News: MLS to break during part of 2010 World Cup & Play Balanced Schedule

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by The Clock of Sorrows redded, Sep 16, 2009.

  1. Chris '66

    Chris '66 New Member

    Aug 9, 2007
    Brooklyn, NY
    Agreed. I am convinced this is true and MLS knows it.
     
  2. BHTC Mike

    BHTC Mike Member+

    Apr 12, 2006
    Burlington, ON
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    Disagree.

    I know this is getting a little off-topic but allow me to elaborate.

    "4th place in the Western Conference" just generally sounds less meaningful. Having played in and followed many leagues organized as a single-table my experience is that you care much more about finishing higher when you're comparing your results to every other team. The more divisions and the smaller the number of teams in each the less you care. Saying you finished "in the top half" means you're better than half the other teams in the entire league. Likewise, a "top five finish" is, in my experience, more meaningful than "second in the East". Regardless of whether or not there's a play-off afterwards - the leagues I play in tend to have a post-season knock-out Cup - single-table's elegance incentivizes each and every position because it's always better to finish second than third than fourth than fifth and so on.

    People always seem to go all Ricky Bobby, "if you're not first you're last!", on here because they presume that the only thing that matters is who wins the championship. I think auto racing actually provides a worthwhile (and AMERICAN) comparison. In any race, even if the winner is 5 laps ahead, drivers, unless they have specific reasons not to, will continue to race each other for positions further down the standings. Yes, I know they get points towards the overall championship as well but I'd suggest that they'd most often race anyways. The truth is that even when you're in eighth you'd rather stay ahead of the guy who's in ninth and catch the guy in seventh if you can... it's just the competitive nature of people who participate in sports. Wanting to prove who you're better than has been a fundamental motivation since sports began.

    Now, there's lots of reasons MLS has resisted going to a single-table format in the past and those are probably the same reasons that they aren't doing it now. Namely, the reality that unbalanced schedules will remain a part of MLS into the future once the league moves past 16 teams. However, I sincerely hope that the league doesn't buy into the notion that conferences and divisions make the league more exciting to follow.
     
  3. DCU1996

    DCU1996 Member

    Jun 3, 2002
    N. VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    Slight Modification on scheduling for 20.

    2 conferences and 4 Divisions

    3 games against divisional opponents = 12 games (rotating home/away each year)
    2 games against out of divisional conference opponents = 10
    1 game against out of conference opponents = 10.

    I think this is what most likely happen for 20 team league.
     
  4. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What do you base this on?
     
  5. DCU1996

    DCU1996 Member

    Jun 3, 2002
    N. VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    My thought.

    Balanced schedule gives you 38 games. It's just too many.
    Home/Away in conference and 1 game out of conference gives you 28 games which is just a couple of games short.

    No other logically better alternatives.
     
  6. CrewBeat

    CrewBeat Be Massive My Friends

    Jul 27, 2004
    Manhattan
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You apparently haven't been around very long, they didn't charge money, but I'm sure they made money off concessions...
    2002:
    [​IMG]
    2006:
     
  7. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    They've pushed it to 30 with "rivalries" before so I don't see why that is off the table now. Plus I don't know why you assume they are going to divisions. They could be, but I don't see why that's a natural assumption since it's been a while since they did that and I haven't seen anyone posit it as an option outside of here.
     
  8. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hey now, that's the Rapids of 2007 and 2008 you're describing. Trust me, none of the Rapids fans feel much better saying "4th place in the Western Conference",
     
  9. DCU1996

    DCU1996 Member

    Jun 3, 2002
    N. VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    OK I think they'll definitely keep the 2 conferences.
    The division thing might be logical division just to make the scheduling and fixtures make sense.
    So two official visible conferences, but logically divide it in half to make it 32 game clean schedule. it's essentially same thing as regional "rivalries"
    The division thing is basically setting up the 'regional rivalries'.

    They might still have playoff berths based on 2 conferences, top 4 from each conference something like that.

    I think we'll be stuck with 20 clubs for long time, thus need little bit more systematic nicer and cleaner way to schedule.
     
  10. RerunStubs

    RerunStubs Member

    Dec 8, 2006
    That was certainly my first thought, but I personally felt it might be better to rotate the division against whom you play two games to give fans an opportunity to see a more diverse array of teams over multiple seasons. That's more my own wish, though. What you suggest would probably be more likely.
     
  11. DCU1996

    DCU1996 Member

    Jun 3, 2002
    N. VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    IMO The reason is to still keep the two conference structure intact.

    Just dividing each conference further just to have systematic scheduling and fixture.

    Playoff berth still based on Conferences such as 4 top from each conference.

    More like so called 'regional rivaries' but more systematic then random.

    Eastern Conference:
    -------------------
    Montreal
    New England
    New York
    Philly
    DC
    --------
    Toronto
    Columbus
    Chicago
    St. Louis
    Kansas City

    Western Conference:
    ---------------------
    Houston
    Dallas
    San Jose
    Chivas
    Galaxy
    ----------
    Colorado
    Salt Lake
    Vancouver
    Portland
    Seattle

    for example:
    For the 4 extra games,
    DCU plays home games against Montreal and New England, away games against NY and Philly. Vice Versa following year.
     
  12. RerunStubs

    RerunStubs Member

    Dec 8, 2006
    That is a good point.

    But as you suggest, I think it would just require a tweak to have four division winners and four wild cards enter the playoffs.
     
  13. CeltTexan

    CeltTexan Member+

    Sep 21, 2000
    Houston, TX USA
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A summer break of some sort also allows most players to heal the common soccer knocks that are picked up in a long season.
    Just another perk.


    Kinda, more of the mindset that immigration from dominant association footballing nations will only grow here in the U.S., thus having locals like you and me trying to explain an Opening and Closing type league structure to a new look MLS will not be over their collective heads.
    It's a pro men's soccer schedule and not the U.S. Tax Code we would be explaining to sports fans.
    Then, I just found it funny that you underscored having to explain what Clasura and Apertura mean as a some negative for a soccer league when Clasura just sounds a lot like Closing and Apertura is darn near identical to the English language word aperture, or the opening of something.
     
  14. RerunStubs

    RerunStubs Member

    Dec 8, 2006
    I agree that the proposed divisional format is not necessarily likely. Personally, I was just throwing it out there as something that I thought would make sense.

    On the merits, I think it would be better than a two-conference, 28-games-plus-2-rivalries idea because it would ensure that all the teams competing within the same subgroup played the same schedule. If you have two conferences of 10, but the teams in the same conference are not playing the same schedule, that's less than ideal. It makes more sense to me to have five divisions of four, with each team in the division playing the same schedule, and the winner of the division advancing to the playoffs stage.
     
  15. Chris '66

    Chris '66 New Member

    Aug 9, 2007
    Brooklyn, NY
    If you have two confs of 10 you can get your 30 game schedule this way:

    twice in conf= 18 games
    once out of conf= 10 games

    You play two more out of conf games based on last year's finish, matching up with the teams one slot above and below your finish.
    So if DCU came in 3rd they would play #2 LAG and #4 Chivas the next season another time.

    If you come in first you get to play the 2nd place finisher and the last place team from the other conf. That way the schedule is based a little on your performance from the year before and you are likely to have new competition each season for those last two games.
     
  16. CeltTexan

    CeltTexan Member+

    Sep 21, 2000
    Houston, TX USA
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I agree.

    No money bags owner wants to have home dates that don't make money but you are forgetting that once MLS clubs stop renting and have owners that are the main tenant and really own their own home, what else to do over the 345 nights outta the year when the Stadium is not used for the 15 game MLS home sched. and a few other soccer events??? This is where more MLS reg. season matches are at least a chance of making more coin over the stadium just sitting empty.
    As much as it bothers some people on the boards about X-Games, boxing, LAX, high school games, concerts and the like at our sacred new MLS home grounds, addind dates to a Stadium the owner now owns is only going to open up more revenue streams. Which too me, and I'm a soccer purist, is ok. It means more money for my club and others so hopefully our league is in the black and the cap can raise to buy more talent.
     
  17. DCU1996

    DCU1996 Member

    Jun 3, 2002
    N. VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    This is good idea, but I would slightly change this,

    E1 E2 vs W10 W9
    E3 E4 vs W 8 W7
    E5 E6 vs W5 W6
    E7 E8 vs W4 W3
    E9 E10 vs W2 W1

    For example, if you come in first you get to play the 9th and 10th place finisher from the other conference for the extra two games.

    This is good systematic way. Actually I like this better, however I think they might go more with the regional rivary thing for 1. reduced travel 2. more away support.
     
  18. SYoshonis

    SYoshonis Member+

    Jun 8, 2000
    Lafayette, Louisiana
    Club:
    Michigan Bucks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Does this mean no All-Star Game in 2010?
     
  19. newtex

    newtex Member+

    May 25, 2005
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo

    The MLS All-Star game has already been announced for Reliant Stadium in Houston in 2010.

    No idea why you think this schedule announcement would mean no All-Star game. I don't see the connection.
     
  20. DCU1996

    DCU1996 Member

    Jun 3, 2002
    N. VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    I guess they'll try to bring in a Mexican club like Chivas or Club America for that All-star crap.
     
  21. SideshowBob

    SideshowBob Member

    Jan 12, 2007
    Maryland
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Or the Mexican national team.
     
  22. SYoshonis

    SYoshonis Member+

    Jun 8, 2000
    Lafayette, Louisiana
    Club:
    Michigan Bucks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I had heard that, now that you mention it, my bad. What made me ask was all of the talk of 29 weekends for 30 games, I guess I just assumed that they were consecutive. Again, my bad.
     
  23. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    or one of the Spanish superclubs (Barca or RM) with whom SUM has a relationship.
     
  24. ThreeApples

    ThreeApples Member+

    Jul 28, 1999
    Smurf Village
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The All-Star Game hasn't used up a weekend for a few years now.
     
  25. Fort York Redcoat

    May 29, 2008
    Toronto
    I love this break. I love the balanced schedule. Too bad it won't stay. I couldn't care less about divisions and my teams "rivals".
     

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