I'm American, so I might be biased. But I prefer a playoff system to determine a champion over just whoever clinches the top of the table. EPL is already over on April 18 with 5 weeks to go! The main interest is now which bad teams will suck the most and be relegated. If American sports worked like EPL, the Washington Capitals would be an NHL dynasty! Sure whoever is best in the regular season, is likely the best team, but best team, doesn't necessarily = champion, and I prefer the drama, upsets and entertainment value of a playoff with a winner take all final game.
I don't, I can't attach myself to teams in foreign cities, no matter what the quality is. I just can't watch if I don't have an attachment. Still, the comment is valid, the EPL currently has no meaningful matches among the good teams.
I watch both the EPL and the MLS and The Bundesliga and La Liga and others. I do not much like the current MLS playoff system nor do I much like just the table format like EPL. I am not sure what I would prefer but I think I might like an end of season mini tournament structured like most tournaments with the best 12 teams in three groups playing a round robin in three groups and the top 2 of each group as well as the 2 best third place teams entering the knock out phase. With home field always based on final MLS standings. I think that would make a lot of sense and be as fair as possible to everyone. Of course its fairness probably means that there is no chance of the MLS or any other league ever adopting it. But it would mean that every team in the post season would get and minimum of 3 matches and, I believe, drive more interest in the post season. BTW: I really do not like the home and home part with away goals being the first tiebreaker of the current playoff system. I know that is how much of the world does it but that neither makes it right or good.
That's a great idea, that would be fun to watch. It might even generate bracket mania among soccer fans like March Madness, doubtful, but could be fun.
Neither does the Bundesliga. Yet you mention the Premier League.... If you aren't watching. Why worry about it? People will watch what they want to watch.
I'm not "worried" about it, I am just making an observation. Aren't message boards for discussion? Basically just for recreation, people talking about stuff?
I go back and forth. I hate seeing a team clinch the title on a day they don't play. I also hate the away goal rule. Of course both systems have positives as well. Overall, though, I think soccer needs a true Super League
league system is perfect you play 39 games and who is most consistent wins i don't care if on any given day one teams has more luck thenother that is not champion that is somebody who got lucky on that day and was below par for 39 rounds
The season and playoffs are NOT about finding the best team at all. But rather the goal is maximizing fan entertainment and increase the income for the league. The closest systems I have seem for finding the best team at the end of the season is that used in the NHL, MLB and the NBA. But the MLS does not want a protracted best of 7 or best of 5 or even best of 3 for each of the elimination rounds of the playoffs. It would also mean playing matches too close together (in the belief of the league) if they want a reasonable length to the playoffs. I have never really understood why teams cannot play well after three days rest for playoffs but the people that are supposed to know say it is so. Since it is believed that a "fair" or at least more "fair" playoff system is impossible in soccer and since the real goal is as much money as possible then we, as fans, are pretty much stuck with something like we have. I still think an end of season mini-tournament involving three groups of four teams would be best for the Fans, the teams and even the league but it is VERY unlikely to happen because it would be different and the MLS is strongly stuck in the belief the the way it has always been done is best. But that is usually the first thought before things go horribly wrong. I also think that soccer players can play on a tighter schedule so the tournament would not have to drag too long. In fact I believe it should not run as long as the current system does and actually generate more meaningful matches for the fans to watch and the league to glean revenue from.
then what is a champion but the team that won most games and was most consistent in 38 rounds that is a champion not somebody who got lucky in playoffs and played half arsed in reagular season because they know if they are 1 or 6 th they still get into playofs with a chanc to win a "play off" and playoff is not champions of the league they are champions of a mini league or play offs
what a hell are you talking about make a mockery of the sport constantly changing things to be more fair single table for a champions is fair if you want something else then play mls like tournament(cl) ad then have a tournament champions because to me that what play off is a tournament at end of regular season
Why is being the best in 38 rounds better than another option? Its not like the teams are in stasis and every team is exactly the same every game. If Team A plays Team B when Team B is missing 5 players due to injury and callups and Team C plays Team B at full strength, why is the fact that they both played Team B somehow considered equal?
Yeah, seems pretty arbitrary to say one way is inherently better. Realistically a knockout game vs. a standard round of single table, league play are different types of situations in terms of pressure. Managing a roster over nearly a year with two transfer windows is a different beast than a matter of weeks with a set roster. Having to win when it counts without being guaranteed an equal amount of home/away games is another dynamic changer. Both ways have their pros and cons in terms of being a better competitive format.
Champion is whoever wins the games the league deems as determining the champion, it's not necessarily best team in the regular season. If they decide there will be no playoffs, then 1st place regular season=champion. But if they say X number of teams make a playoff and whoever wins games A,B and C is champion, then whoever wins those games is champion, period, even if they didn't have the best regular season record.
Coasting through stretches of the regular season but really amping it up for playoffs is a valid strategy if the league is set up that way. Just as single table Europe lets a mega rich club roll out a team of second stringers that can still flatten most teams in the league, especially when they have to rest their starters for the "more important" CL game midweek.
so i guess what you are saying is people should spent fortune and get nothing for it ha single table works
No, I'm saying single table has its own unique traits, not all of which make me feel like I'm watching the most competitive format. Especially during this time of year, where too many games feel meaningless given that in several of the notable Euro leagues the title race is wrapped up, and the main selling point is pro/rel battles or positioning for separate competitions that may or may not be billed as "more important" than league play given the fortunes of the team in question next season.
well what i am saying is simple football is like real world there is people who have more money then other that doesn't mean they are smarter(scouting and pickig right players)sometimes less richer or middle team can win. americans sport is all about this cap we are all equal all the same blah blah blah all get same amount of money and we compete. there is financial fair play that help. like i said play offs is just mini tournament at the end of season
MLS has playoffs because other American leagues have playoffs. MLS has a salary cap so clubs don't lose money and make the league fold like the NASL did. MLS isn't in danger of folding, but I'm assuming MLS had a salary cap when it was created. MLS clubs used to have to buy TV time rather than getting paid for being on TV. You have the right to be against playoffs and salary caps, but realize that those two things were not created for the same reason. American leagues have playoffs regardless of whether they have a salary cap or not and whether players make a decent amount of money or not. European basketball domestic leagues have playoffs, and I'm assuming those players make much less than NBA players and less than players on equally ranked soccer clubs in that country. For example, I'm assuming the tenth best club in La Liga) pays much more than the tenth best club in Spain's basketball league.