Garber: MLS rethinking schedule

[Oldtimer]

September 1, at the SuperLiga final at Gillette Stadium where Mexican side Monarcas Morelia were crowned 2010 Champion, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said MLS is rethinking the MLS schedule due to increased prioritization of tournaments, specifically CONCACAF Champions League (CCL), SuperLiga, and Open Cup. Wednesday night, the New England Revolution fell 2-1 (http://http//www.examiner.com/pro-soccer-in-boston/morelia-win-2010-superliga-championship-defeat-revolution-2-1) to Morelia and earlier in the week all four MLS sides lost games (http://www.examiner.com/soccer-in-national/toronto-columbus-and-seattle-shut-out-concacaf-group-play-rsl-fall-5-4) in CCL group play. Despite the results, a crowd of over 22,000 attended to watch Seattle drop 2-0 to Monterrey at Qwest Field on August 25.
“We’ve got to reassess the calendar quite a bit and we’ve been spending a lot of time doing that,” said Garber. “I’m up here today actually, with our competitive guys doing some planning, just talking about how could we do a couple things – capitalize on the excitement that took place during the World Cup that clearly proved that Americans loved this game and how do we build on that? Do we need to look at different formats? Do we need to look at our schedule again? How do we ensure that our teams are at full strength while we’re playing in very, very crowded schedules? We’re spending a lot of time planning and I want to be sure that we do well in all these tournaments. The first priority is our league tournament [MLS Cup], but certainly, so is the Champions League and again, I’d like to see the U.S. Open Cup be a bit more important to all of us.”


http://www.examiner.com/soccer-in-national/garber-says-mls-to-review-schedule-prioritize-ccl-superliga-and-open-cup-tournaments

[Detroit_TFC]

Forward to the January to December schedule ;-)

[ManUtd4ever]

Don, respecting the FIFA calendar like every other professional league in the world would be a good start...

[jabbronies]

- Single table

[Oldtimer]

Get rid of the SuperLiga.

Set the schedule so that clubs can play their first teams in the CCL (you need all the help you can to beat diving cheats and incompetent referees).

Don't play on FIFA dates.

[mastermixer]

I agree something has to change, but it's easier said than done. Season already goes from March all the way into November, if we take breaks during the Fifa schedule the season would go into the new year. Sounds great, but the weather here in Toronto or much of the northeast does not favour a change like this.
Yes, the NFL does this but the MLS is not the NFL yet.

[Shway]

Forward to the January to December schedule ;-)

agreed :rolleyes:

[Carts]

Respect FIFA Dates...

Stretch the season to ease fixture congestion that comes with that, and the added competitions...

Carts...

[denime]

All they have to do is add more midweek games and FIFA or CCL problem is solved.

Dallas averaging some 5K on a nice weekend game, so if they play midweek game and only 2K show up no big deal they don't make money on tickets anyway,but they can get some from TV.

Get rid of Superliga,keep March-Nov schedule,get single table and midweek games,and problems with CCL and FIFA are solved.

[rocker]

just ditch Superliga, have more weeknight games in markets where attendance isn't a major issue, reduce the number of friendlies per team to 1.

There were a lot of friendlies this year. Also, I believe some teams had off weeks this year if I remember correctly.

The room is there.

[Darlofletch]

Dumping Superliga and focussing more on ccl should be first step.

expanded roster size to allow for clubs to compete in many different competitions.

bring back reserve league so these expanded rosters have somewhere to play rather than have players stagnating on the bench and stunting their development.

however you work it, single table and no unbalanced schedule, each team plays each team twice should be the very basic starting point that you don't deviate from.

How to fit a 34 game next year, 36 games in 2012 season into the current schedule is tough. Main reason why it's tough? the playoffs take up the last month of the season, get rid of them and the congestion is a lot less.

Downside, without the playoffs, and the battle for 8th, a lot of league teams seasons would be over quickly.
Upside, a lot of teams would be looking for somethijng else for their teams to get excited about, hence renewed interest in the us open as a trophy to aim for, stronger line-ups, better marketing, higher crowds.

Next step, get to 20 teams, two 10 team divisions, promotion/relegation etc etc.

Is MLS likely to dump the playoffs? obviously not, but hey it's an idea.

[Carts]

just ditch Superliga, have more weeknight games in markets where attendance isn't a major issue, reduce the number of friendlies per team to 1.

There were a lot of friendlies this year. Also, I believe some teams had off weeks this year if I remember correctly.

The room is there.

Yup, this is the easiest way to help fit in games...

No need for these off weeks for no reason (they still might come up for teams based on sched etc)...

I really think FIFA Dates are step-1 - and the one that might happen. Teams can't be happy (*cough* Toronto, no DeRo, Nana, JDG *cough*)...

If the league respects the FIFA dates, the schedule will need to be re-worked etc, and with that they might say goodbye to SuperLiga which would be a good step forward for the league...

Carts....

[Oldtimer]

I really think FIFA Dates are step-1 - and the one that might happen. Teams can't be happy (*cough* Toronto, no DeRo, Nana, JDG *cough*)...


*cough* LA, no Buddle, Landycakes *cough*

[Azerban]

superliga is a fine tournament and i don't know why everyone bashes it, they produce incredibly entertaining games, sorry about all of your bad opinions i guess

[Pookie]

They aren't going to put more days in the calendar year and clearly, weather is an issue in Canada and the US Northern States so playing earlier isn't an option.

So, you have to give up something.

Remove:

- MLS Playoffs. Table Champ is Champ. Stretch season as a result (to squeeze the "tournaments"
- If that is too radical make the "Playoffs" the Top of the East vs the Top of the West in some best of 3 format that NA sports marketers seem to love. 2 Clubs qualify. 2 Clubs play for the Cup.
- Friendlies (max of 1 per team)

Add

- US or NA Cup style competition involving lower tier leagues in much the same way that the FA Cup operates. This would give those cities without a hope of the league title an opportunity to play for something. MLS teams come into the mix a few rounds into the competition

[Carts]

*cough* LA, no Buddle, Landycakes *cough*

Forgot about them when posting, that'll have way more of an impact than us...

Its actually a good thing they miss - b/c it'll hopefully force the league into action...

Carts...

[Carts]

They aren't going to put more days in the calendar year and clearly, weather is an issue in Canada and the US Northern States so playing earlier isn't an option.

So, you have to give up something.

Remove:

- MLS Playoffs. Table Champ is Champ. Stretch season as a result (to squeeze the "tournaments"
- If that is too radical make the "Playoffs" the Top of the East vs the Top of the West in some best of 3 format that NA sports marketers seem to love. 2 Clubs qualify. 2 Clubs play for the Cup.
- Friendlies (max of 1 per team)


That'll never happen...

They need to keep the "playoff race" and "playoffs" for the North American audience...

Even BMO field would take a huge hit if this happen...

We're not winning the league, everyone knows it. There would be 10,000 empty seats in the final few games of the season...

Carts...

[Pookie]

That'll never happen...

They need to keep the "playoff race" and "playoffs" for the North American audience...

Even BMO field would take a huge hit if this happen...

We're not winning the league, everyone knows it. There would be 10,000 empty seats in the final few games of the season...

Carts...

^ they had an interesting guy on the Fan today talking about attendance at sporting events.

He was presenting the view that atmosphere has more to do with attendance than winning does. His view (apparently backed up by data) was that people pay for the experience.

He used examples in baseball (eg. Cubs games with passionate fans, a rinky dink old stadium and little success), NFL (eg. Buffalo games... in Buffalo) and other sports. His point was that our decision to part with our cash has more to do with the "fun we'll have" vs the expected outcome of the game or season. We choose between various ways to spend it and if the sporting event offers "fun" we'll pay the ticket.

In his view, the Jays would never be a hot ticket even with a winning record because of the stale environment "tag" they have.

In that theory, as long as TFC games provided value for the money (ie. you have a great time when you go), the position in the standings may not matter as much when it comes to attendance.

[Roogsy]

There is a point there.

Thankfully however, the atmosphere and the "good time" a person is expected to have many times relies upon a team at least being contending and entertaining. Two things TFC are not and have not been.

If TFC continues to crap the bed and supporters begin to punish the club by reducing the positivity of the atmosphere, it will be a harder sell for the team.

[Red Rat]

Superliga is about Money, will never be scrapped
Single table will never happen, it's an american sport now.

[Brooker]

Don, respecting the FIFA calendar like every other professional league in the world would be a good start...

I would sure as shit hope so.... :shocked:

[ensco]

Move all-star game to Saturday of the MLS Cup weekend. Play a good Russian or Scandinavian team.

[Goodfellas FC]

I thought superliga was for clubs that didnt make champions league?

[razor787]

Or do what the other leagues do. Just play players within the league. Dont divide it between east and west or anything. Have the top two coaches pick their players.

Its promoting the talent within the league, and lets us move it to a more convienant time, which is around the MLS cup final.

[Hitcho]

Dumping Superliga and focussing more on ccl should be first step.

expanded roster size to allow for clubs to compete in many different competitions.

bring back reserve league so these expanded rosters have somewhere to play rather than have players stagnating on the bench and stunting their development.

however you work it, single table and no unbalanced schedule, each team plays each team twice should be the very basic starting point that you don't deviate from.

How to fit a 34 game next year, 36 games in 2012 season into the current schedule is tough. Main reason why it's tough? the playoffs take up the last month of the season, get rid of them and the congestion is a lot less.

Downside, without the playoffs, and the battle for 8th, a lot of league teams seasons would be over quickly.
Upside, a lot of teams would be looking for somethijng else for their teams to get excited about, hence renewed interest in the us open as a trophy to aim for, stronger line-ups, better marketing, higher crowds.

Next step, get to 20 teams, two 10 team divisions, promotion/relegation etc etc.

Is MLS likely to dump the playoffs? obviously not, but hey it's an idea.

Lot of sense in this, but not much of it is ever likely to happen sadly.

I really think a 20 team league, split into two tables of 10 with three up and three down each season is the way to go. The parity in MLS will mean there is good fluidity between the teams in the upper and lower leagues, it's all within a single MLS safety net so no-one can be relegated out of the league, it gives two titles to aim for (upper and lower league champs), three promotion spots to aim for and three relegation spots to be avoided which will keep just about every team alive in terms of something to play for until the very end of the season, it gives international credence to the league instead of the play off concept which is sneered at in so many places outside of the USA and it allows for greater flexibility of scheduling since each team will have 18 league games and no play offs to worry about at the end, so CCL and an FA Cup style knock out competition can run concurrently through the season.

FIFA dates will still be a problem but that will never change because we cannot stretch the season in Canada and northern US because of the weather.

[Blowing Bubbles]

Don, respecting the FIFA calendar like every other professional league in the world would be a good start...

That's 100% bullshit. There is more to world football than the big 5 leagues in Europe. The following domestic leagues will not respect most FIFA dates.

Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Columbia, A-league, J-league, K-league, African leagues, sometimes even Russia. I'm sure there are others.

We also have weather and travel issues that leagues that do respect the dates don't have.

This is also a gate driven league with little in the way of TV or merch money. More midweek games is not a good business model.

[Fort York Redcoat]

That's 100% bullshit. There is more to world football than the big 5 leagues in Europe. The following domestic leagues will not respect most FIFA dates.

Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Columbia, A-league, J-league, K-league, African leagues, sometimes even Russia. I'm sure there are others.

We also have weather and travel issues that leagues that do respect the dates don't have.

This is also a gate driven league with little in the way of TV or merch money. More midweek games is not a good business model.


And why would we not aspire to be more like the 5 big leagues? I don't care if it doesn't happen tomorrow but Pook has it right. Lose the friendlies and playoffs and you're fine with FIFA dates. Priori-fucking-ties. But wevver. The Leagues doing a good job of tweaking itself every year in the right direction.

[nfitz]

They aren't going to put more days in the calendar year and clearly, weather is an issue in Canada and the US Northern States so playing earlier isn't an option.BMO Field is designed so that they can play from early March to late November. The regular season this year only runs from March 27th to October 23rd; and most teams had a week off early on. Toronto only played at home between April 15th and October 16th (with the MLS cup on November 21st).

There's no reason we couldn't be out there earlier; even if we started away, we don't have to wait to April 15th to play at home.

The MLS playoffs also eat much valuable time. Last year, the last regular game was October 25th, and only 11 play-off games took place over the next 4 weekends. This could easily have been compressed into 2 weeks. (why if they take 4 weeks to play only 4 games per team max, they don't have a home-and-away for the semi-final is beyond me).