MLS releases 2023 regular season schedule

Earlier today, MLS released its full league calendar for the 2023 regular season. The Portland Timbers now know who they will be facing in their 34-game slate, as well as where and when they will be playing each foe.

The Timbers will kick of the 2023 campaign at home on February 25, where they face off against Western Conference rival Sporting Kansas City at 7:30 pm Pacific at Providence Park. Their eight month gauntlet will unfold from there, and they will take the field on 25 subsequent Saturdays, four Sundays, four Wednesdays, and one Tuesday thrown in there for good measure as they look to avenge missing the playoffs in 2022. The regular season will conclude on October 21, when Portland hosts the Houston Dynamo on Decision Day.

In their quest to defend their Cascadia Cup crown in 2023, Portland will square off against both of their Cascadia foes the Seattle Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps three times each. They will face Vancouver in Portland on May 13 and August 26, and travel to face the ‘Caps at BC Place on April 8 in their first Cascadia match of the year. Just a week after that bout, Portland renews their rivalry against Seattle as they face the Sounders in Portland on April 15. That match will be the only time they welcome Seattle to Providence Park in the regular season, as they have matches against the Sounders at Lumen Field scheduled for June 3 and September 2.

Other notable games include an MLS Cup 2021 rematch as Portland hosts NYCFC on June 23, and an MLS Cup 2018 rematch when Portland travels to Atlanta on March 18. The Timbers will welcome the now Caleb Porter-less Columbus Crew to Portland on July 15, and face the Chicago Fire at home and Montreal & Cincinnati on the road to round out their six-game slate agaisnt Eastern Conference teams. Portland faces new boys St. Louis City SC twice on the year, at home on March 11 and on the road on April 29.

The league will also observe a break in regular season play in late July and early August, as MLS teams face Liga MX teams in the revamped 2023 Leagues Cup.

As for the broadcast of the regular season, 2023 will mark the first year of the MLS-Apple partnership, and so therefore the vast majority of Timbers games will be available in English and Spanish via streaming only on the new MLS Season Pass subscription service on Apple TV+. Portland will have six matches broadcast nationally on FOX or FS1 throughout the regular season. The remaining 28 games will be available only through the streaming service.

Subscriptions for the service are available starting on February 1, 2023. Pricing starts at $12.99/month or $79/season for Apple TV+ subscribers, and $14.99/month or $99/season for non-Apple TV+ subscribers. Additionally, season ticket holders will have access to one subscription to MLS Season Pass (one per season ticket account).

You can read Portland’s full press release on the regular season schedule drop here, and see the full schedule of games for yourself here.