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    Default MLS Playoffs 2020


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    Winning MLS Cup would be a grand birthday present.

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    Looking at this, our playoff campaign starts on the 24th (there is no way we play a team 2 days after a playin game)

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    Quote Originally Posted by OgtheDim View Post


    Looking at this, our playoff campaign starts on the 24th (there is no way we play a team 2 days after a playin game)
    These are all one-offs, right?

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    Yup, all one game cup style stuff. Loads of fun - its like the NCAA tourney in that regard - quick, unpredictable & very dependent upon momentum. 3 games in 12 days then & 4 in 18.

    We could go far or we could be done by 40 minutes into the first match.

    This is one reason why the shield is more important to me as a trophy as its a true representation of the quality of a team that season.

    I'm going to enjoy the spectacle of the playoffs but the longer they do this style, the more important the league season becomes.

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    Quote Originally Posted by OgtheDim View Post
    This is one reason why the shield is more important to me as a trophy as its a true representation of the quality of a team that season.
    Of course!
    Probably the biggest reason. After a full year of lots of games, the supreme award of the whole season is awarded for a tourney of just 4 matches, through which the sum of the momentarily form and blind luck usually matters more than the real value of a team.

    This is why the lovers of the King sport worldwide outside US and Canada will never consider MLS a "serious" league, together with reason 2,3.

    Reasons 2, 3 are the forever absence of relegation/promotion, and the convoluted rules off capped teams/DP-s, etc.

    With these 3 reasons probably ruling forever, the one and only way MLS would be considered a "almost serious" league by the outside footy world, would be if it's representants would win regulary (maybe every 2nd year) the CONCACAF champs league, and would also have powerful showings in the World's Champs Leagues winners' yearly tourneys.

    But sorry, I digressed too much from the subject of this thread, lol.

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    Pro/Rel isn't necessary to be taken seriously (see Mexico which is defacto not pro/rel & much of South America)

    Soccer being taken seriously is ALWAYS about quality of play because when it comes down to it, "serious" = "I like it the bestest".

    Until there is the $ (mostly TV) that is in the larger Euro leagues, MLS is not going to compare in quality.

    BUT, most of the world enjoys its local football and accepts that it is not at the quality of the best leagues in Europe and nobody seems to call it "not serious". Like, Belgian league quality = MLS in my mind and nobody calls that league "not serious". Heck, do people in Greenland call their leagues "not serious" and they play in a weird cup like competition that ends with a tournament held over a few days.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/s...nd-soccer.html

    This emphasis on "serious" is just gate keeping sport and in a world where we can't do much of what we used to be able to do, I'll take the imperfect.

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    Leach reported this tonight



    Can't see the feds approving a fly in and out right now, given the issues in the GTA.

    KJ on TSN indicating TFC & Impact asking health authorities to practice at home without quarantine waits before heading back, saying 2 weeks with only practicing away from home will likely mentally kill the teams off. Idea is to only practice with the people who were in Hartford & nobody additional coming into contact beyond families.

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    Anyways, here's the current draw


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    We play the winner of Columbus vs NYRB. We could easily lose against either team. I actually would prefer to play Columbus.

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    i wonder if Dr. Eileen de Villa as chief medical officer could play a part in letting the Reds return to train and play in Toronto with strict plans for it.
    Quote Originally Posted by OgtheDim View Post
    Leach reported this tonight



    Can't see the feds approving a fly in and out right now, given the issues in the GTA.

    KJ on TSN indicating TFC & Impact asking health authorities to practice at home without quarantine waits before heading back, saying 2 weeks with only practicing away from home will likely mentally kill the teams off. Idea is to only practice with the people who were in Hartford & nobody additional coming into contact beyond families.
    Last edited by Red CB Toronto; 11-09-2020 at 12:26 AM.

    Remember The Man, The Legend, The Goal 5-12-07 and All That #9 Left On The Pitch, Thanks For The Memories !!!

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    TFC would probably need approval from all 3 levels of government, because international travel is involved (feds), plus province and City (de Villa) anyway due to public health. The province can override the City; or the province can decide to follow the recommendation of local public health.

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    Quote Originally Posted by NK Toronto View Post
    We play the winner of Columbus vs NYRB. We could easily lose against either team. I actually would prefer to play Columbus.
    You're right.
    Plus looking at Philly's side of the Eastern bracket, that looks clearly weaker than our side, Philly having a visibly easier road to the conference final.

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    Going by our injuries and current form I don't think we make it far in the playoffs this year. We barely could stay in the Shield race for the last several games. That is my gut feel anyway after watching yesterday's game. I know we scraped by and kicked and fought our way to the final last year. I just don't see that happening again without our full lineup healthy.

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    Quote Originally Posted by NK Toronto View Post
    We play the winner of Columbus vs NYRB. We could easily lose against either team. I actually would prefer to play Columbus.
    I believe Philly gets the lowest ranked winner of the play-in round. Brackets are not yet set. Can anyone confirm?

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    Quote Originally Posted by YYZ_Fan View Post
    I believe Philly gets the lowest ranked winner of the play-in round. Brackets are not yet set. Can anyone confirm?
    Philly gets the lowest ranked play-in team, however, I believe after that the bracket is set. Columbus/NYRB is the other QF in our half of the bracket, so we'd face the winner, assuming we win our QF match

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    Team will not be playing in toronto!! However the practise portion is still in question, as the only thing Toronto players were allowed to do during the season was come to see family stay home then fly back out. However the team is looking from approval from the government to let the players practise in toronto up until the playoffs begin.



    Quote Originally Posted by OgtheDim View Post
    Leach reported this tonight



    Can't see the feds approving a fly in and out right now, given the issues in the GTA.

    KJ on TSN indicating TFC & Impact asking health authorities to practice at home without quarantine waits before heading back, saying 2 weeks with only practicing away from home will likely mentally kill the teams off. Idea is to only practice with the people who were in Hartford & nobody additional coming into contact beyond families.
    Road Games:
    2013, 2014, 2015 - Montreal; 2016 - Montreal (Leg 1 Conference Final); 2017 - NYRB (Leg 1 Eastern Semi), Columbus (Leg 1 Eastern Finals); 2019 - Seattle (MLS Finals)

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    Hey, since the training grounds are at Downsview, why can't MLSE simply charter a QS400 from Porter and fly directly from Hartford to Downsview Airport, then put up the players and staff in a bubble at the training grounds where their families can visit? They don't leave Downsview except to fly out for matches in Hartford or Philly.

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    A lot of exciting final games last sunday
    Last edited by Yohan; 11-09-2020 at 08:53 PM.
    “Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.

    I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’

    And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”

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    Hmm....fake shield raised by Philly.

    Looks like the supporters shield committee isn't really all that needed after all.

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    Quote Originally Posted by OgtheDim View Post
    Hmm....fake shield raised by Philly.

    Looks like the supporters shield committee isn't really all that needed after all.
    Should we still make the man hole cover for shits and giggles.

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    Quote Originally Posted by OgtheDim View Post
    Can't see the feds approving a fly in and out right now, given the issues in the GTA.

    KJ on TSN indicating TFC & Impact asking health authorities to practice at home without quarantine waits before heading back, saying 2 weeks with only practicing away from home will likely mentally kill the teams off. Idea is to only practice with the people who were in Hartford & nobody additional coming into contact beyond families.
    I get that the optics would be bad, but in reality it would not be outside the norm. Apparently, "More than 4.6 million people have arrived in Canada since the border closed last March but less than one-quarter of them were ordered to quarantine."

    https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/corona...tine-1.5158073

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    Quote Originally Posted by JonO View Post
    I get that the optics would be bad, but in reality it would not be outside the norm. Apparently, "More than 4.6 million people have arrived in Canada since the border closed last March but less than one-quarter of them were ordered to quarantine."

    https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/corona...tine-1.5158073
    Test them all before leaving Connecticut. In a private US setting they could get the results back very quickly or if needed go the rapid testing route. During this time back in Toronto all those involved can be one of two places, the training ground or in their house. Too bad they do not have the Jays luxury of having a hotel, maybe they could use BMO and stay at Hotel X like the NHL did? View the Ex as the quarantine area.

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    Quote Originally Posted by JonO View Post
    I get that the optics would be bad, but in reality it would not be outside the norm. Apparently, "More than 4.6 million people have arrived in Canada since the border closed last March but less than one-quarter of them were ordered to quarantine."

    https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/corona...tine-1.5158073
    Generally the people that don’t have to quarantine are essential workers, like truck drivers and airline crews. Of course those kinds of workers can’t quarantine every time they cross. Think about how quickly Canada would come to a complete halt if you inhibited trucking for example. Most of these companies also have pretty good infection control procedures, because they don’t want these employees or their families to become infected.

    Soccer players and staff are not essential workers. Plus they are high profile, and there would be huge complaints of favouritism if they were allowed back & forth repeatedly. It would make it much harder to maintain the whole border closure. I know there are other exceptions, and some of those decisions may be really dumb, but they’re generally low profile. I mean people were even freaking about company CEOs being allowed across.

    The numbers in the millions are also misleading. Those aren’t all unique people. When you think of truckers, airline crew, or health care workers & others commuting across the border to their job: those are mostly repeat visits by a much smaller number of individuals.

    And let’s not forget: those “millions” are a tiny fraction of the normal border crossings. That’s what kept the pandemic somewhat under control in Canada. And right now most of the provinces have much bigger issues to worry about than MLS.

    Let’s see how the border pilot project in Alberta works out (with testing). That might be a model for MLS in the new year, until a vaccine is widespread. The big problem with all the rapid testing is the incubation period, as we saw with the Patriots, Colorado Rapids, and many other sports teams (where there is generally lots of close contact).

    Edit: a onetime exception for TFC’s training in these two weeks might be something else. Has a decision already been made?
    Last edited by Auzzy; 11-11-2020 at 02:51 PM.

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    Last edited by Red CB Toronto; 11-11-2020 at 04:45 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by OgtheDim View Post
    Pro/Rel isn't necessary to be taken seriously (see Mexico which is defacto not pro/rel & much of South America)

    Soccer being taken seriously is ALWAYS about quality of play because when it comes down to it, "serious" = "I like it the bestest".

    Until there is the $ (mostly TV) that is in the larger Euro leagues, MLS is not going to compare in quality.

    BUT, most of the world enjoys its local football and accepts that it is not at the quality of the best leagues in Europe and nobody seems to call it "not serious". Like, Belgian league quality = MLS in my mind and nobody calls that league "not serious". Heck, do people in Greenland call their leagues "not serious" and they play in a weird cup like competition that ends with a tournament held over a few days.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/s...nd-soccer.html

    This emphasis on "serious" is just gate keeping sport and in a world where we can't do much of what we used to be able to do, I'll take the imperfect.
    I agree. Long ago MLS decided to follow the NFL pathway with franchises paying fees to join the league. Pro/Rel doesn't accomplish what they want which is stability. You want the franchise stability in each market like you get with the Vikings, Lions and Rams even if they stink for long periods of time. And while pro/rel does make the season more fun, there is the fact that in many euro leagues the top of the table is decided long before a boot touches a blade of grass. That is why I like the Supporter's sheild as Trophy #1 (in importance because it is hardest to win) and MLS Cup as Trophy #2. Even if you're a mid table team there is still something to play for. Having a second tournament is a great way for a team like Colorado or Montreal to keep pushing. In Europe they would be safe from rel and have no shot at the Shield or a CL spot.

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    Turns out our game on the 24th is going to kickoff at 6pm - Philly game @8. Makes some sense TV wise.

    Given the 2 hour windows, I'm wondering if ET is banned this time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by OgtheDim View Post
    Turns out our game on the 24th is going to kickoff at 6pm - Philly game @8. Makes some sense TV wise.

    Given the 2 hour windows, I'm wondering if ET is banned this time.
    How can extra time be banned? You mean they go straight to penalties? Geez, why not just flip a coin. This is what the MLS Cup playoffs have become.

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    ^^ Take it easy gents, the playoff games next weekend are all scheduled a minimum of 21/2 hours apart. :-D

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    There’ll be extra time.

    https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.mlss...ulations%3famp

    For some reason our game and Philly’s is the only one separated by only 2hrs

 

 

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