SAN JOSE — The Earthquakes open the year with two road games, Major League Soccer announced Wednesday in unveiling the schedule for its 20th season.

San Jose starts the coach Dominic Kinnear era March 7 at FC Dallas before traveling to Seattle the next weekend. San Jose makes its debut at new, 18,000-seat Avaya Stadium on March 22 when playing host to the Chicago Fire in a 4 p.m. game.

It’s the Quakes’ only home game in March, but the team under Kinnear plays three of four at Avaya in April, including back-to-back games against Western Conference rivals Real Salt Lake and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

San Jose plays Eastern Conference newcomer Orlando City on May 24 at the 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium. Orlando City features Brazilian star Kaka and former Quakes coach Mark Watson, who landed on the Orlando staff after getting fired at the end of last season.

The Quakes’ annual rivalry game against the Los Angeles Galaxy is scheduled for June 27 at Stanford Stadium.

The team has only one three-game trip starting May 1 at Real Salt Lake. The Western Conference swing continues May 5 at Houston and ends May 8 at Colorado.

Kinnear will face his former Dynamo team two other times — Aug. 8 in Houston and July 10 in San Jose. Houston and Sporting Kansas City re-joined the Western Conference to make way for expansion New York City and Orlando to play in the East.

San Jose has a favorable schedule to end the season, playing eight of 13 home games starting in August.

The 34-game regular season ends Oct. 25 at Dallas in what MLS officials are calling “Decision Day” because all conference games will be played concurrently to determine final playoff berths. The five Western Conference games are scheduled to start at 4 p.m.

In another change, the league has expanded the MLS Cup Playoffs to 12 teams from 10, meaning more than half of the 20 clubs will advance. The knockout rounds will be four single-elimination games scheduled for Oct. 28 and Oct. 29.

The Earthquakes also will participate in the U.S. Open Cup tournament and are expected to play “friendlies” over the summer. Those games have not been announced.

Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865 and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/elliottalmond.