MONTREAL – FC Montreal unveiled its schedule on Tuesday for the 2016 regular season, its second in the USL.
This year, the calendar is composed of 30 games, 15 at home and 15 away.
The opening game of the season will be played on Friday, March 25, against Bethlehem Steel FC (Philadelphia Union’s USL team), at Olympic Stadium. The following game will be played on Saturday, April 9, against Toronto FC II, also at Olympic Stadium. Kickoff times for both games are yet to be determined.
FC Montreal will play the five following games away and will be back in Montreal on May 21, to face the New York Red Bulls II at 3pm. This game and the 12 next home games will be played at Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard.
“The unveiling of the calendar is always an important moment of the season and it is something that motivates us,” said head coach Philippe Eullaffroy. “It’s balanced and contains new teams. We will have a two week trip to Cincinnati, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg in June, which will be a heavy month. Another symbolic game is the one played in Louisville on the July 4, the United States national holiday.”
To see the full schedule, click here:
FC Montreal will play two games against each team in the Eastern Conference, but three games against the Rochester Rhinos, Toronto FC II, Bethlehem Steel FC and New York Red Bulls II. The Bleu-blanc-noir will host its Rochester rivals on Saturday, June 4, at 3pm.
The first eight teams in each conference will make the playoffs.
“We are curious to see how our young team will play in this league that will be stronger than last year,” added Eullaffroy. “We have a younger team then in 2015, but paradoxically, we’re also more experienced. We believe the adaptation will be shorter this year and have the ambition to finish in the top eight. We’re happy to be back at the Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard, which was the home of the first team back in its USL days.”
The team will end its season at Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard on September 24, at 3pm, against the Harrisburg City Islanders.
