Beckham, Galaxy get schedule break

Major League Soccer released its schedule for the 2008 season Thursday and it brought a sigh of relief from the Galaxy and David Beckham.

Unlike last season when the Galaxy had to pack 19 MLS games, including 12 on the road, into 12 weeks in order the showcase its English midfield star after his mid-July arrival, this year will provide much smoother sailing on the Beckham Tour Part II.

Beckham said earlier this week that he expects 2008 to be much less hectic.

“I’m sure it’s going to be a lot more relaxed than it was when I came in last season,” he said. “As you know, I came in halfway through the season and it was pretty tough to get in all the games that we had to get in and a lot of the players weren’t used to playing Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, so it was tough.

“This year it’s a lot calmer and a lot more relaxed. It’s great to be here from the start of the season.”

The Galaxy and its Home Depot Center neighbor Chivas USA each will play 30 games, 15 at home and 15 on the road. The Galaxy opens on March 29 at the Colorado Rapids, with its home opener April 3 against former coach Frank Yallop and the San Jose Earthquakes.

Chivas USA opens on the road, at FC Dallas on March 30, and plays its home opener in Carson on April 5 against Real Salt Lake. Twenty of its games will be nationally televised; a local television schedule for the remaining matches has yet to be finalized. The Galaxy also will have 20 games on national TV and 10 shown locally.

The two Home Depot Center rivals will play each other three times during the regular season, on April 26, July 10 and Aug. 14.

The league All-Star game will be played July 24 in Toronto, with the MLS Cup championship game Nov. 23 at the Home Depot Center.

grahame.jones@latimes.com

* GALAXY, CHIVAS USA SCHEDULES: D10