The 2014 Revolution Schedule Has Been Released, Contains Very Few Surprises

In a truly unprecedented move, Major League Soccer released its 2014 schedule today, slightly less than two weeks before the current season is even over.

The New England Revolution will open their 2014 slate at Houston on March 8. Following a road match at East Coast rival Philadelphia on March 15, the Revs will open their 17-game home slate at Gillette Stadium against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on March 22.

Six of the team's first nine matches will be played on the road, and the league will take a two-weekend break between June 12 and June 22 during the group stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Three of the team's matches are currently scheduled to be broadcast nationally on either NBC Sports Network or ESPN2: at Chicago on April 19 (NBCSN), at Kansas City on Sept. 26 (NBCSN), and at Houston on Oct. 16 (ESPN2).

Continuing the scheduling format used in each of the last two seasons, the Revolution will play seven Eastern Conference teams three times each this season: Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Kansas City, Montreal, Philadelphia and Toronto. The Revs will face Chicago, Columbus and Kansas City twice at home and once on the road, while the club will travel twice to Houston, Montreal, Philadelphia and Toronto with one return meeting against each in Foxborough. New England will play two-game series with D.C. and New York. Eastern Conference opponents comprise 25 games of the 34-game schedule.

The remaining nine games will be played against Western Conference opponents as the Revs will face each Western team only one time apiece again in 2014. The Revolution will host Chivas USA, Colorado, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver at Gillette Stadium, and will travel to Dallas, LA, Real Salt Lake and San Jose.

All of the Revolution's matches against its I-95 corridor rivals (IT'S A REAL CUP) - New York, Philadelphia and D.C. - are scheduled for weekends, including all four contests on the road.

There doesn't appear to be a "Rivalry Week" this season, as far as I can tell. Last year it saw New England square off against the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park, which resulted in a 1-0 win for the hosts after a 90-minute ugly, rainy slugfest.

Although the Revolution will open up the season on the road yet again, they will at least close out the season with a home game against Toronto FC at Gillette Stadium.

A crucial stretch for the Revs this upcoming season will be between July 26^th and September 13^th. During that stretch, New England will play 7 out of 9 games at home. They will visit New York and Toronto during that period, so their travel won't be too exhaustive either.

Here's the full schedule:

2014 NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION SCHEDULE
(Subject to change. Updates will be listed on revolutionsoccer.net. All times listed Eastern.)

Day Date Opponent (Location) Time (ET) National TV

MARCH

Saturday 8 at Houston Dynamo (Houston, Texas) 8:30 p.m.

Saturday 15 at Philadelphia Union (Chester, Pa.) TBD

Saturday 22 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Gillette Stadium) 2:00 p.m.

Saturday 29 at San Jose Earthquakes (Santa Clara, Calif.) 10:30 p.m.

APRIL

Saturday 5 at D.C. United (Washington, D.C.) 7:00 p.m.

Saturday 12 vs. Houston Dynamo (Gillette Stadium) 5:00 p.m.

Saturday 19 at Chicago Fire (Bridgeview, Ill.) 4:00 p.m. NBCSN

Saturday 26 vs. Sporting Kansas City (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

MAY

Saturday 3 at Toronto FC (Toronto, Canada) TBD

Sunday 11 vs. Seattle Sounders FC (Gillette Stadium) 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 17 at Philadelphia Union (Chester, Pa.) TBD

Saturday 24 vs. D.C. United (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

Saturday 31 at Montreal Impact (Montreal, Canada) TBD

JUNE

Saturday 7 vs. New York Red Bulls (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

Saturday 28 vs. Philadelphia Union (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

JULY

Friday 4 at Real Salt Lake (Sandy, Utah) 10:00 p.m.

Saturday 12 vs. Chicago Fire (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday 16 at LA Galaxy (Carson, Calif.) 10:30 p.m.

Saturday 19 at FC Dallas (Frisco, Texas) 9:00 p.m.

Saturday 26 vs. Columbus Crew (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday 30 vs. Colorado Rapids (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

AUGUST

Saturday 2 at New York Red Bulls (Harrison, N.J.) TBD

Saturday 16 vs. Portland Timbers (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

Saturday 23 vs. Chivas USA (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

Saturday 30 at Toronto FC (Toronto, Canada) TBD

SEPTEMBER

Wednesday 3 vs. Sporting Kansas City (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

Sunday 7 vs. Chicago Fire (Gillette Stadium) 7:00 p.m.

Saturday 13 vs. Montreal Impact (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

Saturday 20 at Columbus Crew (Columbus, Ohio) TBD

Friday 26 at Sporting Kansas City (Kansas City, Kan.) 8:00 p.m. NBCSN

OCTOBER

Saturday 4 vs. Columbus Crew (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.

Saturday 11 at Montreal Impact (Montreal, Canada) TBD

Thursday 16 at Houston Dynamo (Houston, Texas) 8:00 p.m. ESPN2

Saturday 25 vs. Toronto FC (Gillette Stadium) 7:30 p.m.