Chicago Fire Schedule for 2012 MLS Regular Season: It's here

Major League Soccer and the Chicago Fire released their full schedule today. Here are some highlights. Full schedule after the break.

Chicago is slated to appear in a total of 13 nationally televised broadcasts. The Sunday, July 8 game vs. LA Galaxy will be on ESPN. The October 6 game vs. New York at 2:30 PM CST will be on NBC. The other games are on ESPNDeportes, Galavision or the new Versus, NBC Sports Network. The club will release their 2012 regional television schedule at a later date. It's great to see the team and the league getting more national TV time. The new deal with NBC is coming through big time.

Opening Day at Toyota Park will be against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, March 24 at 7:30 PM CST. The club will also commemorate its founding and mark the 141st anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire when they host the Peter Nowak-led Union in a 15th Anniversary Match at Toyota Park on Wednesday, October 3 at 7:30 PM CST. October 8 is on a Monday this year so they couldn't have had the game on the exact date. Saturday, October 6 could have been close enough but that's the day of the NYRB game on NBC. I'll take Peter Nowak being there when the club honors it's 15 year anniversary.

D.C. United and the Montreal Impact will be the two Eastern Conference teams the Fire only play twice. Chicago will host Houston, Philadelphia, and Columbus twice. In turn, they will visit New England, New York, Kansas City, and Toronto twice.

Chicago lucks out with hosting all four of the top 2011 clubs at home: Los Angeles, Seattle, Real Salt Lake and Dallas and not having to do away trips there. The Wednesday, May 23 game at Toyota Park will be the only match-up in the 2012 Brimstone Cup.

The Fire have 19 Saturday match days, 10 at Toyota Park and nine on the road. Six Sunday afternoon/evening fixtures, four at home and two away.

The longest road trip Chicago has this year is a nightmarish New York to Toronto to San Jose trip between Wednesday, July 18 to Saturday, July 28.