With the league moving to 24 teams by 2020, what do people hope/expect as far as playoff formatting goes? Personally, I'd like to see MLS keep the East/West conference format. So with 12 teams per conference I'd really like to see MLS go with 6 teams per conference playoffs: 1) You could have two Supporters' shields. 2) The two top teams get a "bye" for the first playoff round. You'd have the bottom 4 teams in a one game playoff to advance. 3) You'd have a home and home for the semifinals. 4) You'd have the single game MLS Cup final in a neutral site. With this format you could have the two Supporters' shields winners and the MLS Cup champions qualify for the CCL, along with the US Open Cup winner. If MLS down the line can participate in Libertadores or another competition, then pick from the remaining 3 playoff teams.
First off, they need to abandon the geographic conferences (East vs West) because most of their candidate cities are east (Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, Carolina). San Antonio and Sacramento are the only two rumor candidates that are truly west, unless you want to trow in St. Louis as a "western team." Lets say MLS concentrates on filling in the SE gap they have. Orlando City is prime candidate for #21. Then there is Team Beckhem. Given his style and reputation, Miami is most likely where he'll plant his flag. Can you really see him anywhere else outside of NYC or LA? "Hi, I'm David Beckhem and I've decided to build a team and live in Milwaukee." Not to knock Milwaukee, I love that city, but it ain't gonna happen. Miami is #22. #23 will likely be in the Atlanta/Carolina area, in order to shore up the SE. It will make a good soccer corridor: Boston > Ney York > New York > Philadelphia > DC > Carolina/Atlanta > Orlando > Miami. It is practically an I-95 battle (I know, Atlanta/Carolina and Orlando is not on I-95, but they are close). That leaves #24 as a toss up between all the other cities. The main point is that going geographic in conference doesn't make sense anymore. It won't work unless you are willing to call Chicago or Columbus a team in the West. They should go to something like early day MLB and have an American and National conference, or some other name that would be appropriate with the presence of Canadian teams. Bottom line is they need to drop geography.
You mean like how St. Louis plays in the NFC West of the NFL or Chicago used to be in MLS's Western Conference?
By the time we have 24 teams total, I'll finally believe we deserve a playoff field as large as 10 teams.
Comparing MLS to NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL: Western two time zones cities without MLS but with at least two of the big four: San Diego (has MLB and NFL) Phoenix (has all four) A second team in the San Jose/San Francisco/Oakland/Sacramento area (NHL has one and MLB, NFL, and NBA have two each) 3 cities Eastern two time zones without MLS but with at least two of the big four: Carolina (has NFL, NHL, and NBA in different parts of North Carolina) Tampa Bay (has NFL, NHL, and MLB) Miami (has NFL, NHL, MLB, and NBA) Atlanta (has NFL, MLB, and NBA and lost NHL) New Orleans (has NFL and NBA) Nashville (has NFL and NHL) Buffalo (has NFL and NHL) Cleveland (has MLB, NFL, and NBA) Pittsburgh (has MLB, NFL, and NHL) Detroit (has all four) Minneapolis (has all four) Indianapolis (has NFL and NBA) Baltimore (has MLB and NFL) St. Louis (has MLB, NHL, and NFL) Milwaukee (has NBA and MLB) 15 cities, and Cincinnati has also MLB and NFL but I'll exclude them because I don't think western Ohio needs clubs in Cincinnati and Columbus There are five times as many in the eastern two time zones than in the western two time zones. That's why expansion is more likely in the east.
I just hope the league stays out of Atlanta. What a terrible place to put a sports franchise. Considering the league has never had less than half the teams making the playoffs, you better be ready for a 12 team playoff format.
There should be 4 divisions of 6 teams. Each Division Champion Should make the playoffs. Rank them based on accumulated points, goal difference, head to head. That would be perfect in my world. I know it will never happen but I can dream.
The Red Wings and Blue Jackets have played in the Western Conference for years, despite being located in EST. Thankfully it will be fixed for the upcoming season, but I don't think that's a valid argument to get rid of east/west conferences.
Do you guys ever think we'll get rid of the playoff format and go to a Euro type of style with just top 4 teams advancing for Champions League and then maybe another 2 teams somehow sneak in or something?
I don't think so. It makes some money and it would be difficult to decide in a single table unless every plays the same amount of games against everyone else which could be complicated for travel and such.
4 conferences of 6 teams with 2 home/away in conference and single matches out of conference for a 38 match schedule. 16 team playoff with the top 4 of 6 representing. All playoffs cross conference in the first round (A1 v D4, A2 v C3, A3 v B2, A4 v D1), home and home with away goals. Reseed for next two rounds with home and home, then the final.
To each their own. I'd be happy with a 4 team playoff. 8 teams at most. Anything more than that seems to water down the regular season and reward teams for just getting hot in a couple week span.
No. League is too big/widespread for single table. The US is possible to be at a single table, in my opinion, if we had only 16 teams in MLS. Champions League is peanuts here, unfortunately. I mean, it matters, but not like Euro or South America Champions. Plus playoffs are fun and very American (I mean in a continental sense--almost every league in the Americas uses them, I believe).
I believe within Club soccer the way to judge a team is by looking at the bigger picture. Taking into account the accumulated points over a larger period of time tells me more about a soccer club than a 2-3 week span at the end of the season when teams can just tactically bunker and get lucky on some sort of Penalty kick shootout. I think rewarding 4 teams for winning a Division is the best way to go without having a single table format.
One could also say that a playoff is a battle between the best teams instead of fattening up on inferior clubs like what you see in Europe and thus a better judge of real competiton.
I'll always be in contention that there should be fewer than 50% of teams getting into the playoffs. Average doesn't cut it--time for above-average. Right now, I wish we were at 8. When we get to 24, then 10 should be viable.