The National Women's Soccer League has finally released its much-anticipated 2016 regular season schedule and some of the scheduling decisions might come as a surprise to fans.

Every NWSL club will have a home and away meeting with eight of the other nine teams in the league while playing one regional opponent four times during the season. The decision appears to be an attempt to create regional rivalries and limit travel costs throughout the league.

But the decision clearly creates a competitively unbalanced schedule.

The Portland Thorns will have to face the Seattle Reign, who won the NWSL Shield in both 2014 and 2015, four times during the 20-game season, while other teams in the league will have the chance to face a weaker opponent four times in 2016.

The schedule was also put together to avoid any conflict with the 2016 Olympic Games. The NWSL will take a 25-day break from August 1 to August 25 to accommodate the Olympic Games in Brazil.

The Thorns will play 10 home games and 10 away games during the six-month 2016 season. They will open their regular season schedule at home at Providence Park with a game against the Orlando Pride on April 17 at 7 p.m.

The season will conclude on the weekend of Sept. 24-25. The top four finishers in the regular season will qualify for the playoffs.

Below is Portland's full schedule as released by the Thorns:

2016 Portland Thorns FC Schedule (home matches in bold, CAPS)

Date Opponent Kickoff (Pacific) Venue Sun., April 17 ORLANDO PRIDE 7 p.m. Providence Park Sat., April 23 @FC Kansas City TBD Swope Soccer Village Sun., May 1 @Boston Breakers TBD Jordan Field Sat., May 7 @Washington Spirit TBD Maryland SoccerPlex Sat., May 14 @Seattle Reign FC TBD Memorial Stadium Sat., May 21 WASHINGTON SPIRIT 7 p.m. Providence Park Sun., May 29 SEATTLE REIGN FC 4 p.m. Providence Park Sun., June 12 @Chicago Red Stars TBD Toyota Park Fri., June 17 @Western New York Flash TBD Sahlen's Stadium Wed., June 22 CHICAGO RED STARS 7 p.m. Providence Park Sun., June 26 @Orlando Pride TBD Citrus Bowl Sat., July 2 SKY BLUE FC 7:30 p.m. Providence Park Sat., July 9 FC KANSAS CITY 7:30 p.m. Providence Park Sat., July 16 @Houston Dash TBD BBVA Compass Stadium Sat., July 30 SEATTLE REIGN FC 7:30 p.m. Providence Park Sat., Aug. 27 @Seattle Reign FC TBD Memorial Stadium Sun., Sept. 4 BOSTON BREAKERS 4 p.m. Providence Park Wed., Sept. 7 HOUSTON DASH 7 p.m. Providence Park Sun., Sept. 11 WESTERN NEW YORK FLASH 6:30 p.m. Providence Park Sun., Sept. 25 @Sky Blue FC TBD Yurcak Field

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg