Every year, the Major League Soccer schedule release is eagerly awaited by fans around the league. Once the schedule drops, the die-hards among us immediately begin booking flights and hotel rooms, planning road trips, and – if you’re anything like me – making sure your social calendar doesn’t conflict with the season’s best matchups.
Sorry, fellas, bowling night is canceled. There’s an MLS Cup rematch on at 8:30.
But how does the schedule actually get made? How complicated is it to piece together a schedule involving 29 MLS teams, several of whom are playing in multiple other competitions, don’t have full control of their own venues, or are significantly impacted by international windows?
