WASHINGTON, D.C. - D.C. United, along with Major League Soccer and the League's broadcast partners ABC and espn2, announced today that eight of D.C. United's League games will be televised nationally during the 2005 season. D.C. United will first be seen on ABC in the MLS season-opener, when the defending MLS Cup champions visit expansion Club Deportivo Chivas USA, in its MLS debut, at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, April 2 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Following the season opener, D.C. United will be seen in seven nationally televised games on espn2, including two rematches with 2004 MLS Cup opponent Kansas City Wizards. The Black-and-Red will travel to Arrowhead stadium on April 30 (4:00 p.m. ET) and then host the Wizards at RFK Stadium on July 9 (6:00 p.m. ET).
Six of eight D.C. games will be shown on Saturday, while one game each will be shown on a Thursday (July 28 v. Real Salt Lake) and a Friday (April 15 at Columbus Crew). D.C. is featured more than any team in the League, while Chivas USA will appear on seven occasions.
ABC Sports, a pioneer in soccer broadcasting, will again televise both of the League's marquee events in 2005, airing the Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game on July 30 and MLS Cup 2005 on November 13, with both games slated to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET. MLS Cup 2005 will take place at the Frisco Soccer and Entertainment Center, home of FC Dallas, while the location of the Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game is yet to be announced.
The HDNet, Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español national television schedules, each MLS club's regional television schedules, and the MLS Direct Kick season package on cable and satellite will be announced in the coming weeks.
