You already know about the 2015 adidas MLS Player Combine (matches on Jan. 9, Jan. 11 and Jan. 13), the MLS SuperDraft (Jan. 15) and the MLS schedule release on Jan. 7 (MLS opening weekend is on March 6 - March 8).
Well, there's a ton of other soccer coming our way in 2015. Time to mark up those brand new calendars:
USMNT and CANMNT matches … The US schedule already features seven opponents before we even get to the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer: Chile (Jan. 28), Panama (Feb. 8), Denmark (March 25), Switzerland (March 31), Mexico (April 15), Netherlands (June 5) and Germany (June 10).
Meanwhile, Canada has just two matches on the docket thus far -- a two-game series vs. Iceland set for Jan. 16 and Jan. 19 in Orlando.
Women's World Cup(June 6 – July 5 in Canada) … Both the USA and hosts Canada will go in feeling like they have a chance at the title. While the Canadians will prep with the Women's International Tournament in China in January, the USA will face France (Feb. 8) and England (Feb. 13) before kicking off group play vs. Australia (June 8), Sweden (June 12) and Nigeria (June 16).
The National Women's Soccer League will take a two-week break during the Women's World Cup as its third season runs from April to September (BTW: The NWSL College Draft is on January 16).
Speaking of other soccer leagues, except for the NASL, the other minor leagues -- USL PRO, PDL and PDL+ -- haven't announced their season schedule.
Teams from those divisions will also be part of the 2015 US Open Cup (dates TBD), but we do know the Canadian domestic cup competition -- the Amway Canadian Championship -- will take place in the July-August window, avoiding the Women's World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup.
North American fans always pay attention to Europe's UEFA Champions League final (June 6 in Berlin, Germany), while the Europa League trophy is hoisted on May 27 (Warsaw, Poland).
South America's Copa Libertadores, which starts on Feb. 3, ends in a two-leg final on July 29 and Aug. 5. Staying in South America, the second half of the year will see the 2015 Copa Sudamericana played, but dates are still TBD.
But it's the Copa Libertadores winner that will qualify to the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup. No dates (it's usually in December) or venue just yet for that tournament. But wherever it's held, will it be the first time for an MLS team? D.C. United and the Montreal Impact will be the league's only hope when the CONCACAF Champions Leagueknockout rounds commence at the end of February. The two-leg CCL final takes place on April 22 and April 29.
Another big CONCACAF title up for grabs in 2015:the Gold Cup (July 7 – 26 in USA and Canada). Can the USA clinch a spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup with a second straight title? How far will Canada go? Six MLS stadiums will host matches.
Before the Gold Cup, Mexico and Jamaica will take part in the 2015 Copa America (June 11 – July 4 in Chile). Safe to say that fans in North America will be paying closer attention to the South American championship in 2015 ahead of the 2016 Copa America Centenario on US soil.
While we're on the topic of continental championships: 2015 African Cup of Nations (Jan. 17 – Feb. 8 in Equatorial Guinea) … MLS fans will be watching Philadelphia 'keeper Rais Mbolhi and Algeria as well as RBNY's Ambroise Oyongo and Cameroon as we wait to see if Houston's Samuel Inkoom gets back in the picture for Ghana.
And let's not forget the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia (Jan. 9 - Jan. 31), where the hosts and New York Red Bulls star Tim Cahill will hope to lift the trophy.
2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying (July 25 in Russia) … Believe it or not, Russia 2018 qualifying begins in March well before the official qualifying draw takes place on July 25 in St. Petersburg.
The new year brings us two world youth championshipsbeginning with the FIFA Under-20 World Cup (May 30 – June 20 in New Zealand). For the USA and Canada it starts with CONCACAF qualifying in Jamaica (Jan. 9 - Jan. 24). If they're one of the four teams to make it out of the CONCACAF region, they'll book a trip to New Zealand just a few months later.
FIFA Under-17 World Cup (Oct. 17 – Nov. 8 in Chile) … Similar to the U-20s, the U-17 CONCACAF qualifying format is identical: Four teams will earn a berth between Feb. 27 and March 15 in Honduras.
The last World Cup on the docket: FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup (July 9 – July 19 in Portugal). The USA and Canada are not exactly known for their beach soccer, but we'll still get behind them during CONCACAF qualifying from March 29 through April 5 in El Salvador. The USA are defending CONCACAF champs.
Lest we forget about the college game and the 2015 College Cup … The men have their Final Four at Sporting Park in Kansas City (Dec. 11-13), while the women will be in Cary, North Carolina the weekend before (Dec. 4-6).
The best men's and women's college player from 2014 will be awarded the MAC Hermann Trophy on Jan. 9 in St. Louis. Meanwhile, the best player in the entire world gets the FIFA Ballon d'Or (Player of the Year award) just a few days later on Jan. 12 in Zurich.
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments section below:
