Revs to meet Dallas in 2019 season opener; hosting Columbus in home opener a week later

Major League Soccer dropped an early Christmas present for soccer fans at midday Thursday, announcing each of the 24 home openers for the upcoming 2019 season.

As it has for the last decade, New England will open the season on the road on Saturday, March 2, as it will head to the Lone Star State to take on FC Dallas. That match is slated for 4:30 pm.

The Revs will return home the following week and host the Columbus Crew at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 9. That match will mark the earliest home opener in the club’s 24-year history.

The following weekend, March 17, will see New England head to Toronto for the Reds’ home opener at BMO Field.

As has become the case for The Boys In Blue, the club have not opened the regular season at home since 2008, when they hosted Houston on March 29 that year. That was part of a 30-match regular season fixture slate.

The full list of fixtures for the Revolution will be released in the next two months.

BSJ Analysis

Not much to really analyze, per se: We’ve figured out by now that the Revs will perpetually open the season on the road with the 34-match schedule, and with the season opening on March 2, we figure there aren’t many who would want to go sit out in Gillette when there’s still snow on the ground. In January for an AFC Championship when it really hasn’t snowed yet? Sure. The first weekend in March when we’ve just gone through a terrible February? Not a snowball’s chance in hell.

Anyway, here’s the amount of time the Revs have spent on the road before their first home match of the season, dating back to 2009:

2018: One week (Philadelphia)
2017: Two weeks (Colorado, Dallas)
2016: One week (Houston)
2015: Two weeks (Seattle, NYCFC)
2014: Two weeks (Houston, Philadelphia)
2013: Two weeks (Chicago, Philadelphia)
2012: Two weeks (San Jose, Sporting KC)
2011: One week  (LA)
2010: Two weeks (LA, DC)
2009: Two weeks (San Jose, Red Bulls)

A few of those two-week seasons saw New England go right back out on the road after its home opener. This past season saw the Revs go to Chester to play Philadelphia before coming home for tilts with Colorado and NYCFC. After a trip to Houston, the home-heavy front half of the schedule continued with seven of the next 10 at Gillette.

While we don’t know how frequently the Revs will be at home this season, we do know that they will be away on June 8 and June 22: the Gillette Stadium website — and seeing as I have friends interested in these concerts, Facebook has them listed — notes that the Rolling Stones and Dead and Company will occupy The House That Brady Built on those weekends.