In the end of the mls expansion for them to be relevant i think they would has to end with 30 us games and more than 40 games to keep drawing interest. I know this is against fifa regulations but i think it wont matter aince USA is huge and the athletes keep getting stronger and fitter and sPorts medicene keeps getting better. U have 32 teams and put the teams into 2 conferences with 2 divisions in each whivh consist of 8 teams per division. They play a home and home against their division. Thats 16 games. Then they play a single game against everybody else. Thats 24 games. Thats 40 games overall then playoffs take the division winners plus 3 wild cards per conference. Thats 5 playoff teams per conference. Then the 4 v 5 single elimination. The winner of that plays the 1 seed in 2 game aggregate. Then the 2 v 3 in 2 game aggregate. Then the conference champions play in 2 game aggregate. Then the finals in first to 5 points. That means max of 5 games and if 5th match is a draw they go to extra time.
How about lets get to 20 teams before we get to league designs for a 32 team league. Otherwise cool story bro.
It would be 14 home and home games since you don't play yourself twice, bringing down the total to 38 by my count. But this isn't happening as the only league that can support 32 teams in the US is the NFL.
If we did get to 32 teams (and that is a HUGE hypotheical assumption) it would probably include 1-3 more Canadian teams (Ottawa, then Edmonton, plus one of Calgary or Winnipeg for example), and assuming NYC2 is a done deal that leaves only 9-10 more US cities. Even if they only expanded to "Major League" cities; St. Louis, Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, San Diego, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Tampa, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Cincinatti could take care of that requirement, not to even mention cities that might be more 'friendly' to having a soccer team as it's summer "Major" team like Nashville, Oklahoma City, Charlotte, San Antonio, which all have other sports but no MLB level baseball, and also there would probably be one more wild card team of the Columbus or Salt Lake variety like Tulsa, Austin, somewhere in Alabama, or something that we wouldn't fathom off the top of our heads but somehow makes sense with the right ownership. It could be done... From a scheduling standpoint, why recreate the wheel? The NFL gave the blueprint. Two conferences with four divisions of four teams. Intradivision plays each other 2 home and homes (4 games against each rival) for a total of 12 games. Play single games vs. two divisions in your conference and two divisions in the other conference on rotating basis for an additional 20 games giving 32 total games per season. Playoffs are division winners plus next best two, first round is single game 6 v 3 and 5 v 4, with winners advancing to home and home vs the 1 and 2 seeds. Single final at home of highest remaining seed and winner goes to MLS Cup.
Not saying I would prefer this, but another idea the league could consider when stopping at 20 teams but insisting on playoffs: 2 conferences of 10 teams, split into 2 divisions of 5 teams each. Play your divisional opponents 3 times (12 games) Play the other division 2 times (10 games) Play the other conference 1 time (10 games) Division winners face off against opposite division 2nd place team in a home/away 2 leg aggregate series. First round winners face off against each other in a home/away 2 leg aggregate series. Conference champions face off for MLS title in a single game championship match at a pre-determined site. This plan does several things: 1) Limits the scope of the playoffs, but not overly so. Fewer than 50% of the league gets in, so it rewards the best teams. 2) 3 divisional games provides ample opportunity for the best team of the 5 to emerge over the course of a season. 3) Creates an uneven schedule structure that makes sense and creates the need for playoffs in the first place.