Lots on line in MLS playoff races during Rivalry Week What They're Saying: Brian Schmetzer Gooch scores first Sunderland goal in Carabao Cup win New Sounder Leerdam is enthused about move to MLS Vinotinto: Latest MLS taste in South American imports Soccer America Young Orlando City players work on leadership as veterans recover from injury Orlando Sentinel Major League Soccer News and Scores espnfc Planet Futbol - Schedule, News and More | SI.com - Sports Illustrated si/planet-futbol MLS News, Analysis, Results & Stats foxsports fourfourtwo MLS Headlines 442 MLS Headlines- TSN tsn From goal to goal line: 2 sports (soccer, football) at same time not too much The Independent
Three head injuries in four weeks highlight D.C. United’s dark history with concussions Washington Post
You can stream tonight's #TexasDerby on Facebook Live! 🎉Save this link for when 7pm CT rolls around: https://t.co/PJn4dkdVB9 #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/6QfDaDH8b9— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) August 23, 2017
That would be RFK or Dick Sporting Goods park... "You say you 'Believe' but you ain't got no heart..." ⚫️🔵IT'S HERE! Enjoy the official music video for "Never Say Die" by @OldFirmCasuals! pic.twitter.com/6XSxiFnFAv— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) August 23, 2017 Rock on boys!!!
Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs Schedule *Subject to change. Canadian and international broadcast information to be announced at a later date. Knockout Round (Conference third seed vs. sixth, and fourth seed vs. fifth seed in a single-game elimination match) Eastern and Western Conference Knockout Round (4 games) October 25 Two Games Times TBD (UniMás) October 26 Two Games Times TBD (UniMás, one game each on FS1 & ESPN2) Conference Semifinals (Two-game series, aggregate-goal format between conference top seed vs. lowest advancing seed from Knockout Round and conference second seed vs. highest seed from Knockout Round) Eastern Conference Semifinal Series Eastern Conference Semifinal Leg 1 (2 games) Monday, Oct. 30 Time TBD (FS1) Tuesday, Oct. 31 Time TBD (ESPN) Eastern Conference Semifinal Leg 2 (2 games) Sunday, Nov. 5 Times TBD (ESPN, FS1) *both games will be played on the same day. Western Conference Semifinal Series Western Conference Semifinal Leg 1 (2 games) Sunday, Oct. 29 5 p.m. ET (ESPN) Tuesday, Oct. 31 Time TBD (FS1) Western Conference Semifinal Leg 2 (2 games) *both games will be played on the same day Sunday, Nov. 5 Times TBD (ESPN, FS1) Conference Championships (Two-game series, aggregate-goal format) Eastern Conference Championship Eastern Conference Championship Leg 1 (1 game) Tuesday, Nov. 21 8 p.m. ET (ESPN) Eastern Conference Semifinal Leg 2 (1 game) Nov. 28 or 29 Time TBD (FS1) Western Conference Championship Western Conference Championship Leg 1 (1 game) Tuesday, Nov. 21 Time TBD (FS1) Western Conference Championship Leg 2 (1 game) Thursday, Nov. 30 Time TBD (ESPN) 2017 MLS Cup (Hosted at the home venue of the finalist with the best regular season record) Saturday, Dec. 9 3 p.m. CT (ESPN, UniMás, TSN, TVA Sports)
There's a good chance of the final being played in NYC/NJ, Chicago or Canada. Maybe 4 feet of snow and sub 20 degree temperatures will force MLS to do something about the crazy scheduling.
Scheduling the final before the international break or reverting to playing the finals at a neutral stadium. Neither is ideal, But if you go back just 4 years it was -4F (-20C) in Minneapolis and 0F (-18C) in Chicago on December 9.
Change the two legs to knockout rounds. That saves 3 weeks, two by eliminating two matches, one by getting the final in before the international break. (I think. That's how it worked last year.)
When I look at the history of MLS Cup and compare, it is amazing to realize that as far back as 2002 the MLS Cup Final was being played close to Halloween time (late Oct) when today the time close to Halloween usually marks the beginning of the playoffs! Also of note as recently as 2011 the MLS Cup final was being played before Thanksgiving (usually was being played somewhere between Nov. 20 and 23rd). It was in 2012 when the MLS Cup Final first started to be played in the beginning of December (anywhere from Dec. 1st to 10th) and that is the timetable where the final has stayed at ever since. I truly think that this is the farthest MLS can stretch its calendar. Past the first week of December you really do run into the problem of more and more cold and it also becomes more likely that you will run into snow. Who would've thought when this league first started that one day we would play soccer for 9 months and one week out of the year (give or take--March-Dec.) in this country? We have definitely come a long way.
When was this game? I'm going to take a wild guess and say that it was somewhere in the beginnign of the season--March maybe? Awesome pic by the way and great yellow ball for a snow game-- much better than the stereotypical flame-orange ball. =)
How about just eliminating the ridiculous competition format known as the "playoffs" and just have the regular season Eastern Conference Champion play the regular season Western Conference Champion for the league title? Problem solved.
Yes have to agree with what you're saying--under Euro rules that's it the league title would already be done and over with, with 9 weeks still left to go. In our system the #1 seed in the playoffs is about to be clinched--nothing less, nothing more. All the other teams are still scrambling for their ticket to the playoffs and any one of them could wind up winning it all --although the highest probabilities are with the SS champions going into the playoffs. However the playoffs have proven time and again that wining the regular season does not necessarily prepare you for the rigors of the playoffs when they come. In the Euro leagues playing for a spot in continental qualification after the league champion has already been decided, although it is indeed something to play for, is not really the same. The mad scramble as the season draws to an end to qualify for the MLS playoffs and the high intensity of the playoffs when they begin produce some great games and great drama--love it!
It's easy to lose sight of the similarities between leagues, though. For UEFA teams, the Champions' League plays a very similar role to American playoffs.
Or they would, if so many of the European leagues weren't already separated into "haves" and "have nots".to the point that most of those spots are largely clinched before the end of the season.