The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) today announced it will begin its inaugural 2018 season on Sunday, March 4 at CenturyLink Field against the Seattle Sounders. LAFC also announced the club will open Banc of California Stadium, its new home in the heart of Los Angeles, on Sunday, April 29 in a 6 p.m. match-up vs. the Sounders.
“Banc of California Stadium is an unprecedented success story,” LAFC Owner and President Tom Penn said, “Our stadium will provide one of the best fan experiences in the world, and I am grateful to everyone who is helping us open the stadium nearly a month ahead of schedule and on-budget, guaranteeing we play every home match at Banc of California Stadium.”
In the second match in club history, LAFC will travel to Utah to face Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday, March 10. MLS will announce the remainder of the schedule in early January, prior to the 2018 SuperDraft.
The only way for fans and supporters to guarantee a seat for the LAFC home opener vs. the two-time Western Conference Champion Sounders is to become an LAFC Season Member. In addition to tickets, LAFC Season Memberships include access to year-round events and benefits that offer a direct connection to the Club. Limited inventory remains, to secure your place in history, visit https://www.lafc.com/tickets/memberships.
“I cannot wait to see and feel the electric atmosphere at Banc of California Stadium on April 29th,” Penn said. “There will not be a sports experience like this in Los Angeles.”
With its first match on April 29, Banc of California Stadium is set to open earlier in the season than six new or renovated MLS stadiums since 2010.
The $350 million Banc of California Stadium is a state of the art, world-class venue located in Exposition Park. It is the first open-air stadium built in the city in over 30 years, and will have an intimate atmosphere with the steepest seating bowl in MLS (34 degrees), seats only 12-feet away from the touchline and an 86,000-square foot field of natural Bermuda grass.
During the 2018 MLS regular season, each club will play 34 games, including 17 home games and 17 away games. Teams will face each of their conference opponents (10 in the East, 11 in the West) twice during the season with one game at home and one game away. Western Conference teams will play one additional intra-conference game and Eastern Conference teams will play two. All teams will face each non-conference opponent once.
The complete regular season schedule, along with the national television schedules for the U.S. and Canada, will be announced in January.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Location |
| March 4 | 2:00 pm PT | at Seattle Sounders | Century Link Field |
| March 10 | 12:30 pm PT | at Real Salt Lake | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| April 29 | 6:00 pm PT | vs Seattle Sounders | Banc of California Stadium |
