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View Full Version : Should This Be The New Format For The MLS Reserve Division



Shway
07-14-2009, 02:22 PM
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/jgushway/63199.jpg


Each MLS franchise fields a reserve division team and plays a 14-game home and away schedule, only against teams in their conference (Eastern, Western. All teams play a minimum of seven opposing reserve division teams at least twice throughout the year. The reserve division standings consists of a two-table eastern conference, and western conference. The teams that finish in first place in there conference will play against eachother, and the winner crowned reserve division champions and a $20,000 team bonus.
A total of 20 eligible players for the home team and 20 players for the visiting team may be placed on a club's game roster for any Reserve Division game with each team permitted to make up to six (6) substitutions.
Suspensions attributable to yellow and red cards issued in Reserve Division games shall only be imposed for future Reserve Division matches and not for games during the MLS regular season. Conversely, suspensions attributable to yellow and red cards issued during MLS regular season games shall not apply to Reserve Division matches.
Any player who receives four yellow cards during the Reserve Division season shall be suspended from the next Reserve Division game in which he may appear.
Players who are considered on trial with an MLS team may be eligible to appear in an MLS Reserve Division Game regardless if he is properly registered with U.S. Soccer.
Academy players are eligible, to play in MLS Reserve Division games to better development.
If a team has two games in the week (regular season, and reserve game). Any player who has accumilated more than 60 minutes in MLS regular season game, is not eligble to play in MLS Reserve Division game for that week. This rule only applies if the team has a MLS game schedule in the same week.

Eastern Conference

1. Chicago Fire
2. Columbus Crew
3. D.C. United
4. Kansas City Wizards
5. New England Revolution
6. New York Red Bulls
7. Philadelphia Union
8. Toronto FC
9. Montreal Impact

Western Conference

1. Chivas USA
2. Colorado Rapids
3. FC Dallas
4. Houston Dynamo
5. Los Angeles Galaxy
6. Real Salt Lake
7. San Jose Earth Quakes
8. Seattle Sounders FC
9. Portland Timbers FC
10. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

(red denotes future teams)


This is the way the league should comeback with this division.
Opinions?

EDIT: In a situation for Toronto FC, players like OB-Dub, Gabe Gala, Gomez, Sanyang, Edwards,Velez, and Ibrahim can play competitive football, and not just be practice players. Everyone is game shape.

T_Mizz
07-14-2009, 02:30 PM
I like it but I think the MLS would hate it simply because it is a reserve division.

sulfur
07-14-2009, 02:31 PM
So... how is this different from the reserve division that existed up until the end of last season...?

MG42
07-14-2009, 02:41 PM
So... how is this different from the reserve division that existed up until the end of last season...?


Here is the old RD outline;

Reserve Division format

Each MLS franchise fields a reserve division team and plays a 12-game schedule (six home, six away). All teams play a minimum of seven opposing reserve division teams at least once throughout the year. The reserve division standings consist of a single table with the team that finishes in first place at the end of the regular season earning the title of reserve division champions and a $20,000 team bonus.
A total of 20 eligible players for the home team and 20 players for the visiting team may be placed on a club's game roster for any Reserve Division game with each team permitted to make up to six (6) substitutions.
Suspensions attributable to yellow and red cards issued in Reserve Division games shall only be imposed for future Reserve Division matches and not for games during the MLS regular season. Conversely, suspensions attributable to yellow and red cards issued during MLS regular season games shall not apply to Reserve Division matches.
Any player who receives four yellow cards during the Reserve Division season shall be suspended from the next Reserve Division game in which he may appear.
No Player shall play more than 120 minutes in a Reserve Team match and any preceding match(es) that occur within a 60 hour period. Injury time is not considered a part of a player's maximum number of minutes played (e.g., if a player enters a game at halftime and the referee adds 2 minutes of stoppage time to the end of the second half, the player will be considered to have played 45 minutes since the 2 minutes of stoppage time is essentially added to make up for 'lost' time).
A Reserve Division call-up or "Guest Player" with an MLS team may be eligible to appear in an MLS Reserve Division Game provided that he is properly registered with U.S. Soccer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MLS_Reserve_Division

Shway
07-14-2009, 02:42 PM
Alot different mate,
got rid of alot of stupid rules (i.e. players cant play 120 minutes)
you only play teams in your conference which wasnt before
TFC was playing FC Dallas, meaning they flew out alot of randoms not that TFC doesnt have the money, but this is cost that other teams couldnt full fill, and staying in timezones was another complain about reserve games

14 games opposed to 12 lol

Trial players are allowed to played in reserve games, before you had to be registered with US soccer or Canada, to play as a `Guest` player.

This system reduces ALOT of cost, while still keeping it competive schedule.

And also alot of players would play two games, play a first team game over 60 minutes, and then 2 hours later play a reserve game.

Maple Leaf Red
07-14-2009, 02:58 PM
So... how is this different from the reserve division that existed up until the end of last season...?

The games would actually be played.

Shway
07-14-2009, 03:09 PM
lol that tooo

BayernTFC
07-14-2009, 03:17 PM
Thanks for going to the effort of putting your idea together and creating a thread Jahinho_Guerro. I think you have made some interesting adjustments to the previous setup. I think that keeping costs down is important, and restricting play between teams within their respective conferences could certainly help. What do you think about linking reserve games to regular squad games? For instance, if Toronto FC travels to Columbus to play the Crew, the reserve teams of TFC and CC can hold their game the day before the main match or shortly after its completion? I especially like the concepts that you mentioned here:


Players who are considered on trial with an MLS team may be eligible to appear in an MLS Reserve Division Game regardless if he is properly registered with U.S. Soccer.
Academy players are eligible, to play in MLS Reserve Division games to better development.
The only way to get a true indication of player performance and development is through game action. Difficulties with the current academy system have been voiced before:


Osorio is careful to point out that people demanding academy players join senior teams should realize that the jump from youth soccer to the pros is a steep one.


"These kids are coming from the academy," Osorio said. "They're not playing second division; they're not playing against professional opposition. It's one thing that they go and play well for us [in the academy], and I can understand that and am very pleased for that, but it is a huge jump going from the academy to the first team.


"It's very difficult to judge and assess those kids on how they would do at the level we are playing unless they play at that level, and it's impossible to do that."
I think that the reserve division is a good way to keep depth players match fit, but it could also be a great way for a team to help develop and assess players.

S_D
07-14-2009, 04:21 PM
I like the idea with a few questions:

1) Can you use academy players in reserve divisions without risking their eligibility for universtity/NCAA? With the smaller roster size, you would definitely need some extras. In TFC's case they don't even have a full roster yet.
2) Can all the teams afford it even though it is cheaper? I thought the reason behind eliminating it in the first place was to save money.

prizby
07-14-2009, 04:23 PM
pretty sure the limp act are not a future team confirmed yet

BayernTFC
07-14-2009, 09:08 PM
1) Can you use academy players in reserve divisions without risking their eligibility for universtity/NCAA?
I think so. The academy players in question couldn't receive payment of any kind and it would depend on whether the reserve league was considered a professional or "practice" league:


12.2.3.2 Competition with Professionals - An individual shall not be eligible for intercollegiate athletics in a sport if the individual ever participated on a team and knew (or had reason to know) that the team was a professional team (per Bylaw 12.02.4) in that sport. However, an individual may compete on a tennis, golf, two-person sand volleyball or two-person synchronized diving teams with persons who are competing for cash or a comparable prize, provided the individual does not receive payment of any kind for such participation.

http://www.playyourgame.com/ncaa_eligibility_explained.html

NCAA players have practiced/played with professionals before and MLS teams have competed against NCAA teams in the pre-season:


“Yeah, I think the NCAA should have a formal relationship,” asserted Simon. “In the summer we have players here who will train with professional teams, will run an exhibition game with the Earthquakes. We go to the games, we’ve hosted them, they’ve trained on our campus, I think there are a lot of ways we can work together to further the sport and forge connections so that our players see that level and are around that level.”

http://soccerlens.com/us-college-soccer-at-the-crossroads/18632/#ixzz0LHwltenu&D



D.C. area fans wanting to see their team in action will have their chance on Sunday, when D.C. United faces defending NCAA champion Maryland (http://www.behindthebadge.com/2009/02/scrimmage-set-against-universi.php) in a scrimmage at Ludwig Field in College Park, Maryland. The match is free and open to the public.
http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/02/s----columbus-crew--the-crew-is-set-to-depart-for-england-where-the-team-will-spend-two-weeks-training-and-playing-in-some.html



With the smaller roster size, you would definitely need some extras. In TFC's case they don't even have a full roster yet.
Some increase in senior roster spots, developmental roster spots or a combination of both would likely be needed in order to make a reserve league work



2) Can all the teams afford it even though it is cheaper? I thought the reason behind eliminating it in the first place was to save money.
That's incredibly difficult to tell. How much cheaper can MLS make a reserve league? A proper cost analysis would need to take place on a fully fleshed out system/league. Intimate knowledge of the books of each MLS team would also help. Cutting out the reserve league to save money was a band-aid solution that will hurt teams and the league in the future. If you think squads are thin in MLS now, just wait until Philadelphia joins in 2010. Followed by Portland, Vancouver and potentially Montreal in 2011. :frown2:



and the winner crowned reserve division champions and a $20,000 team bonus.
What if the winner received an additional developmental roster spot for the following season only? Perhaps that would be a good incentive for teams to invest more in their programs?

Ossington Mental Youth
07-14-2009, 09:18 PM
Itd be interesting to send this off to MLS head quarters, who knows if theyd look at it but itd be worth a go

gracos
07-14-2009, 09:45 PM
I would love to see the MLS join together with the USL. It would make it really exciting soccer, and it would give the MLS some new competiton to look for, maybe in 20 years or so, that would be sweet

Shway
07-15-2009, 12:30 AM
Thanks Bayern, for answering the questions

Shway
07-15-2009, 12:35 AM
I would love to see the MLS join together with the USL. It would make it really exciting soccer, and it would give the MLS some new competiton to look for, maybe in 20 years or so, that would be sweet

yea you have to add in the maybe in 20 years or so lol......

i tihnk the only way that would work is if, USL was in need of a buyer or something, just something along those lines

Cashcleaner
07-15-2009, 01:15 AM
Simplify, simplify, simplify.

Every game between MLS opponents should have an accompanying reserve game played between those opponent's reserve teams either before or after the senior team match. Example: If TFC plays Houston, the TFC reserves and Houston reserves play before or after the senior match.

Like the senior team, the reserve roster will consist of 11 permanent Developmental Players but has the ability to call-up 13 more academy players.

profit89
07-15-2009, 05:51 AM
Better off spending the money on the first team right now. Reserve division can be looked at later. Right now with the quality of MLS the main campeonato can be considered "reserve". Focus on first team quality first.

BayernTFC
07-15-2009, 09:57 AM
Thanks Bayern, for answering the questions
No Problem.


Simplify, simplify, simplify.

Every game between MLS opponents should have an accompanying reserve game played between those opponent's reserve teams either before or after the senior team match. Example: If TFC plays Houston, the TFC reserves and Houston reserves play before or after the senior match.

Yes. I was thinking along the same lines. Teams are already going to the expense of travelling, so costs would be kept down:

What do you think about linking reserve games to regular squad games? For instance, if Toronto FC travels to Columbus to play the Crew, the reserve teams of TFC and CC can hold their game the day before the main match or shortly after its completion?
There will still be an added cost to fly additional players cross-country, so restricting play to teams within the same conference might be helpful. There are 32 regular season games in MLS. It shouldn't be difficult to get enough reserve matches in, even if teams stay within their half of the continent.


Better off spending the money on the first team right now. Reserve division can be looked at later. Right now with the quality of MLS the main campeonato can be considered "reserve". Focus on first team quality first.I disagree with these statements. Investing in a reserve league and player development is not a waste and does in fact focus on first team quality. Keeping your reserves match-fit and ready to play if called upon is all about first team depth and quality. Injuries, call-ups and unforeseen events occur. All MLS teams rely on bench strength. Developing players is very important for both team and league strength. MLS will have a very difficult time improving the overall quality of the product on the field if it doesn't start taking player development more seriously. Look how much better off TFC is with Attakora in our line-up.

Shway
07-15-2009, 11:01 AM
^^^^^agggreedd!!!!

Shway
07-15-2009, 11:02 AM
Itd be interesting to send this off to MLS head quarters, who knows if theyd look at it but itd be worth a go

i wonder it wouldn't it hurt to try?

now for garbers email

TorontoBlades
07-15-2009, 11:32 AM
What reserve division?