By Canadian Press

Major League Soccer releases full schedule for 25th anniversary season

Dec 19, 2019 | 2:10 PM

Toronto FC will have to wait until July 18 to have another crack at the MLS champion Seattle Sounders.

Vancouver misses out on facing Inter Miami CF while Montreal will have to wait a year to play Nashville SC, the other expansion newcomer this year.

Major League Soccer, which had already announced its 26 clubs’ season-opening matches, fleshed out its 25th anniversary schedule on Thursday.

The season opens Feb. 29 and runs through Oct. 4. Each team will play 34 games (17 home and 17 away) during the regular season, facing conference opponents twice and playing 10 games against non-conference opponents.

The season kicks off with D.C. United facing the San Jose Earthquakes — some 24 years after the two faced off in the league’s inaugural match on April 6, 1996.

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Thierry Henry makes his managerial debut with Montreal on Feb. 29 when the Impact, kicking off their ninth season in MLS and 27th in club history, host the New England Revolution at Olympic Stadium.

The Impact play their next four games away — at Dallas, Minnesota, Orlando and Philadelphia —  before returning home to host Houston at Stade Saputo on April 18.

Montreal plays seven of its last 11 games at home, including the regular-season finale against FC Cincinnati on Oct. 4.

The Impact play 26 games on Saturdays, four on Wednesdays, two on Fridays and two on Sundays. Montreal won’t play against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Portland Timbers and Nashville in 2020.

Montreal hosts expansion Miami on June 17. The Impact visit Toronto FC on June 13 with the two meeting again Aug. 22 in Montreal.

Toronto, which lost 3-1 to Seattle in the MLS Cup final, opens its 14th season on Feb. 29 in San Jose against the Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium. Toronto’s home opener is March 27 against New York City FC.

Toronto will play 28 matches on Saturdays, five on Wednesdays and one on Sunday. Fifteen of its home matches are on Saturdays with two on Wednesdays.

Toronto hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps on May 2. But the Eastern Conference champion will miss out on Los Angeles FC, Minnesota and FC Dallas this season.

 The Whitecaps and newly signed star striker Lucas Cavallini open at home Feb. 29 against Sporting Kansas City and close out the regular season hosting Portland in an Oct. 4 Cascadia clash.

The Whitecaps host Nashville on May 16 and champion Seattle on June 13. But the Whitecaps will not face Atlanta United FC, Inter Miami and New England.

The ’Caps play 14 of their 17 home matches on Saturday with one Wednesday game and two on Sunday. Thirteen of Vancouver’s 17 road dates are on Saturday with the other four on Wednesday.

The MLS all-star game pits the MLS all-stars against Mexico’s Liga MX all-stars on July 29 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2019.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press