2010 MLS Calendar?

[BSGuy321]

The writer's proposal (link below) is a complex model. Is it viable though?

http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/creating-solution-to-the-fifa-2010-world-cup-cal/3176

[monster]

"Will MLS shut the league down for a three to four week period to allow the World Cup get exposure within the country."

Yes, because we all know the World Cup has been totally disrespected in this country for so long. :rolleyes:

[Minnman]

It's only viable if the author's name is Don Garber.

[Sachsen]

The writer's proposal (link below) is a complex model. Is it viable though?

http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/creating-solution-to-the-fifa-2010-world-cup-cal/3176

Bottom line: all those Sunday and Thursday games would likely create such a negative effect on attendance that the economic bottom line for this schedule would be unacceptable to the owners.

Plus, I could be wrong, but I believe there has been no discernable hit on attendance DURING the World Cup in the past.

We hardcore fans bemoan the fact that many of the best players in the league are gone with their national teams, and feel like the league is somehow disrespecting the game by playing on during the tournament. But for a young league like ours, it's all about the economy, baby, and if the economic effects are better for the league to play on rather than take a break, then play on it is.

[El Duderino]

Is it too late to get a poll for this thread?

[soccerfan]

The writer's proposal (link below) is a complex model. Is it viable though?

http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/creating-solution-to-the-fifa-2010-world-cup-cal/3176


excelent job, i knew it is possible and it is proven :D I would add some Open Cup games during the WC as we all know most MLS teams field reserve squads anyway. Throw in some high end friendlies to satisfy the nay sayers and keep the payers in shape, it works.

[kenntomasch]

Plus, I could be wrong, but I believe there has been no discernable hit on attendance DURING the World Cup in the past.

Tough to make a blanket statement on that. Here are the numbers:

98 WC......G....Total...Average..Median
Pre.......82..1,221,296..14,894..11,967
During....27....421,034..15,594..12,372
Post......83..1,105,567..13,320..11,319

02 WC......G....Total...Average..Median
Pre.......45....741,743..16,483..14,065
During....25....325,276..13,011..12,721
Post......70..1,147,859..16,398..14,581

06 WC......G....Total...Average..Median
Pre.......60....963,446..16,057..14,916
During....40....527,908..13,198..11,925
Post......92..1,485,069..16,142..14,602


Attendance went up slightly during the 1998 World Cup, partially because the Independence Day holiday fell in that time period. In 2002, the 4th of July fell just outside the World Cup window (the games immediately following it, actually). There was a slight drop in 2006 despite Independence Day falling in the window. But besides Independence Day (the impact of which has been slightly lessened over the years as there are more games and fewer big stadiums like the Rose Bowl and Invesco Field, which routinely had big 7/4 crowds), the World Cup usually falls during a period where MLS attendance tends to wane anyway.

Now, if you have the World Cup in your country? Yeah, you should stand down (the last time - 1994 - the APSL started its season on 7/1, right after the group stage, if memory serves).

MLS has played 14%, 18% and 21% of its matches for the seasons in question during the World Cup window. In 2010, we'll have 16 teams playing 15 home games each (if they don't massage the schedule) or an all-time high 240 league games. It's going to be hard for some of them not to fall into the June 11-July 11 window.

[kenntomasch]

As for the story itself...

"As you can see on the special color coated grid...."

I stopped reading right there.

[Mr. Bandwagon]

The writer's proposal (link below) is a complex model. Is it viable though?

Well it looks like it would be viable for some alternate universe where CONCACAF Champions' League and Superliga don't exist. As for the world we all live in? No - it doesn't work.

It's possible that MLS would decide to not hold Superliga in World Cup years - it might even make sense to do that. But I don't see CCL being suspended next year, so I would have to say back to the drawing boards.

[newtex]

I'm not sure why it took a color-coded chart to work out that if you start the season two weeks earlier, eliminate CCL and SuperLiga, and have every team play every week, you can take a break for the World Cup in the middle of the season.

[bright]

If someone is trying to squeeze a few more weeks out of the year for the MLS calendar, I think it's better to push the MLS playoffs into early December rather than start earlier in March. I am still an advocate of an early March start. But if it's an either-or, early December is milder weather-wise, and less games will need to be scheduled because it's the playoffs.

[MtMike]

Who's gonna be on the cover of the 2010 calendar?

[MasterShake29]

MLS has played 14%, 18% and 21% of its matches for the seasons in question during the World Cup window. In 2010, we'll have 16 teams playing 15 home games each (if they don't massage the schedule) or an all-time high 240 league games. It's going to be hard for some of them not to fall into the June 11-July 11 window.

I think it's an excellent idea to suspend during the early part of the World Cup. But I also think it makes sense to resume the league on July 4th (maybe July 1 in Toronto), as long as the games aren't actually being played during the WC games. That, and dumping SuperLiga for the year, would help fixture issues a bit.

[scott47a]

Or ... you know ... maybe they will just keeping playing MLS games during the WC as they always have.

Let's see that schedule in color-coded craziness!

[GIO17]

Thanks for the opinions everyone. Keep them coming. I thank you for reading that current article. :)

[RerunStubs]

A few points.

(1) The Thursday/Sunday dates are irrelevant to the purpose of the proposed schedule, which is to accommodate the World Cup. You could just play all the league games on a Saturday (except for the 7/4 games) and the proposal would not be materially effected.

(2) That said, I understand that there are scheduling constraints in terms of stadium control that might make it impossible to schedule all league games on a Saturday. Those cases might be avoided by putting teams on the road for a given week or infrequently moving a game to a Thursday, Friday, or Sunday.

(3) Regarding the non-league competitions, if you stick with essentially Saturday dates for MLS league play, you can play US Open Cup, SuperLiga and CONCACAF Champions League on weekdays. I believe the CCL is already scheduled as such. If you feel the need to play two SuperLiga matches on weekend dates, then schedule the four SuperLiga teams for league matches against each other in those two weeks and put those league matches on weekdays. Because the CCL and SuperLiga teams will be different, I don't think this weekday approach will lead to too much fixture congestion. Also, I would keep tend to bunch up the USOC matches earlier in the year so they don't conflict with SuperLiga and CCL.

(4) The proposed schedule ignores the Fifa international match dates for September and October of 2010. That said, I'm not sure they involve anything particularly meaningful other than Euro 2012 qualifiers (which doesn't particularly impact the league). So MLS can probably safely ignore these.

(5) Two key variables should actually simplify 2010 scheduling. First, there are no Fifa international matchdates until the World Cup, so every weekend can be scheduled with a full slate. Second, there are an even number of teams, so every team can play every week.

(6) I think that starting on March 6 is untenable in light of weather concerns. I'd suggest starting two weeks later (similar to this year's start date) and taking a break for only the first round of the World Cup. Having two weeks of domestic league games that are not scheduled at the same TIME (even if scheduled on the same date) as World Cup matches should not be a problem. If anything, they may help MLS capitalize on the sport's exposure.

The proposed schedule, its fancy color-plating aside, is pretty simple and not particularly ingenious. But 2010 uniquely allows for more simplicity where prior years have not.

[kenntomasch]

You can play the group stage in two weeks, right? Pretty much?

I don't think that's a bad break.

[AndyMead]

I'm not sure why it took a color-coded chart to work out that if you start the season two weeks earlier, eliminate CCL and SuperLiga, and have every team play every week, you can take a break for the World Cup in the middle of the season.

Bingo.

If my boss gave me a big raise, and Delta added a couple of zeros to the end of my SkyMiles account, I could travel the world shooting soccer games all the time.

Unrealistic assumptions are fun. This guy must be an economist.

[tab5g]

It would be interesting (although highly unlikely, it would seem) if at the last minute (or sometime in late 2009) Fifa had to move the WC from South Africa, and the US was chosen as the 2010 replacement host.

I wonder what that would or wouldn't do to MLS, and how it may or may not affect their decisions on how to schedule the 2010 season.

(as always, I naively and foolishly vote for a 1/2 season that beings in Feb and ends in late May -- and then a new full season would start in August 2010 and run through June 2011. and all future MLS seasons would have a Summer off-season. for those who still need summer club soccer, you can have the SuperLiga exhibition. i'm not honestly recommending starting the MLS season in the fall as early as 2010, but I do think that by the next time the US hosts a WC, it is somewhat likely that MLS will be in a position where it makes the most sense for their business not to play summer league matches, but rather have their season end in late spring.)

[triplet1]

You guys are being to harsh IMO. CCL and Superliga games can be played on Wednesdays and simply inserted into the schedule -- it's not like Thursdays are blocked out by ESPN for the entire season anymore.

The only major omission I saw was the All Star Game. I think MLS has made it clear they aren't giving that up.