Charlotte FC will face challenges with 2025 schedule

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Charlotte FC will have to navigate an early-season slate of road games in 2025 that will test their chances of advancing to the MLS postseason, starting with the opener against Seattle.

Major League Soccer released the 2025 schedule on Thursday and Charlotte FC’s success from last season looks to be rewarded with a soccer version of the Spartan Race with bigger obstacles.

If the nine-month endurance run from February to October has any chance of extending into the postseason, the Crown will have to navigate the climbs, chasms, hoists, ropes, and rigs that include starting the season away against Western Conference finalists Seattle Sounders, home against an arch rival Atlanta United that made it to the Eastern semifinals from a nine-seed, and back on the road to face the best regular season team in the league last year, Inter Miami FC.

That gets Charlotte into mid-March and a respite of two straight home games against FC Cincinnati and the San Jose Earthquakes. Charlotte matched up well against the other Queen City last year with a 1-1 draw at home and a 3-1 win in Ohio. In fact, Charlotte could be considered champions of Ohio with a win and draw over the Columbus Crew, a solid eight points in four games against two of the best teams in the league.

After a jaunt to Colorado on March 29, the schedule stays pretty sane through April with three of four matches at home (Nashville, San Diego, New England) and one on the road in Montreal.

From May through June, the Crown will be road warriors with only two of 10 games at home. After three matches in 11 days at Columbus, Nashville, and Orlando, Charlotte is home against Chicago Fire on May 17 and the Crew on May 24. Then it’s a potentially season-defining five game road trip against New York Red Bulls, Toronto, Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Chicago from May 28 to June 28.

CLTFC won’t play a home match in June but there won’t be a lack of topflight football though as the Bank hosts four high profile matches in the FIFA Club World Cup. Real Madrid returns to Charlotte – they played Chelsea here last summer - against Mexican side CF Pachuca on June 22 and Portugal’s SL Benfica against FC Bayern Munich on June 24.

Those first round matches will be followed by two Round of 16 games on June 28 and 30.

Leagues Cup 2025

On Monday, the Leagues Cup Organizing Committee announced that the 2025 edition of the official Concacaf tournament between LIGA MX and Major League Soccer will be played July 29-Aug. 31, 2025. While yet to be official, it is believed that a new format for the tournament will be presented towards maximizing interleague games and minimizing downtime for teams that don’t move on. An August with four MLS games on the docket already ensures that. Specifics on the new format will be announced in January.

Taking it home

A second season of sorts will come in July with the last 14 games of the regular season, with nine of them before the home crowd, a proven advantage for the Crown.

Picked to finish at or near the bottom of the Eastern Conference by all but one in a preseason poll of MLS media and pundits last year, CLTFC exceeded even his optimistic prediction of eight by three spots, just one point behind the coveted fourth seed that would have given home field advantage in the next round.

Back to Coachella

After starting the preseason again in Florida, Charlotte FC will return to the Coachella Valley Invitational for two friendly matches as part of an exhibition slate featuring 14 MLS clubs. First up will be MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy on Feb. 9 followed by the Portland Timbers Feb. 15.

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