sunday home games and one Friday home game.
The Timbers open training camp on Jan. 23. The team is hosting preseason games at Jeld-Wen Field on Feb. 27, March 1 and March 4.
The Timbers are scheduled to appear on national TV 12 times. They will be on NBC once (the Sept. 15 home game against Seattle). Portland is scheduled to appear on the NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) six times, on ESPN twice, on ESPN2 once, and on the Spanish network Galavisión twice.
