NEW YORK — Admit it. At times, you thought this offseason would never end.
You watched highlights of 2010 games to get your fix. You were glued to MLSsoccer.com during the Combine and SuperDraft. You waited breathlessly for the schedule to come out and sure, you might have added a few lines to the world-trending #mlsscheduleislatebecause Twitter thread.
<strong>Road Trip to First Kick</strong><img src="//columbus-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/First_Kick_logo_250x123.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="90"><p>
Starting March 6, join MLSsoccer.com’s <strong>Jackie Pickering</strong> and <strong>Nick Firchau</strong> as they travel from LA to Vancouver, checking in on all the West Coast teams, meeting with fans, and stopping into adidas HQ in Portland to pick up the game ball for First Kick on March 15 at Qwest Field.</p><p><img src="//columbus-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/pickering-small.jpg" alt="" width="90" height="90"><img src="//columbus-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/firchau-small-mug.jpg" alt="" width="90" height="90"></p> |
We know, we know. But this weekend, it all ends.
On Saturday, MLSsoccer.com kicks off its unprecedented in-depth coverage of the MLS preseason with a live experience from two preseason scrimmages in Arizona: Sporting Kansas City vs. Colorado Rapids and Seattle Sounders vs. Chivas USA.
And that’s only the beginning as MLSsoccer.com will spend the next month taking fans around the country in the lead-up to First Kick 2011.
We’ll have people on the ground in Arizona, Orlando, Charleston, and Atlanta covering as many clubs as possible with up-to-the-minute training-camp reports, highlights of scrimmages, on-the-road editions of the Daily and ExtraTime Radio, and interviews with numerous coaches and players.
Here are some of the highlights of MLSsoccer.com’s preseason coverage:
- Arizona Training Camps, Feb 11-20. MLSsoccer.com’s Greg Lalas, Jason Saghini, Jonah Freedman, and Nick Firchau spread out around Arizona to cover the 10 teams training in the desert this month. There are matches nearly every day, so be sure to join MLSsoccer.com’s live experience with commentary, photos and answers to all the burning questions about your favorite team.
- ExtraTime Radio from Arizona. America's premier soccer podcast hits the road for special editions from Phoenix on Monday, Feb 14, and Thursday, Feb 17.
- CONCACAF Champions League, Feb 22 & Mar 1. MLSsoccer.com goes behind the scenes with Real Salt Lake as they take on Columbus Crew in their quarterfinal series. Coverage starts Feb 19.
- Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, Feb 24-26. MLSsoccer.com’s Simon Borg and Jason Saghini and FutbolMLS.com’s Kristel Valencia hit Orlando for the annual exhibition tournament, this year featuring Houston, Toronto, and Dallas. The games on Feb. 24 will be streamed on MLSsoccer.com, and the Feb. 26 games will be streamed on ESPN3. They crew will also sneak over to the New York-Chicago match in Fort Lauderdale on Feb 23.
- Carolina Challenge Cup, Mar 5-11. Chicago, D.C., and Toronto join hosts Charleston Battery for this annual tournament.
- Cascadia Summit, Mar 4-6. The Pacific Northwest rivals come together for a preseason mini-tournament.
- Grand Openings feature series, beginning Mar 14. Learn more about the most important personalities in the league when MLSsoccer.com's writers take an in-depth look at some of the players and coaches sure to make headlines during the new season.
