SEATTLE -- The MLS Cup Champion Seattle Sounders FC will open the 2017 season on the road for the first time in club history.
Seattle Sounders celebrate their MLS Cup final victory over Toronto FC at BMO Field on December 10, 2016 in Toronto. / AFP / Cole Burston (Photo credit: COLE BURSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
Major League Soccer on Thursday announced its regular season schedule, including 34 matches for each team.
The Sounders play the Houston Dynamo at 5:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, March 4th.
Seattle is 5-3-0 all-time in MLS regular season openers. The team says the season opener is away this season is because of scheduled infrastructure improvements at CenturyLink Field.
The Rave Green home opener is set for 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 19th against the New York Red Bulls.
The Sounders will host three of its six 2017 Cascadia Cup matches against Portland and Vancouver. The May 27 matchup between the Sounders and Timbers will air on the home of the Sounders, Q13 FOX.
The team says eight of the club's final nine matches this season are against Western Conference opponents.
Below is the full season schedule:
The MLS season officially gets underway on Friday, March 3rd when the expansion Minnesota United head to Portland to take on the Timbers.