New MLS Season Format for 2010...

[jabbronies]

well the big Euro soccer Leagues started 100+ years ago back when players didnt get paid to play and it was either free to go to watch a game or it was at least dirt cheap, maybe just so the team could afford things like a stadium or to cover travel costs, but it wasnt about making profits. Soccer was just a working mans game back then. Today soccer has completely changed so you cant compare how leagues were formed then to how they would be formed today.

I find it hard to believe parts of this statement. Yes, some teams started off as "office teams" but in order to compete they had to turn professional (pay players). There have always been investors in the bigger leagues. once you have investors, they always want to see profits in return.

The only way i can see a second division happening is the way it happened in England, but even then, I'd highly doubt the American investor would go for having thier $20million dollar team relegated to a league lower than what they initially signed up for.

Basically League 1 inherited clubs from another league. That other other league was considered division 2 and the current league 1 was division 1.
It would be like MLS buying USL and having that as Division 2 with MLS being Division 1. Other teams joined league 1 (Not sure if they just applied or if they had to pay to get in) and other divisions were created through folding leagues.

[SilverSamurai]

Keep it as east vs. west, but only allow the top 4 teams from each division into the playoffs. can either do 1 v 8, or 1 v 4 if you go by division.

Personally I don't really care about the Supporters Shield, sure it's nice but it's all about the MLS Cup for me. I think most typical North American sport fans feel the same. Just look at other sports. Does anyone care in baseball, hockey or basketball about the team that has the most points? It's all about the finals. (ok theirs always Nascar, but they only do left turns, lol)
Maybe I don't care because even IF TFC somehow won both, they still have to win the V's Cup. I dunno.

I do think more emphasis should be placed on the CL though. Then again it's only in year 2 though.

[scooter]

as much as i would like to see a single table and even relegation it wont work in north america
which sucks
so i guess we are stuck with current format

[Strikers]

I like the single table format to play for the Supporters Shield, then they can have all teams play for the MLS Cup during the season. And have the semi finals and MLS final after the season is over. With a balanced schedule with league games being played on the weekend with all other competition played durinf mid week.

[mighty_torontofc_2008]

I like the single table format to play for the Supporters Shield, then they can have all teams play for the MLS Cup during the season. And have the semi finals and MLS final after the season is over. With a balanced schedule with league games being played on the weekend with all other competition played durinf mid week.

the supporters shield has no meaning...it has far less meaning then the superliga, us open cup, and the canadian championship events. MLS Cup
is the league championship and thats how it should be the should get rid of the supporters shield as use that as a player of year award etc. keep the divisons and conferences, the single table will not work here, nor do i want to see it happen, it would be a mistake if the league went that route.

[tfc2007]

the supporters sheid does not mean nothing. I would be pretty happy if TFC had won the supporters sheild.
what means nothing is the trillium cup or whatever the heck it isss.

[james]

the supporters shield has no meaning...it has far less meaning then the superliga, us open cup, and the canadian championship events. MLS Cup
is the league championship and thats how it should be the should get rid of the supporters shield as use that as a player of year award etc. keep the divisons and conferences, the single table will not work here, nor do i want to see it happen, it would be a mistake if the league went that route.

Supporters Shield winner qualifies for Champions League, so it wouldnt be any less meanningful then US Open Cup, SuperLiga and Canadian Championship. SuperLiga actually would probably have the least meanningful cup to win.

well 60% of people that voted would disagree with you and rather see a 1-League table. If majority of fans in MLS would prefer a 1-League table then it wouldnt be a mistake!

I think many people think the East, West Conference has no meanning in Soccer and are bored of the same old way as all the other sports in USA setup is and many people i think would rather the league take a new direction towards a european format. Soccer can be more of a unique sport in the USA.

[james]

the supporters sheid does not mean nothing. I would be pretty happy if TFC had won the supporters sheild.
what means nothing is the trillium cup or whatever the heck it isss.

ya that cup is retarted. Super Liga would mean nothing to me niether. Supporters shield would mean more if it was a 1-League table.

[james]

I find it hard to believe parts of this statement. Yes, some teams started off as "office teams" but in order to compete they had to turn professional (pay players). There have always been investors in the bigger leagues. once you have investors, they always want to see profits in return.

The only way i can see a second division happening is the way it happened in England, but even then, I'd highly doubt the American investor would go for having thier $20million dollar team relegated to a league lower than what they initially signed up for.

Basically League 1 inherited clubs from another league. That other other league was considered division 2 and the current league 1 was division 1.
It would be like MLS buying USL and having that as Division 2 with MLS being Division 1. Other teams joined league 1 (Not sure if they just applied or if they had to pay to get in) and other divisions were created through folding leagues.

well of course teams eventually started paying players and making profits but this was years after teams had already formed. We are talking about back in the 1800's. And into the very early 1900's when all these leagues had formed. I dont know exatly when players started getting paid in soccer but for an example players in the NHL didnt start getting paid till the late 20's i believe, and that was just enough to put food on the table. In Soccer players for the most part just made an average mans salary up untill about the 60's or 70's when players actually started to get paid big bucks, and that was only the big clubs. Stadiums back then were all run down, terraces and cheap to attend. Soccer has changed alot since the beginning years of these leagues.

[SilverSamurai]

Supporters Shield winner qualifies for Champions League, so it wouldnt be any less meanningful then US Open Cup, SuperLiga and Canadian Championship. SuperLiga actually would probably have the least meanningful cup to win.

well 60% of people that voted would disagree with you and rather see a 1-League table. If majority of fans in MLS would prefer a 1-League table then it wouldnt be a mistake!

I think many people think the East, West Conference has no meanning in Soccer and are bored of the same old way as all the other sports in USA setup is and many people i think would rather the league take a new direction towards a european format. Soccer can be more of a unique sport in the USA.

But you have to remember that the majority of that 60% of those that want a single table likely aren't new footy fans.
Winning the Supporters Shield has no real benefit to TFC except for bragging rights and getting another trophy. Because we're a Canadian team, it means nothing in terms of CL qualifications.
I can't believe I'm agreeing with mighty...

Sure winning the league is nice, but doesn't do much for us.
I do agree that SuperLiga is the least important though, especially now with the Champions League to look forward to.

[Fort York Redcoat]

But you have to remember that the majority of that 60% of those that want a single table likely aren't new footy fans.
Winning the Supporters Shield has no real benefit to TFC except for bragging rights and getting another trophy. Because we're a Canadian team, it means nothing in terms of CL qualifications.
I can't believe I'm agreeing with mighty...

Sure winning the league is nice, but doesn't do much for us.
I do agree that SuperLiga is the least important though, especially now with the Champions League to look forward to.

I can't believe it either. So what if we don't get a spot in the CL? It's the most difficult trophy to get in this league and I don't give a damn if the majority of fans won't honour it.

ya that cup is retarted. Super Liga would mean nothing to me niether. Supporters shield would mean more if it was a 1-League table.

I agree the table would look better but how would it be worth more? Top of the league and two conferences is still the top.

[Hitcho]

MLS really needs to be bold and move to a single table format. they can keep the play offs for now if they want, to avoid too much confusion, but at least then people could look at the table and see who won the SS without having to do a compare and contrast, and see the playoff teams without having to break out a calculator.

ONce that has settled in, they can look at scrapping the play offs and instead having an MLS Cup as a knock out through the season. So, you get a league winner and a cup winner. Keep at least the final of the MLS Cup after the season end.

The league title should stay up for grabs until pretty late into each season - it does now - and the enforced parity will make that more likely. same goes for the ludicrously tight play off place hunt each year (you just lose the headache trying to work out who's in and out, top 8 and that's it).

this is a really good plan and will let MLS get some real world footie credence as well as keep the american audience on the same page.

[mighty_torontofc_2008]

But you have to remember that the majority of that 60% of those that want a single table likely aren't new footy fans.
Winning the Supporters Shield has no real benefit to TFC except for bragging rights and getting another trophy. Because we're a Canadian team, it means nothing in terms of CL qualifications.
I can't believe I'm agreeing with mighty...

Sure winning the league is nice, but doesn't do much for us.
I do agree that SuperLiga is the least important though, especially now with the Champions League to look forward to.

my major beef with the one table over here, is take a team like Columbus,
who have trouble drawing fans at the best of times, say in a one tier league they are sitting 15th place 20 points back around early september,
do you think that would draw many fans out to crew stadium, while in the current format they could still have a shot at the mls cup?

[james]

my major beef with the one table over here, is take a team like Columbus,
who have trouble drawing fans at the best of times, say in a one tier league they are sitting 15th place 20 points back around early september,
do you think that would draw many fans out to crew stadium, while in the current format they could still have a shot at the mls cup?

But the option to keep the playoffs but just changing the season to a 1-league table wouldnt change the chance of Columbus making the playoffs. The only difference is as a East vs West it is more of a false sense of your team looks better off then they really are. In a 1-League Table say they are in 15th place out of 16 teams, and only top 8 make the playoffs they appear to be 7 places back. Where if its an East Conference they might be in 7th place out of 8 teams and they look like they are only 3 places back, but really once you add the west in there they are still in the same 15th place in the whole league. Currently in MLS its not setup where 4 teams from the East and 4 from west make the playoffs, its setup where the top 8 make the playoffs regarless what division you are in, you can have 5 teams in the West and 3 in the East in the playoffs and so on. Soo its still the same as a 1-league table.