Leagues Cup Format Change as of 2023

[OgtheDim]

https://twitter.com/samstejskal/status/1440407594468732941

&

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/historic-reimagined-leagues-cup-starting-in-2023



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The North American soccer league is born

[Richard]

I think the champions league becomes irrelevant if that takes place. You might as well add the Canadian and other central American teams as well.

If the NASL becomes a reality I would like to see it be a 30 team league with a promotion/relegation system. Teams that get relegated would go into the former Liga MX, MLS and CSL.

You could genuinely have a top 10 league with that format.

[RealG-TFC]

This also comes with an expanded CONCACAF Champions league as well. I don't necessarily hate it, it would be nice to face Mexican comeptition in mid-season form rather than early in the season. I'm not sure how I feel about interrupting the season though.

Champions League Expansion for 2024 (https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/concacaf-announces-expanded-champions-league-starting-in-2024)

[Auzzy]

I don't get it.

- I believe Mexican teams don't have any of the roster or salary cap restrictions that MLS teams do. MLS teams can't handle any more fixture congestion unless they totally change those rules. This means a busy mid/late summer for this Leagues cup; plus more mid-week MLS games the rest of the season to make up for the time. Not doable with current MLS rosters and salary cap.

I don't really understand the new CONCACAF format either, but sounds like potentially more games as well.

Plus all the national team games that already disrupt MLS. Will this lead them to honour international breaks more or less?

- I don't get it weather-wise. Weather is crap in Mexico and southern US in mid/late summer for this tournament, especially during the day. If the break for the Leagues cup pushes MLS to start earlier and/or finish later in the year, the weather is crap up north.

I just don't understand who looked at the current MLS situation and thought "what these teams need is more games."

[wopchop]

More fixture congestion, more shit games.
MLS doesn't have the talent pool for all these competitions.

[ensco]

This is something I wanted 10 years ago and argued for here. It is a way better idea than the current CCL/Concacaf format.

They will need to lose some games, sure. Whatever. This thing has the chance to be absolutely massive in time, bigger than MLS itself. You mark my words.

[Chevy]

I'm guessing, for example, that 2023 CCL matches will start, then pause for the Leagues Cup tourney (where the top 3 qualify for the **2024** CCL), then the 2023 CCL competition will resume? Is that right?

[jabbronies]

This is a pie in the sky idea that only looks good on paper.

MLS teams don't have the deep rosters that Liga MX does to play a month long tournament. Teams will be decimated from this:

- Most MLS team will be out of the tournament early - so you'll have what, 75% of the fan base sitting around for 2 weeks waiting for this thing to end?
- The teams that do advance, the better team in MLS, will suffer from injury issues and right as the most critical stretch of the season begins.

This is just another attempt for MLS to try and prove to American Liga MX fans that they are a competitive league without putting in the effort and for Liga MX to get that U.S. Cash.

At the end of the day those Liga MX fans will never give a shit about MLS. This tournament, no matter how well MLS teams fair, will not garner respect from those fans. It's been 25 years and this hasn't even come close to happening.

Liga MX will never be a money making hit in the U.S. Not enough people give a fuck about teams from American cities they know, do you think they will care about a team from some random Mexican city they've never heard of?

[Initial B]

Iirc, the 2023 CCL will finish in the Spring, as usual, so the fall is clear for the qualifying tournaments. I'm guessing they'll run the tournament between the September and October International Windows. Once MLS is up to 32 teams, they'll have 40 teams, with 8 groups of 5 playing one match against each team in its group. Then have a 16 team knockout round, just like the WC 2026 format.

[OgtheDim]

Liga MX will never be a money making hit in the U.S. Not enough people give a fuck about teams from American cities they know, do you think they will care about a team from some random Mexican city they've never heard of?


Uh, the #1 football ratings in the US is El Tri

#2 - Liga Mx

LigaMx dwarfs ALL soccer in the US, including EPL.


There was just an article just yesterday on the Athletic stating the Univision is the go to for soccer on TV in the US now because its so easy to find - it even has non-Spanish speaking people going to it just because Univision is everywhere.

[Ultra & Proud]

I don't like the fixture congestion, the break in the middle of the season, or that their aren't any matches in Mexico but my hope for this is that the embarassment of a lot of MLS teams getting punted out early equals having an at least decent salary cap going forward.

If that happens then it's all worth it.

[jabbronies]

Uh, the #1 football ratings in the US is El Tri

#2 - Liga Mx

LigaMx dwarfs ALL soccer in the US, including EPL.


There was just an article just yesterday on the Athletic stating the Univision is the go to for soccer on TV in the US now because its so easy to find - it even has non-Spanish speaking people going to it just because Univision is everywhere.


First off, let's be realistic here, the ratings per game are not that high - average of what, 800K per game, which is on par with AEW wrestling? - how many of those viewers are already Liga MX fans with a history tied to the league. And the highest rated games that reach the 1-2 million viewer range are Classico's and playoffs feature big clubs - so ya even more Liga MX fans will watch those collectively.

And Univision being more widely available - just means more Liga MX fans have access to it now. So yes, the ratings will go up.

Yes there are a lot of Liga MX fans in the US. But I don't believe this tournament will peak enough interest for non-Liga MX fans.
Maybe enough interest while their MLS teams are still in it, but once they are bounced out of the tournament, interest will drop drastically.

[DinamoTFC]

This is something I wanted 10 years ago and argued for here. It is a way better idea than the current CCL/Concacaf format.

They will need to lose some games, sure. Whatever. This thing has the chance to be absolutely massive in time, bigger than MLS itself. You mark my words.

Exactly how i'm seeing it as well. Lead up to WC 2026 this will bring in lots of media and revenue and higher salary caps.

The leagues cup comes with official recognition from Concacaf. And CCL is expanded and unaffected as well. It's all definitely worth a try. And if it doesnt work out, goes back to what it was post 2026.

[OgtheDim]

First off, let's be realistic here, the ratings per game are not that high - average of what, 800K per game, which is on par with AEW wrestling? - how many of those viewers are already Liga MX fans with a history tied to the league..

Which is what is true for EVERY league

LigaMx is a bigger draw in the US then MLS. It makes money.

[Red CB Toronto]

Which is what is true for EVERY league

LigaMx is a bigger draw in the US then MLS. It makes money.

And it makes money for the USSF, there is a reason the Mexican national team plays so many games in the US.

[ag futbol]

It would be nice if MLS / US Soccer found an actual vision for itself that didn’t just involve playacting Mexican ex-pats for a few extra dollars.

This is sort of interesting as a format but i question where they are going with this.

[Ultra & Proud]

It would be nice if MLS / US Soccer found an actual vision for itself that didn’t just involve playacting Mexican ex-pats for a few extra dollars.

This is sort of interesting as a format but i question where they are going with this.

Testing the waters slowly. Since this was invented it went from one match to a few matches to the multiple matches this season and now this. Next step is league merger and they're building towards it slowly.

[jabbronies]

Which is what is true for EVERY league

LigaMx is a bigger draw in the US then MLS. It makes money.


and It wants to make more money - but IMO it won't do it via this new tournament. And i'm questioning if it can break into the non Liga MX fan base.



It would be nice if MLS / US Soccer found an actual vision for itself that didn’t just involve playacting Mexican ex-pats for a few extra dollars.

This is sort of interesting as a format but i question where they are going with this.

And this is my point as well. What's the point?
This seems like a desperate attempt to get that International tournament excitement on a regular basis and both sides are hopefully that it can spark some additional interest from the opposite side of the border.

Again - in the boardroom on paper this sounds like an excellent idea, but it'll hurt MLS more than it does any good.

This is the MLS All-stars vs {insert Big name Euro club} bad IMO

[ensco]

Testing the waters slowly. Since this was invented it went from one match to a few matches to the multiple matches this season and now this. Next step is league merger and they're building towards it slowly.

I don’t think this is right. I remember diving deep on this back when we were in the CCL finals. Mexican fans mostly do not want to be part of a combined league. Mexico has a 100 year old tradition and I find it dubious that they would accept that.

What makes a lot more sense to me is to invest/build an FA Cup model around this (as they are doing). With the spice for Mexicans coming from MLS teams (instead of the lower division teams that provide the spice in England).

This would be additive in Mexico and gives the US the potential for big TV upside (a summer version of March Madness).

And yes, we need to lose some games to make this work.

[OgtheDim]

It would be nice if MLS / US Soccer found an actual vision for itself that didn’t just involve playacting Mexican ex-pats for a few extra dollars.

.

What they should be doing, & I'd argue what TFC should do for this competition is say

"Hey, you support that team from your country - cool - how about when we play all the other teams, we be your local?"

But, US soccer is focused on the white people currently supporting the team because they saw games during the WC.

[MikeForbes]

Bring on the NAGAM.

[Ultra & Proud]

I don’t think this is right. I remember diving deep on this back when we were in the CCL finals. Mexican fans mostly do not want to be part of a combined league.

Fans for sure don't but the few rich owners who would like more money do. I think that's why the baby steps; prevent widespread backlash like the Super League.