Union's new stadium to open June 27

The Philadelphia Union has selected Sunday, June 27 as the opening date for its new stadium in Chester.

The Union will host the Seattle Sounders FC at PPL Park at 5 p.m. The game, which will be broadcast on ESPN2, is one of 17 nationally televised Union matches that will air among the Fox Soccer Channel, Telefutura and on ESPN's family of networks.

The Union's first game - March 25, in Seattle - kicks off the Major League Soccer season. Yesterday, MLS released its 2010 league schedule. Each of the 16 MLS teams will play a 30-game season. Clubs will face each team twice - once at home, once away.

The Union, MLS' newest entrant, will have a rough road to start its inaugural season with 10 of its first 12 games away from home. The April 10 game against D.C. United and the May 15 game against FC Dallas will be at Lincoln Financial Field.

"It's a challenge, but we have a team manager that knows all about how to handle challenges," Union president Tom Veit said of team boss Peter Nowak. "When we were in talks with Peter [about joining our team] we informed him about the ongoing construction and how that may make many of our initial games on the road. His reply to us was, 'We've got to win all the games anyway, so who cares if it's home or away?' "

Conversely, the back end of the season is loaded with home games, including five of the team's last seven.

"We do have a rough start but we also have a lot of home games as we get closer to playoff time, so there is a nice balance," said Veit.

Other important dates on the Union's schedule include a trip to play defending MLS champion Real Salt Lake (May 8), and two nationally televised Thursday home dates - against Columbus (Aug. 5) and against David Beckham and the LA Galaxy (Oct. 7), both on ESPN2.

The regular season concludes Oct. 24 at Columbus. Playoffs begin Oct. 28 and the MLS Cup will be played on Sunday, Nov. 21. The league will take a 2-week hiatus during the World Cup in South Africa beginning June 11 and will resume on Saturday, June 26.

UNION SCHEDULE

Home Games (CAPS) in Chester, unless noted

(TV includes only national telecasts)

Thursday, March 25: at Seattle, 9:30 (ESPN2)

*Saturday, April 10: D.C. UNITED, 6 (FSC)

Thursday, April 15: at Toronto, 7 (ESPN2)

Saturday, April 24: at New York, 4

Saturday, May 1: at Los Angeles, 10:30

Saturday, May 8: at Real Salt Lake, 9

*Saturday, May 15: FC DALLAS, 4

Saturday, May 29: at Houston, 8:30 (FSC)

Saturday, June 5: at Chicago, 8:30

Thursday, June 10: at Kansas City, 8

Sunday, June 27: SEATTLE, 5 (ESPN2)

Saturday, July 3: at Chivas USA, 10:30 (FSC)

Saturday, July 10: SAN JOSE, 5:30 (FSC)

Saturday, July 17: TORONTO FC, 3:30

Wednesday, July 21: at Colorado, TBA

Saturday, July 31: NEW ENGLAND, 3:30

Thursday, Aug. 5: COLUMBUS, 8 (ESPN2)

Sunday, Aug. 8: at FC Dallas, 7:30 (FSC)

Wednesday, Aug. 11: REAL SALT LAKE, 7:30

Saturday, Aug. 14: COLORADO, 4

Sunday, Aug. 22: at D.C. United, 2

Saturday, Aug. 28: at New England, 7:30

Saturday, Sept. 4: KANSAS CITY, 3:30

Saturday, Sept. 11: CHICAGO, 6 (FSC)

Saturday, Sept. 18: at San Jose, 10

Saturday, Sept. 25: CHIVAS USA, 4

Saturday, Oct. 2: HOUSTON, 4

Thursday, Oct. 7: LOS ANGELES, 8 (ESPN2)

Saturday, Oct. 16: NEW YORK, 6 (FSC)

Sunday, Oct. 24: at Columbus, 4

*At Lincoln Financial Field.

FSC: Fox Soccer Channel