How to Watch MLS in Week 1, TV and Streaming Listings - Sounder At Heart

Author's Note: I am back in 2018 with your weekly MLS gamethread on Sounder at Heart. This is my fifth year writing this particular feature, and we are going to stick with the format that you know and love. Three Big Storylines (the three things around MLS this week that I think are worth pointing out), From a Sounders Point of View (are there any games with particular impact on the Sounders? This space becomes more important as the season winds down.) and National TV Listings (your ESPN, Fox Sports and Univision games of the week).

Three Big Storylines:

A 23-team MLS kicks off 2018 with new entrant Los Angeles FC taking the field lead by Bob Bradley who is back as a head coach in MLS for the first time since leading 2006 Chivas USA to the playoffs. Since last managing in MLS, Bradley has led the USA U23 team, USA Men's National Team, Egypt, Stabæk, Le Havre and Swansea City. LAFC will start their franchise in Seattle taking on the Sounders (this is not that gamethread). With an odd number of teams in the league, someone has to sit out the opening weekend extravaganza. My condolences to the Colorado Rapids who get an extended week of preseason after being knocked out of the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday by Toronto FC.
Last year's debutants, Atlanta FC, enter year 2 with high expectations after adding 18-year old-Argentinian Designated Player Ezequiel Barco and trading more than a million dollars in TAM and GAM for Darlington Nagbe. Barco is out 4-6 weeks with a quad injury, but Nagbe will be looking to join an already potent attack led by Josef Martinez. Martinez was limited in 2017 with a variety of injuries but still finished fourth in the golden boot race with 19 goals in only 20 games played. Atlanta starts their campaign in Houston taking on a Dynamo team that were incredibly good at home last year earning 40 out of a possible 51 points at BBVA Compass Stadium. This will be Atlanta's first ever game in Houston.
The LA Galaxy finished 22nd out of 22 teams in MLS last year, the worst finish in MLS history. Sigi Schmid was brought in midseason and returns as manager this year along with Kurt Schmid joining from the Sounders staff as the Galaxy's Director of Player Personnel. The Galaxy have brought in Ola Kamara, Perry Kitchen and David Bingham to join the dos Santos brothers Gio and Jonathan along with French star Romain Alessandrini and a healthy Sebastian Lletget giving them a formidable lineup...on paper. The Galaxy open their season with the Portland Timbers and new manager Gio Savarese in the Home Depot Center.

From a Sounders Point of View:

The Seattle Sounders have a well timed bye in Week 2 with CONCACAF Champions League looming on Wednesday at home against Chivas and in Guadalajara the following Wednesday March 14th before traveling to Dallas on March 18. FC Dallas opens the season at Real Salt Lake on Saturday at 5 PM.

MLS Live will be replaced by a new service called ESPN+ this spring. Until ESPN+ rolls out, MLS Live is free for everyone. Details on registering here.

While this isn't an MLS match, El Súper Clásico between Chivas and Club América Saturday night deserves your eyeholes. Seattle's next opponent in the CCL is Chivas.