That was an attocious call, and even worse Jason DeVos digging in behind it saying it was the right decision. We all get a little bit dumber for having listened to that..
We've been obsessed with with making the playoffs for 8 years...imagine when we finally make it... Then three days later you are knocked out by a ref making a typically shit MLS call. The MLS play off format is crap...really crap.
Winning the supporters shield really is the pinnacle in the game - it should be every team's primary goal. In order to do this you have to have a balanced league. Abolish the East and the West... Have a Division 1 & a Division 2... Let all teams into the Cup with home and away games. Winning the league is it in every other soccer league going. It doesn't have to be different in MLS.
I'd like MLS to adopt Liga MX's playoff format. Two legs, home and away. If after 2 legs the series is tied, the higher seed advances.
Yay. Eurocentric POV.
And you're wrong. Playoffs do exist in other league such as Mexico (La Liguilla) and Australia (the Finals). Playoffs have also been used to determine promotion and relegation in quite a few leagues, as well as deciding some European cup qualifiers from leagues.
What works for the rest of the world may not work in North America. I personally find playoffs more interesting, because it means more games have meaning during regular season vs mid table teams not caring last few weeks of the season once they know they aren't playing for a European spot or promotion or relegation.
Last edited by Yohan; 10-29-2014 at 11:52 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.”
-Eduardo Galeano
Yohan are you saying the MLS format is adequate? For me after playing the whole season...to have one game & be out is a bit much. Not to mention Dallas/Vancouver now having a weekend game against a rested Seattle...add in the Yellow card suspensions...
Really you haven't made the playoffs in MLS unless you come in the top three in your division.
I'm with the euro way every damn game means something
I think current format needs tinkering. At least give teams a week's rest before kicking off the playoffs.
But the current format rewards teams that do well in regular season. And for 4th and 5th seeds, they just got to work harder in playoffs.
I don't see a problem with the concept of playoffs.
“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.”
-Eduardo Galeano
the whitecaps got TFCed tonight...
It's hardly "Eurocentric" in viewpoint when pretty much the whole planet plays the same system.
No relegation, promotion and the whole playoff format are mickey mouse. How can one team say they are the best when the might not have faced a team the same amount of times as anyone else? Also, what happens if the two best teams in the League happen to be in the same conference? They'll never get to be in the final, hence the 'ultimate showdown' will never arise in a cup final.
I dunno, I felt about bad for Vancouver tonight. They were let down in only a way the MLS can provide
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
A home and home makes more sense from a revenue perspective as well. Reward both teams with an extra home date.
I suppose people who want home and homes for 3 rounds would accept a final around the 17th of December? There are international dates in the midst of our playoffs.
Who is we?
I've been holding management to a promise to make the playoffs this year regardless how I feel about the tournament.
The obsession with playoffs is the NA concession. To promise playoffs is to promise not quite the moon.
Any way follow if you want or don't and celebrate or scorn the SS winner. Playoffs will be abolished as soon as the majority disregard them, don't watch them and don't attend them. So...
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Just watched the highlights. What a malicious handball. Ah well. Vancouver out of playoffs. They were in there for, what, 3 days? Sweet.
I'm gonna keep posting pics throughout the playoffs to keep my interest piqued, though.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
In sports with no international club games the playoffs are just the Champions League tacked on at the end instead of during the season.
I used to think this was an important discussion but I don't anymore. MLS, and soccer as a spectator sport in North America, has peaked. It can't bridge this international vs. American divide any more than it has and taking it any further in one direction or the other will shrink the league. Let's face it, MLS will never give America anything like it had in the World Series last night.
But MLS is ours, and like you say, as long as people are going to the games those are the games that matter - playoff or regular season or whatever.
We sure have discussed this before at different volumes over the years. I think I've accepted my preference isn't the majority. The important difference from past discussions is I'm not going to put down anyone who disagrees with it. I respect your input BR.
So what was it about the World Series that made it so interesting this time around to fans outside of the 2 cities involved or fans of the sport in general? I saw it went to 7 games but that's happened before, right?
-edit- Wiki has it as 37 times it's gone to seven games.
Not that I think the MLS playoff format could by agreed on by everyone and become a rival sports league overnight- just want your perspective.
Last edited by Fort York Redcoat; 10-30-2014 at 01:02 PM.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Maybe there needs to be a critical mass of people who love the league. Right now a lot of people seem to follow MLS because it's the league that's here but there is a lot of talk about what's wrong with it. The other sports leagues all have their faults but they seem better at making a celebration of what they do well.
When a team wins the MLS Cup this year some people will cheer and have a parade and a lot of others will say the celebrating should have been for the Supporters' Shield. That's not likely to change anytime soon.
What would people think of a Supporters Shield Winner v MLS Cup winner game after the season?
Not ideal but a idea at least.
^ That should be the first game of the following season.
Agreed, best mix of quality / elite competition. Playoffs are fine when you don't water them down terribly.
I can see the argument that enough happens over the course of a season where a seamingly "balanced" schedule isn't depending on situations. Maybe it's clear 1st is better than 5th but 1st better than 2nd?
My dream would be a AL-NL World Series type of setup with no crossover in the regular season. Winner of each "league" or top two make the post season to play for it all. Probably need 32 teams to make that a reality... So a ways away yet, but still a cool thought.
Last edited by ag futbol; 10-30-2014 at 02:03 PM.
American/Canadian fans and American/Canadian MLS team owners would never accept a 2nd division or relegation. It's not in the American/Canadian sports culture or mindset. Networks aren't going to show 2nd division games, or if they do it will be lost in obscure channel hell. MLS team owners spend too much money to not be part of the big leagues, regardless of how bad their team is doing.
TH14's last career game? Will SKC overcome injuries to key players?
Dun dun dun...