For Immediate Release MLS Contact: (212) 450-1227 Updated MLS Cup Playoffs Schedule Conference Championship Game Dates Set; Complete TV Schedule, Series Guides and Notes Included Below NEW YORK (Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007) – The 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs game dates and television schedules are complete. All 11 post-season games will be televised, nine to national audiences on MLS broadcast partners ABC, ESPN2, Telefutura, HDNet, Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español. Regional television schedules are also included below. The MLS Cup Playoffs kick off Thursday night in primetime on ESPN2 at 8:30 p.m. ET when the top team in the Eastern Conference, Supporters’ Shield winner D.C. United, faces the red hot Chicago Fire. Chicago is unbeaten in eight straight games and is coming off a big victory that pushed the Fire into the playoffs. The other three Conference Semifinal matches take place on Saturday. In the Eastern Conference, the New York Red Bulls host the New England Revolution. Chivas USA, the top team in the Western Conference, travels to play the Kansas City Wizards, who qualified as the fifth team from the Eastern Conference, and shifted over to become the fourth seed in the West. Defending MLS Cup Champions Houston Dynamo travel to Frisco, Texas to face intrastate rivals FC Dallas. Playoff Format: All four Conference Semifinals Series will be decided by a home-and-home, aggregate goal format. The team that scores more goals in the two-game series will advance. All goals scored are counted equally; there is no away goals preference. If the score is tied after 90 minutes of the first game, no overtime period will be played; the game ends in a tie. If the total goals in the series are tied after 90 minutes of the second game, a 30 minute overtime period (two 15-minute halves) will be played in its entirety (no golden goal). If the total goals in the series remain tied after 30 minutes of overtime, a penalty kick tiebreaker will determine the team that advances. The same tiebreaking procedures are used if a Conference Championship is tied after 90 minutes. Each of the two Conference Championships will be determined by a single game at the higher seed’s home venue. For both the Conference Championships and MLS Cup, if the score is tied after 90 minutes, a 30-minute overtime period (two 15-minute halves) will be played in its entirety. If the score remains tied after 30 minutes of overtime, a penalty kick tiebreaker will determine the team that advances or wins MLS Cup. MLS Cup 2007 is Sunday, Nov. 18 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., at Noon ET (ABC and TeleFutura). All times Eastern; schedule subject to change Printable bracket: http://web.mlsnet.com/pdf/mls/2007/playoffs/printable_bracket07.pdf Complete playoff media guide: http://web.mlsnet.com/pdf/mls/2007/playoffs/07PO_GUIDE.pdf EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: Series Guide: http://web.mlsnet.com/pdf/mls/2007/gameguides/10/DCvCHIecsf.pdf Thursday, Oct. 25 Game 1: D.C. United at Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN2) Thursday, Nov. 1 Game 2: Chicago Fire at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2) Series Guide: http://web.mlsnet.com/pdf/mls/2007/gameguides/10/NEvNYecsf.pdf Saturday, Oct. 27 Game 1: New England Revolution at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. (FSC, FSE) Saturday, Nov. 3 Game 2: New York Red Bulls at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m. (FSC, FSE) WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: Series guide: http://web.mlsnet.com/pdf/mls/2007/gameguides/10/CHVvKCwcsf.pdf Saturday, Oct. 27 Game 1: Chivas USA at Kansas City Wizards, 8:30 p.m. (FSN Prime Ticket, Metro Sports, Direct Kick, MLSnet.com) Saturday, Nov. 3 Game 2: Kansas City Wizards at Chivas USA, 10:30 p.m. (HDNet, Metro Sports, Direct Kick, MLSnet.com) Series guide: http://web.mlsnet.com/pdf/mls/2007/gameguides/10/HOUvDALwcsf.pdf Saturday, Oct. 27 Game 1: Houston Dynamo at FC Dallas, 8:00 p.m. (HDNet, Channel 55, Direct Kick, MLSnet.com) Friday, Nov. 2 Game 2: FC Dallas at Houston Dynamo, 8:30 p.m. (Channel 52, Direct Kick, MLSnet.com) CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: Thurs., Nov. 8 Eastern Conference Championship, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2) Sat., Nov. 10 Western Conference Championship, TBD (FSC, FSE, HDNet) MLS CUP 2007: Sun., Nov. 18 Noon (ABC and TeleFutura) at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
Well, I knew this was coming and I must say that it pretty much kills the tailgates! Ugh!!!! It probably does not help attendance either... On the flip side, it will be great to have four straight weeks of national tv coverage!
Well, since I had unavoidable conflicts on Saturday, Nov. 3, and Saturday, Nov. 10, I'm thinking this schedule is the sign of some good karma for United. Why arrange things so I can make it to the conference final if we won't be playing in it?
Here, here! Making sure that my son doesn't become a pansy as a result of over exposure to my ex would have precluded me from attending a Saturday conference final. Now all we have to do is win v. Chicago!!!!
Doesn't help at all. With the team trying to show the city what a big deal it is, a big-ass Sat. night playoff crowd/atmosphere could have been immense. Not to mention all that great Saturday night mojo from the '04 playoffs that we haven't exactly duplicated in the alternative ESPN slots. Thinking back to kick-off at the '04 conference final, and then to kick-off at last year's conference final that we played on a Sunday, there was a huge difference in the crowds' energy levels.
Any speculation as to what this costs DCU in terms of attendance? I would think it has to be pretty significant. Play offs are a tough sell anyway, but a weeknight play off is even tougher. (though I am in the same boat personally as some other posters, should DCU advance I will now be able to attend the Conference final, and would not have been able to on the Saturday night. But my tickets were purchased long ago)
Yeah, I purchased my tickets at the beginning of the season, and then got more and more worried as these other conflicts kept popping up. It was hard to use the playoffs as a reason not to go when the schedule wasn't set yet... The team should be doing pretty well on selling tickets for MLS Cup, no matter who plays in it, so I think they'll be ok despite the Thursday night dropoff.
They are thinking 25 to 30K, for the 1st round game. So had the game been on Saturday, I bet you're looking at a few thousand more.
I'm not too worried about attendance on Thursday nights. These are the playoffs people! And look at the silver lining. We'll have 3 days more rest than the Western Conference team going into the final.
There is zero chance winning the total attendence argument with baseball. They could average Kansas City numbers or even worse and still slaughter United over the course of a season.
Not so sure that's a good thing, considering what just happened to the rockies after a 9 day layoff. (GO SAWX)
Who cares about the number of empty seats, what really sucks are the people that can't make it because it's on a week night...people drive from all over to be here for a weekend game.... But I guess that's just the double-edge sword by being #1...we could be sitting with the other 5 teams watching at home
Which matters to you and me, but won't cause the casual fan that won't go to weekday games during the regular season to change their mind. Rest has actually seemed to screw us this year.
Saturday night attendance (particularly these last games in October) were bolstered considerably by youth league discounts - Whole teams plus lil bro & sis plus the parents - This was a few thousand at least However, these discounts would NOT be offered for playoff games - Saturday night or not - Yes, attendance will suffer some from being on Thursday, but not that much from a Saturday night game without youth league discounts
This is exactly right. My wife and I have supported this team all season, and made it to all the games that we can even though we live in Richmond. Now she can't make the first round home leg, and neither one of us can make the second round home leg. I understand why its being done, but that doesn't reduce our disappointment with having to watch these games on TV instead of being there to support the team in person.
I am very happy! With both daughters playing travel it would have been a killer to have the games on the weekend! So, I shall start my partying earlier in the week from now to MLS Cup! ps-Unfortunately one of my daughters will have a tournament games on the day of MLS Cup, so, I'm not sure I will be at MLS Cup...
1) I love weekday homegames. Much more so than Thursday night, as a personal thing. 2) I wouldn't have been able to attend a Saturday night Nov. 10 conference final at RFK because of a weekend conflict (which often happens to me during weekends, hence the love for weekday games). 3) It's absolutely asinine that DC or Chicago will play 3 straight Thursdays on ESPN, primetime. Seriously, who decided on this? What's particularly laughable about the scheduling is the home game on November 1. DC's stadium is wide open. No possible conflicts with students or events. Yet, knowing that Houston CAN'T play their home game on Saturday night due to a football game on Sunday in their stadium, why don't they just give Houston the Thursday game (rather than playing on Friday) and give us the Saturday night game? It's not best for me, but again the schedule as is, is pretty stupid. I guess that it's possible that Houston wasn't being allowed to do Thursday because of it's a school night. If that's the case, another team could have played Thursday night. Or maybe tonight's game could have been scheduled for different teams. Bottom line is that the vast majority of people who follow soccer in this country do not want to see 2 DC/Chicago matchups in prime time, followed by a return of one of those two teams in primetime on Thursday again. The fact that it works out for me is irrelevant to the discussion. I just don't get it.
True, but United can definitely win the argument if you limit attendance to the post-season. WE could average Kansas City numbers and still beat zero.
Of course since ESPN was the catalyst for moving all these games to Thursday nights they'll be showing nonstop ads on ESPN and ESPN2 promoting the MLS playoffs, right? Right?, Bueller? Anybody?..... [crickets]