Where are all the fall-to-spring schedule advocates?

The only thing we need to be aligned with is FIFA dates. The rest is just semantics.

 

And increases schedule congestion; which is the reason we play on FIFA dates to begin with.

So we are proposing July 9 to Nov 26 and March 5 to May 21. Or if you look at it this way; March 5 to May 21 and July 9 to Nov 26. This year we are starting March 15th and will end somewhere around November 19th. So the proposed schedule starts a week or 2 earlier and end a week later, but throws in 7 weeks where you aren't playing games. Net gain: -4 weeks.

 

Anyone catch the "FEMA Responds to New Orleans snow dusting" feature on the Onion News Network last night? Hilarious.

 

I Disagree. The most important thing is to be aligned with player contracts. MLS relies heavily on free transfers/signing free agents. There are 100x more free agents in July/August every year than there are in January because most player contracts (outside the US) expire in the summer.

Until MLS is somewhat aligned with the world schedule, teams won't be able to sign the Thierry Henrys of the world until mid season.

 

Fall-spring has the advantage of moving some fixtures to the preseason, like USOC and Euro friendlies. I mean, if MLS clubs are going to play warmup matches before the season, it's probably better to play against Euro clubs in sold out stadiums instead of against college teams. Not having to play college teams in the preseason reduces the number of fixtures.

 

Horrors!

 

Ok, bad choice of player. But you get the idea.

 

We are lined up plenty well with South America and Mexico.

As far as I'm concerned that's all that matters.

 

And Ireland, Finland, Norway, Sweden...

 

Also true, I shouldn't forget that.

 

And China, Japan, and Korea.

 

These threads are gonna pop up like amateur hour jokes about Al Gore when its cool in the summer.

 

How the rest of the world does things? Is that a joke or do you just really not know how the rest of the world does things? I mean, is there actually anybody other than Sepp Blatter that thinks the world plays Fall to Spring (in the Northern hemisphere mind you!)????

Or more to the point. Which of these countries has a fall to spring league
A) Brazil
B) China
C) Mexico
D) Colombia
E) Finland
F) Norway
G) Bolivia
H) Chile
I) Japan
J) Korea
K) Sweden
L) Costa Rica

I'll just stop there...

 

What?!?!?!?!?!

 

Understandable, but of the best 20 leagues in the world, all but two play fall to spring schedules.

So does the rest of the world play fall to spring? No. Does most of the world play fall to spring? Most definitely.

 

And very few of those "20 best leagues" have players coming to MLS.

So...why should we line up for the transfer window again?

 

And no one has mentioned the great interest during a protracted winter break. Nothing gets the heart pumping like a 10 week break smack in the middle of the season. I know things shouldn't be done just because they are American (or Europoser also for that matter) but try explaining to a non soccer friend (if you don't have any, get a life), "Yeah I know the off season is shorter than the 'winter break' but it really helps our chances of getting an over the hill Euro star to play a WHOLE SEASON for our team. All we have to do is sit through 10 games at sub 50 degrees. Sweet!!!"

Yosh may be fine with sitting in a down pour at 44 degrees in December, but part of what I love about the PacNW is the summer, I'd rather sit at Qwest in June than Dec.

As for hot summer towns, I believe attendance (may be wrong) is worst in those cities in the colder spring games (C-bus was when I lived there). LAte summer and fall is when attendance rose.

 

Very true. Which is why I'm not in favor of changing our schedule...now. But in 10 years, hopefully, MLS will have more players going to and coming from the best 20 leagues in the world.

 

What schedule does most of the continent known as America play? Do we play a similar schedule as our hemisphere? I mean if Japan, Brazil, and Mexico don't play that schedule (top leagues in Asia, South America, and North America) then that surely means something. If 5+ UEFA leagues don't play that schedule...

We should never ever say "what do most people do" when we can say "what's best for us".

BTW do people realize how many leagues have playoffs? (just saying)

 

Maybe I just missed something, but I'm pretty sure that well I don't know say some guy named Torres moved from that red club near Everton to some blue Russian owned club in the middle of the season. Oh yeah and that guy that played next to Fabio's little brother for Uruguay I heard he moved to Liverpool...in the middle of the season. Actually, there are two transfer windows for a reason...middle of the season transfers happen though.

So...I agree with you. 8)

 

I don't really get the idea. What was wrong with Henry signing mid-season?

 

The problem is that they propose a break mid-season that would actually exceed the length of the off season...

They also propose scheduling options that would put teams on the road months at time.

 

I was In Sandiego last week, I see why the homeless people love that town, very nice weather.

 

Probably for the opportunity to pay 35m pounds for the likes of Andy Carroll.

 

Get retractable roofs and then the problem will be solved. One thing that needs changing though is how MLS CUP ends in November and the media does not care because American football dominates the entire month. If MLS CUP was in May there would be more TV ratings. The only benefit in the past playing in the summer was because most teams were playing in American college football stadiums and those lines are horrible looking. Now with every team having its own stadium there is more flexibility with scheduling. Also since most teams are in citities with not much snow it does not matter at all. Just have a 6 week time period where northeastern teams play on the road or have day games at peak temperatures.