Major League Soccer has brought back their MLS First Kick tradition with a bang, this year featuring eight matches on Saturday for the 2011 edition. Seattle Sounders and the Los Angeles Galaxy opened the season on Tuesday, but Saturday is the true opening day for the league in the eyes of most.
MLS First Kick 2011: New York Vs. Seattle, Portland Vs. Colorado Among Eight Saturday Games
The Vancouver Whitecaps kicked off the evening with their home opener and MLS debut against Canadian rivals Toronto FC. Designated player Eric Hassli scored the first goal in the team's history, and two more goals have been scored since. Vancouver led that match 2-1 at halftime.
Seattle Sounders and New York Red Bulls are contesting one of the other early night kickoffs, along with D.C. United and Columbus Crew, both kicking off at 7:30 pm ET. Seattle are trying to bounce back from losing the opener against LA, while New York fans will be curious to see how their team looks post-Juan Pablo Angel. D.C. United are debuting a new look roster and a new captain in Dax McCarty, while Columbus had more roster turnover than any other team in the offseason.
Philadelphia vs. Houston and Chicago vs. Dallas both start at 8:30, while the Portland Timbers take on the defending MLS Cup champions Colorado Rapids at 9:00 on Fox Soccer Channel. In the two late kickoffs, the San Jose Earthquakes take on Real Salt Lake while Chivas USA host Sporting Kansas City.
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