MLS Announces That March 18 Will Be The Philadelphia Union's 2012 Season Home Opener

The Philadelphia Union will play their first home game of the 2012 MLS season on March 18, according to a list of home openers released by MLS earlier today.

For a third straight season, the Union will begin the season by heading on the road to face an opponent, though which team that will be has yet to be announced. In 2011, the Union played their first game of the season at Robertson Stadium against the Houston Dynamo, before opening PPL Park for 2011 MLS regular season play on March 26 against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The previous season, the Union's first ever as a franchise, saw Philadelphia play the Seattle Sounders on the road, before beating DC United in their first ever home game. However, the Union were not able to play at PPL Park until June 27, with their two home games prior to the official opening of the stadium occurring at Lincoln Financial field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles.

MLS has not yet released who any of the visiting teams are for these future MLS Kickoff games, but said that it will by the end of the year.