FACTBOX-Soccer-A look at the 2015 MLS season
March 5 (Reuters) - Major League Soccer (MLS) will open its 20th season on Friday. Here are some facts and key dates for the campaign: - The defending champion LA Galaxy host Chicago Fire in the MLS season opener on March 6. - Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Sebastian Giovinco, Kaka, and Shaun Maloney among the big-name players scheduled to make their MLS debuts this season. - Expansion sides New York City FC and Orlando City SC go head-to-head to kick off their MLS existences on March 8. - First MLS season since 2004 to be played without Chivas USA, which ceased operations last year. - Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City move to the Western Conference from the Eastern Conference. - Colorado will host the MLS All-Star Game on July 29. An All-Star squad of MLS players will face a yet-to-be-determined foreign club for the 11th straight year. - Regular season concludes on Oct. 25 with all 20 MLS teams playing at the same scheduled time, a league first. - San Jose Earthquakes have the toughest schedule while New England Revolution have the easiet schedule, according to a "strength of schedule" ranking on the league's website. - The MLS Cup Playoffs will have 12 teams, up from 10 in each of the last three seasons, with the top six teams from the each of the two conferences qualifying. - MLS Cup to be held in early December. (Compiled by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)
