10/26/04: Wine Glass

[GPK]

Playoffs? Here's an idea MLS just might want to consider-Daily Herald (http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/sports_story.asp?intID=38286168)

Rapids' Cannon in running for league MVP-Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~94~2491914,00.html)

Allen's Stone leaves FC Dallas to attend school-Dallas Morning News (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/soccer/stories/102604dnspofcd.24dab1b0.html)

FC Dallas Notes-Ft. Worth Star Telegram (http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/10017587.htm)

D.C.'s Moreno Named Finalist For Two Awards-Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62823-2004Oct25.html)

Wizards say they're down but not out-KC Star (http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/soccer/mls/kansas_city_wizards/10014654.htm)

A Glimpse of the Future-LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-soccercol26oct26,1,2922935.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-soccer)

Bradley finds tables turned-North Jersey Herald News (http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMzcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY2MDQ0NzEmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2)

Soccer notebook: Metros offense needs jump-start-Star Ledger (http://www.nj.com/metrostars/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/10987662663630.xml)

Metros kicking selves-NY Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/story/246139p-210869c.html)

American Not Welcome in Manchester-NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/26/sports/soccer/26united.html)

A Skillful Last Line of Defense-NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/26/sports/soccer/26soccer.html)

Baseball is in his blood-Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/sports/soccer/articles/2004/10/26/baseball_is_in_his_blood/)

More kudos for Donovan-San Jose Mercury News (http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/soccer/10016805.htm)

[Rickster]

The Jordan Stone story is a different kind of success story. Good to see him going back to school after making a go of the P-40 thing. It's paid for under P-40, right?

[jmeissen0]

yes

[numerista]

Plenty of Jorge Vergara coverage in today's Spanish-language press, some of it mutually inconsistent. One thing is increasingly clear, though: Rongen will bring in some anglos.

Also, Monterrey's team president said that MLS is not in their short- or medium-term plans, but wouldn't rule it out in the long term.

[Sinko]

Plenty of Jorge Vergara coverage in today's Spanish-language press, some of it mutually inconsistent. One thing is increasingly clear, though: Rongen will bring in some anglos.

Also, Monterrey's team president said that MLS is not in their short- or medium-term plans, but wouldn't rule it out in the long term. So then how about some links?

[numerista]

So then how about some links?

news.google.es

[Wallydrag]

Playoffs? Here's an idea MLS just might want to consider-Daily Herald (http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/sports_story.asp?intID=38286168)

I'm sure MLS has considered a littany of possibilities to include this one. I've always thought that MLS should trump up the Supporter's Shiled more. I also think they the Fed and MLS should trump up the USOC a lot more.

There have been a gazillion threads about how to make the reg season count so I'm not going to start in on it.

[Sinko]

news.google.esYou do understand the point of this thread is to provide links for the rest of the readers, right?

You made the claims on the existence of these articles, so now prove they're for real, compay.

[FusionRefugee]

Ok this dudes idea about the two season thing, how is that different from the way it is now?

[Rocket]

Ok this dudes idea about the two season thing, how is that different from the way it is now?
Not much. Except that all teams make the post-season tournament under his system.

[numerista]

You made the claims on the existence of these articles, so now prove they're for real, compay.

Actually, I made them up :rolleyes:

[Detective40oz]

Eddie Pope up for defender of the year??? You've got to be kidding me.

[Sinko]

Actually, I made them up :rolleyes:Too bad you just don't get it.

[usagoal]

Don't if this has been posted before.

http://bugmenot.com/

for those that don't want to register to the newspapers that require it.

[okcomputer]

Eddie Pope up for defender of the year??? You've got to be kidding me.

I laughed when i saw that too. The metros defense was a leaky faucet all year. I think Eddie Pope is on the downside of his career.

[numerista]

Too bad you just don't get it.

Actually, I contribute links and translations here regularly, but if you think you can boss me around, then you're the one who doesn't get it.

[drew_VT_6]

Bob Matthews Column (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041026/SPORTS0101/410260307/1007/SPORTS) - Rochester D&C (about half way down)

I personally think that MLS should just relax in the fact that even the "low thinking" NASCAR fans could grasp a season points total crowning the overall champion. If that happened, then just have the Western Conference champions play the Eastern Conference champions in a home and home series. For all the "regional league" proponents out there we could just call the Western Conference the Pacific League and the Eastern Conference the Atlantic League. Allow for cross over play during the season, but have the majority of games come inside the team's "league".

[Femfa]

I haven't looked up the Spanish articles yet, but even in the L.A. Times one, Vergara is again sounding like a punk - telling the media that the Galaxy are "worried" and "concerned" about Chivas USA, and that they should feel that way.

Puhleeze, the competitive posturing by Vergara is just tacky. The teams are the ones who are going to compete, not his rhetoric.

[Pbourgeacq]

Not much. Except that all teams make the post-season tournament under his system.
And that, because the winner during the regular season is crowned "season champion", the 30 or so games played during the regular season would be a lot more meaningful than they are in the current setup. It's the same concept as what goes on in much of Europe with the Championship and the Cup, only at a smaller scale. Personally, I prefer it to what MLS does today (and to what MLS has done thus far). You could even have regional competitions with other countries within CONCACAF, such as a Champion's Cup and a Cup-Winner's Cup.

[kenntomasch]

Playoffs? Here's an idea MLS just might want to consider-Daily Herald (http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/sports_story.asp?intID=38286168)

You have to actually read McDill regularly to appreciate him.

You get gems like this:


"Last season, if you remember, the league required a team to earn 5 points in a three-game series to advance. If the team won its first two games, it advanced."

No, Kent, I don't remember that. The first-to-five deal was two years ago. Did you cover the playoffs last year? You know, when the Fire played DC United twice, and won both games and advanced, but it was because they outscored United 4-0 on aggregate?


"Now, at least, the league has the structure correct, with a home-and-away series and an aggregate goal plan.

Even under this format, however, the MLS decided the team with the better seed would get the second home game, assuming those teams would want homefield advantage in case of a tie after two complete games.

So guess what happened last weekend? In three of four games, the lesser seed won at home."

And guess what happened last season? In four of the four series, the higher seed advanced. The lower seeded team went 2-1-1 in the four first-leg games last year. Amazing. Check back with me next week.


"Why not emulate the NCAA basketball system? Create two seasons, hyping the (shorter) regular season as the first meaningful competition, either with two conferences or as a single table.

Then in October and November, play a tournament, like March Madness in basketball.

The regular season would be akin to the Big Ten basketball season, with a declared champion, followed by a competition similar to the NCAA Tournament - except all MLS teams would be invited."

So this would be vastly different from what we have now in that:

The other two teams that didn't make the playoffs would make the playoffs (rejoice!); and
You'd recognize the winner of the regular season as the "true" champion, which is nice and all, but Americans are still conditioned to think that if you don't win the playoffs, you haven't "really" won ("Hi, we're the 2001 Seattle Mariners, remember us?").


Yeah, that's a solution. That'll help. Thanks.


The MLS (Cup) tournament format would include a home-and-away series plan just like the current playoffs.

So, basically, it would be the current tournament. Just with two more teams.


You could still have the U.S. Open Cup during the regular season, and someday a team would win the real "Treble" - and a dynasty would be created.

We had a dynasty. It didn't take a treble to do it. And while what we have now (parity or mediocrity, depending on your take) is frustrating at times, the system is what it is and it probably precludes a dynasty forming anytime soon. Regardless of how you change the playoff format.

Especially if it's virtually no change at all.