Not necessarily just to benefit MLS clubs, but it seems dumb for Caribbean clubs to get their players together in their off-season to lose 8-0 to América or something. Group stage: March to mid-May Jamaican/Trini clubs are in late-season form and let's be honest, this is the best they can get. Mexico's qualification won't be as messed up as MLS' is now, as the just-finished Apertura will qualify half of the teams. Knockout: mid September to mid November Mexican teams have been in season for two months by now. Obviously MLS doesn't want this interfering with playoffs/playoff hunt, but if you want it moved you have to deal with some overlap. Space out the MLS playoffs a bit and go for the dream treble of MLS Cup, CCL and Club World Cup within 2 months.
No thanks, I'd rather the have same players play the same competition. The summer is the off-season when teams trade players.
No, most leagues in the World run from July/August to May or June. MLS is the one that should change it's schedule
I think we might be seeing the big change for next edition already. MLS teams look ridiculous (like Bosnian or Armenian teams in European cups) when they play in knock-out stages.
I don't think the CCL should shift to match MLS's spring-to-fall schedule. Even though most CLs stay within a calendar year, I'm fine with having the CCL final around the same time as the UCL final. That said, all I want is for the CCL knockout round to start a bit later - heck, have the CCL QFs, SF, and Finals line up roughly with the UCL QFs, SFs, and final. Yes, I would definitely like to have the same players throughout the competition. But you can't please everyone. If you think MLS has room to shift its schedule, you're completely ignoring the US sports landscape. There's no room for MLS in a fall-spring window economically. There are four major sports leagues in the US bigger than MLS, three of which (including the largest, the NFL) are already packing that fall-to-spring window - not to mention ALL of college sports. MLS would take a small hit in attendance and, more importantly, a huge hit in its TV deal if it tried edging its way in. The economics just don't work out. Also, your "most leagues" view is highly Euro-centric. Take a look at most of South America, most of Africa, or almost all of East Asia. An MLS team has never lost a knockout game - or even an aggregate - by more than 2 goals except in the QF stage. That's not "ridiculous" in any sense considering how out-of-form the MLS teams are in the QF stage.
EDIT: I was chatting with someone and they reminded me of Santos blowing out Toronto in the second leg of the SFs one year. I guess I had overlooked it since I had fallen in to the trap fo how so many people usually just mean the American teams when they criticize MLS CCL performance. So there is an exception to the general rule that MLS teams can easily hang with (though usually not beat) LMX teams, assuming they make it past the QFs - but the general rule still holds.
Loss is a loss, no matter was it by 1 or by 2 or by 7 goals. MLS vs LMX is at 2-16 in knock-out stages, 2-11 in quarter-final round, one of wins being Montreal's win on PKs. Ridiculous record by MLS. Teams are out-of-form, yes, that's additional reason for something to be done with that matter. If not, percentage of MLS' aggregate wins will continue to drop.
It's their problem, they should find a way to fix it. Maybe play a pre-season tournament between the qualified teams before the actual thing. I wouldn't mind if the QF matches were a month later, just not wrecking the whole tournament by changing the schedule completely.
Well, if you're just looking at win/loss record, then it's not that MLS is weak - it's that LMX is the giant of the region. That win/loss ratio is even worse for every other league combined against LMX - 0 times advancing (with much worse GDs) versus MLS's 2 times. I mean, it's fine if you want to suggest that CONCACAF outside of Mexico is across the board "ridiculous", but don't pretend that MLS is floundering in comparison, as they're doing better than everyone else despite being in preseason form. Basically, if we want to make the UEFA comparison, then in terms or relative strength I'd say LMX = Spain, England, Germany, etc. MLS(/CR) = Portugal, Ukraine, Scotland, etc. rest = Bosnia, Poland, Armenia, etc.
It's true that they do better than the rest of the leagues, yes, but you can't compare MLS to any of the leagues in Central America now. Money, infrastructure, number of clubs, quality of players, world stars, etc., each factor is on MLS teams' side, by far, it's #2 league in the region. But gap between #1 and #2 is just staggering, way bigger than between #2 and #3 (Costa Rica). They must aim to match Mexico, I don't see it happening now.
This change would actually mean more of the "qualified" players get to play. Mexico would still have the most recent winners/runners-up (in this case from the Apertura), while the Clausura winners would be the ones waiting (currently it's the Apertura winners who wait 8 months). MLS teams would obviously have a closer roster to the one that actually qualified. Plus, the if the whole thing is built up as "road to FIFA Club World Cup", it makes sense to ensure the winner goes into that tournament on a high and with a largely unchanged roster. The summer off-season between winning CCL and going into CWC means big turnover.