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  1. #1
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    Default September Start For Major League Soccer?

    With the 2011 MLS expansion race done, talks are being surfaced about 2012. Now if MLS expands to 20 teams, this would create a home and away structure bringing league games to 38, plus for some teams CONCACAF Champions League, Superliga, and U.S. Open Cup, which would could possible tack on another 7 games. Now we might think “WOW how is 45+ games going to fit in from March to October” the chances are my friends they won’t.

    But in recent news, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has stated to the MLS Board that they need to change to a September to May schedule (in other words “like the rest of the world”) to comply with the FIFA friendly dates, and transfer dates. The MLS Board has realised what position they are in regarding to how players can be lost from teams due to players wanting to test the waters overseas, and thus the MLS has stated that they will change “e-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y”.

    Now, it is possible! And let me tell you why.

    You may have heard from soccer blog’s that MLS weather wouldn’t comply with soccer. However, I say soccer is capable of being played from September to mid-November, then there would be the break, and starting back up in late-February, early-March and ending in late-May, early-June.

    This would make the MLS compliant with 1) CONCACAF Champions League 2) League games getting intertwined with International Friendlies 3) Transfers

    This is one thing that can help grow Soccer in North America, as for others........they will be address



    "Football its a feeling that cant be explained but we spend our lives explaining it!"
    Last edited by Shway; 03-25-2009 at 02:13 PM.

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    Interesting.

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    It's going to be interesting playing in the snow

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    Late February is still damn cold in most NE states and Ontario.

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    ^^^it is cold, but playable, in Canada we do it,
    National Training Camp, we shoveled the snow off the turf?

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    the birght side is Toronto could start the season at home in September lol

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    never happen unless you totally dome over many northern stadiums

    its not conducive to the game or to getting more fans in the seats

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    That scenario does seem doable.....plus it would extend our TFC viewing pleasure....

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    Would be great, similar to the Bundesliga.

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    This is just SILLY...Why do you think the Russians, Germans and Scandanavians take winter breaks? Because it's too friggin COLD!!!! It'll NEVER happen....

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    not conducive? how so drewski

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    The Bundesliga takes a winter break from the middle of December to the beginning of February, but there are only 18 teams in the league and the Cup competition runs concurrent with the season so the league doesn't run past May.

    Might not be perfect but it might be a decent template to work from.
    Proud Supporter of: FC Bayern München, AIK Solna, Toronto FC, Nottingham Forest FC

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    Quote Originally Posted by maninb View Post
    This is just SILLY...Why do you think the Russians, Germans and Scandanavians take winter breaks? Because it's too friggin COLD!!!! It'll NEVER happen....

    thats why it would be done JUST like in Russia, Germany, and Scandanavia

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    Quote Originally Posted by maninb View Post
    This is just SILLY...Why do you think the Russians, Germans and Scandanavians take winter breaks? Because it's too friggin COLD!!!! It'll NEVER happen....
    Correct. But the Germans do start up again in February.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jahinho_Guerro View Post
    not conducive? how so drewski
    -frozen plastic pitch isn't exactly a good playing surface
    -fans freezing their asses off
    -players freezing their asses off & possibly injuring themselves

    just to name a few

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    believe it or not i think it will EVENTUALLY happen because take for instance how is next year 2010 going to work with the World Cup taking place? look how many players will be missing, or will it be that the MLS will not play for the month of July or August, and have games 2-a-week? dont think so

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    i like things the way they are now... in non-WC years, summer is really slow for soccer in most of the world, yet we get hot TFC action throughout June, July, and August.
    Then when TFC is over for the year, we get hot European action to fill us up until spring. Perfect.

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    Sweden and Norway seem to do ok playing the same schedule as the MLS. The league just needs to get its' head out of its' ass when it comes to international weeks.

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    Quote Originally Posted by drewski View Post
    its not conducive to the game or to getting more fans in the seats
    Quote Originally Posted by drewski View Post
    its not conducive to the game or to getting more fans in the seats
    Quote Originally Posted by drewski View Post
    its not conducive to the game or to getting more fans in the seats
    February in Ontario is colder than hell, making people run around in the open air in shorts and shirt for anything more than ten minutes, is dangerous and likely contravenes worker health and safety laws. (and yes players are considered to be workers)
    Unless we spend february in the Skydome, it will not and should not happen.

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    Quote Originally Posted by drewski View Post
    -frozen plastic pitch isn't exactly a good playing surface
    -fans freezing their asses off
    -players freezing their asses off & possibly injuring themselves

    just to name a few

    im sure all teams will be playing on grass by 2012?
    im sure fans have been outdoors in winter for more then 2 hours?
    (and motions of chanting, and jumping wouldnt make it the cold you think)
    as for players injuring themselves, im sure that can be prevented?

    did any Canadian players gett injured when they played the international game in 30 cms' of snow?

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    brrrrr.... thats all i have to say

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    Quote Originally Posted by ACSertL View Post
    The Bundesliga takes a winter break from the middle of December to the beginning of February, but there are only 18 teams in the league and the Cup competition runs concurrent with the season so the league doesn't run past May.

    Might not be perfect but it might be a decent template to work from.

    I agree the Budesliga would be the best template for MLS to use as a guide.

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    I think to make this work you'd need a made in MLS version, maybe extending it from Early August to Mid-November (snow usually doesn't start until mid-December anyways). I think playing in February anytime, is going to be way to cold. February and March are still normally 'snow months'.

    The only way you could re-start early February is if those teams always started the season on a 3-4 game roadtrip to the southern states, where most northern team would need to be focused. Then maybe beginning in Mid March back at BMO, but that still would definitely give you chances for snow,

    It would work, but might not be the warmest option

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jahinho_Guerro View Post
    believe it or not i think it will EVENTUALLY happen because take for instance how is next year 2010 going to work with the World Cup taking place? look how many players will be missing, or will it be that the MLS will not play for the month of July or August, and have games 2-a-week? dont think so
    if today's int roster indication is any clue, MLS wont be missing that many players.

    Not many MLS players will be playing for national teams that'll be in WC

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    Add Russia to that list.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jahinho_Guerro View Post
    im sure all teams will be playing on grass by 2012?
    im sure fans have been outdoors in winter for more then 2 hours?
    (and motions of chanting, and jumping wouldnt make it the cold you think)
    as for players injuring themselves, im sure that can be prevented?

    did any Canadian players gett injured when they played the international game in 30 cms' of snow?
    frozen ground isn't much better to play on.

    sure some people have been outside but they aren't necessarily the same people who would be willign to watch TFC outside for 2 hours

    there are plenty of people at the games, ie prawn brigade, who don't cheer or chant.

    and thats just here. in cities where the support isn't anywhere near as much as it is here, ie Columbus, they might as well just fold

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    Quick question: Who here is willing to sit outside on a cold Novermber or February evening to watch Toronto play at BMO Field? Let's be honest with ourselves, thrown in a little rain or snow and you're talking about possible hypothermia going on.
    Did the USA , of all countries, just fix soccer? - C. Ronaldo, May 27th commenting on the FBI-led investigations into fraud and corruption throughout FIFA.

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    im sure that MLS would do well against NFL, NBA and NHL:

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    there's no flippin' way we'll play in February or even most of March - maybe start August to end of October fisrt week of November - then mid March on the road til April - maybe

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    The players could wear skates in February. Maybe it would be best if we reduce the size of the ball too, and maybe give them a stick to hit it with, as it's hard to kick with skates on.
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

 

 

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