Commissioner: "MLS cup final will not be held at Buck Shaw"

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...oner-mls-cup-final-will-not-be-held-buck-shaw

Not following their own rules. I am not happy. They should have thought of this when making the rules at the beginning of the season. But of course, it never crossed those idiots' minds that we could possibly have the best record in the final. This should have been addressed early, preferably before the season started.

I don't care how many more fans they can get in a different stadium. I know the more fans in the stadium the better, but first comes on the field play and I think we play better at Buck Shaw than at some random Bay Area stadium.

We're supposed to have the advantage of playing at HOME were we to make the final because we fought all season to have the best record in the league. Buck Shaw is home. Nowhere else is home. We never play as well at our pseudo home games. The guys aren't used to playing anywhere but Buck Shaw every week. They know the field, the locker rooms, the benches—everything. It all goes into a home game. Home games are not just about how close the stadium is to a certain area.

If Philadelphia had the best record in the final, why not move the game to Red Bull Arena? After all, it's pretty close (100 miles) and a nicer venue that fits more fans.

If we made the final and were forced to play anywhere but home (Buck Shaw) we should get compensated. The whole point of having the best record in the final is the home field advantage it provides. If we made the final and they took that away from us we better get something significant in return. Allocation money for next year, a biased ref in the final, something.

Bring the game to Oakland or San Francisco!

Terrible soccer stadiums. Definitely keep it in the South Bay. Stanford Stadium, Spartan Stadium, or on the patch of dirt we all dug up at the groundbreaking.

I also want a potential MLS Cup to be at Buck Shaw. But remember that in return for bigger paydays, the FO moved one home game in each of 2011 and 2012 to Stanford and one in 2012 to AT&T Park. And, of course, the home matches at Oakland Coliseum in 2008 and 2009 and the doubleheader at Candlestick in 2009. So the FO set the table for the moving of venues for a potential MLS Cup.

What about the salinas sports complex is not that far from SJ.

I'm very torn about this. A game at Buck Shaw would be best for the game and for the team.

But I'm also selfish, and if it's at Buck Shaw it dramatically reduces the chances that I, and many other fans could attend, at least affordably. The poor college student in me would really like this game at Stanford, or if they can use the Cal football configuration, AT&T.

I think we all knew it would not be held at Buck Shaw.

Exactly. Realists have been talking about which other local venues might better suit the leagues marquee event. For me Standford would be the best choice, and that hurts as a Cal man.

Besides why would MLS or any Quakes fan want the game to be played on a baseball field with a small capacity of 10k? MLS Cup is not only a product nationally televised it is also shown internationally in quite a few markets. For MLS, it is in their best interest to showcase their title game at pretty big venue because they don't want to come off as Mickey Mouse. For San Jose, it is also in their best interest to play in a larger venue because it gives the team the chance to get more publicity and grow their brand. Any proponent of a title game in Buck Shaw is just crazy.

I disagree. What is best for San Jose's brand is to win the MLS cup. They have the best chance of doing that if they play at Buckshaw. Unless forced by the league they shouldn't move the game trying to maximize the game day revenues (short term benefit) and increase the risk of attaining the much larger long term benefit--another championship

what if they move it to a 50,000 seat stadium and only sell 20,000 tickets? how does that look on TV for MLS?

I'm pretty sure they have all been "sell outs."

People are missing the point, the league set the rule and now they're breaking it! What's the point of winning the supporters shield if the league can arbitrarily move the location because they don't like it? Why should they be allowed to select a different stadium when they specifically stated that the team with the best record hosts the final? Could it be that they expected their favorites New York or the filth to top the league therefor clinching home field advantage and having a better shot at hosting? This is horseshit people, Stanford is a poor substitute and it's certainly not "homefield".

I game played at home will surely give San Jose the primary allotment of tickets. That means a crowd will almost certainly be for the home team. Also if you get extra revenue and win I do not see how that can in any way be seen as a negative. Winning in front of 10k means nothing outside of MLS circles. Winning a Cup in front of 30k matters a little more. It might actually give local media a reason to go to the game.

This

You are missing the point in thinking a league will allow its title game to be played in front of 10k people. At some point you have to look at it through the eyes of the league. At some point you have to realize that playing a championship game that is going to be televised on ESPN is not the time to let potential fans see that their best team does not even play in a real stadium. This is the opportunity for the league to showcase the best it has to offer, so why would anyone that is fan of San Jose want the league to look stupid on this day? Isn't it enough that San Jose is already making the league look stupid by winning without any stars?

Let's not forget that the Front Office is also at fault for waiting so long to get a stadium built. As of now I don't think anyone from MLS is saying that they will move the location of the final to LA. San Jose will still control the site it is played in, except Buck Shaw of course.

Despite the hoopla of the groundbreaking event two weeks ago, had the FO started building the new stadium 2-4 years ago, like most people thought was going to happen, the Q's wouldn't be in this current situation.

Maybe, maybe not. As much as I personally enjoy Buck Shaw's intimate "charm", it is not exactly a fortress of Quake success. The Q's won only nine games there this season, haven't won there since September 2 (against Chivas USA) and haven't won there against a playoff opponent since August 11.

If the Quakes, hosting the MLS championship game, only draw 10-20,000 in attendance, that doesn't say very much for its fan base, does it?

If the Quakes advance to the championship game, they will host the final. It just may not be at Buck Shaw which is not a major league stadium in any definition of the phrase.

Stanford may be a poor substitute for a true "home field advantage" feel, but it's a definite upgrade to Buck Shaw (except for not selling beer ) and it is close enough to the Q's home base of fans.

I agree with this, but again, had the FO built the new stadium by now. . .

Maybe the league felt, at the time, that were the Q's to have the best record at the time of the MLS championship game, they (the Quakes) would naturally want to play in the Bay Area, but at a larger venue (like Stanford) to allow more Quakes' fans to attend rather than hold the championship game in a 10,000+ bandbox that is slightly better than some of the more high-grade high school stadiums around here.

Spartan would have been nice, given the Q's full history and all, but the artificial turf kind of dooms that idea. Perhaps the league will pay to install a temporary grass field, and Lew can patch up his differences with the Spartan crew.

I would vote for the groundbreaking site, but, I think, parking would be a problem!

I very reluctantly agree.

Still reluctantly agreeing. . .

I'm a positive guy by nature, so in this situation I would consider two things: more seats for Q's fans to see the game, and the Q's are 1-0 in MLS championship games played in Carson!

. . .and that. . .!

See

Sell outs? Depending how you look at sell outs...
For the cup at Toronto, I'm sure the league tried to comp so many tickets and it was still half empty.

What about Kezar Stadium? I know, but does it have the dreaded football lines?