Sporting KC learns its 2022 MLS schedule: earliest start ever plus 10 national-TV games
Sporting Kansas City learned its schedule for the 2022 Major League Soccer season on Wednesday afternoon, and game one is fast approaching: The league slate will kick off the final weekend of February, the earliest start ever for an MLS season.
While some games will take place on Saturday, Feb. 26, Sporting KC will start its season a day later, on Feb. 27, at Atlanta United. That will be the first of Sporting’s 10 nationally televised regular-season games in 2022.
Sporting KC will then return to the Midwest for its home opener at Children’s Mercy Park on March 5 against the Houston Dynamo.
Of those 10 nationally televised games, Sporting KC will play a pair of matches on ABC: a home game on June 12 against Supporters Shield-holder New England and a road game on June 25 at Western Conference foe Seattle.
For Decision Day, Sporting KC travel to FC Dallas off the back of three straight home games: against DC United, Minnesota United and Seattle.
The MLS Cup final is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5, just more than two weeks before the start of the 2022 Men’s FIFA World Cup.
Kansas City will face each Western Conference club twice — once home and once away — and play a total of eight games against Eastern Conference opponents. KC will not face MLS newcomers Charlotte FC, FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami, Orlando City, Philadelphia Union or Toronto FC in 2022.
The 2022 season sees notable changes in how MLS schedules games, with emphasis on fewer weekend games and fewer games during major international windows. Fifteen of Sporting’s home fixtures are scheduled for weekend dates, with 11 on Saturdays and four on Sundays.
Sporting KC will still contend with midweek fixtures during the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which returns for the first time since 2019 following a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19. MLS clubs will enter the U.S. Open Cup in either the third round, on the weekend of April 19, or the round of 32, on the weekend of May 10. The U.S. Open Cup final is scheduled for either Sept. 6-7 or Sept. 13-14.
KC will also again be competing in the Leagues Cup. That tournament will take place in the latter half of the summer.
Single-game tickets for Sporting KC’s first five regular-season home matches will go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday. Additionally, Sporting KC has launched what it’s calling a “My Five” ticket contest, in which fans can select the five home matches they’re most excited to attend in 2022, and be entered to win a ticket package that includes those five games.
Sporting KC’s 2022 schedule
February
27 - at Atlanta United, 2 p.m. (FS1)
March
5 - Houston Dynamo, 2:30 p.m. (Univision)
12 - at Colorado Rapids, 8 p.m.
19 - at Chicago Fire, 5 p.m.
26 - Real Salt Lake 7 p.m. (UniMas)
April
2 - at Vancouver Whitecaps, 7 p.m. (TSN)
9 - Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m.
17 - at LAFC, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
23 - Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
30 - FC Dallas, 7:30 p.m. (Retro Night)
May
7 - at New York City, 6 p.m.
14 - at Portland Timbers, 9 p.m.
18 - Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m.
22 - at San Jose Earthquakes, 6:30 p.m.
28 - Vancouver Whitecaps, 8 p.m. (TSN) (Sporting Sustainability)
June
12 - New England Revolution, 2 p.m. (ABC) (Soccer For All)
19 - at Nashville SC, 5 p.m. (FS1)
25 - at Seattle Sounders, 2 p.m. (ABC)
July
3 - New York Red Bulls, 7 p.m. (Americana)
9 - at CF Montreal, 6:30 p.m. (TVAS)
13 - at Minnesota United, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
17 - at Real Salt Lake, 8:30 p.m.
23 - LAFC, 7:30 p.m.
30 - Austin FC, 7:30 p.m.
August
6 - LA Galaxy, 7:30 p.m. (Sporting Salutes)
13 - at Austin FC, 8 p.m.
21 - Portland Timbers, 7 p.m. (FS1)
27 - San Jose Earthquakes, 7:30 p.m.
September
4 - at LA Galaxy, 7 p.m.
10 - at Houston Dynamo, 7:30 p.m.
13 - D.C. United
17 - Minnesota United, 7:30 p.m. (Kick Childhood Cancer)
October
2 - Seattle Sounders, 4 p.m. (FS1) (Fan Appreciation)
9 - at FC Dallas, 4 p.m.
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 1:58 PM with the headline "Sporting KC learns its 2022 MLS schedule: earliest start ever plus 10 national-TV games."