DC United "will open" Audi Field on July 14 in a 7:00pm ET match against the Whitecaps, but before that must play 12 away matches and two home games at alternate venues in the metro area that have yet to be selected, according to Steven Goff of the WASHINGTON POST. United execs said that they "did not want to comment on the venue search." Officials at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Montgomery County and Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis said that they have "been approached." An announcement is "expected in the coming weeks." United also "considered Richmond’s City Stadium, Maryland’s Ludwig Field and RFK Stadium." Goff notes the opening of Audi Field will "end United’s wait of more than a decade for a custom-made home to replace RFK Stadium." Three days after United's inaugural game at the new stadium, Nationals Park will host MLB's All-Star Game. MLS "did not intentionally schedule the grand opening" around the ASG. United and MLS had "targeted June 30, but the league encountered broader scheduling complications and pushed the date." The following weekend was "not optimal because the Nationals are home; to avoid parking and logistical issues, United is trying to avoid staging games on the same day" as the Nationals. United officials said that the 15-month construction project is "on schedule." The club is looking into the "possibility of a soft opening with a small crowd for a nonleague game or event, such as the U.S. Open Cup, in June" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/5).
NO DAYS OFF: The POST's Goff notes United on Thursday "learned the full severity" of its '18 MLS schedule. After "moderate demands over almost two months, a period interrupted by two home games at alternative venues in the metro area, United will accumulate frequent-flier miles in bulk across seven unforgiving weeks." MLS requires teams to "almost always fly commercial." There are "four exceptions per year." The antiquated aim is to "prevent a competitive imbalance between team investors willing to pay for charters and those who aren’t." United, a "thrifty organization while taking a financial hit at RFK Stadium, has never arranged charters." With the newcomers "needing to integrate and MLS’s schedule-maker offering no favors," United coach Ben Olsen will "aim to survive the road adventures" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/5).
WAITING ON THE PITCH: In California, Damian Calhoun notes LAFC will begin the season with "six consecutive road games as construction finishes up" on its new Banc of California Stadium. The home opener will be April 29 against the Sounders (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 1/5).
