MLS dropped information about the coming season, conference realignment, scheduling, and so on: www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-2022-season-start-date-schedule-format-and-conference-alignment-announced A few key notes: MLS announces schedule format for 2022:✔️Season starts Feb. 26✔️Reg. season ends Oct. 9✔️MLS Cup on Nov. 5, nine days before World Cup release date✔️Charlotte in East, Nashville to West✔️Five or fewer midweek matches per team✔️Very limited number of games in int'l windows— Sam Stejskal (@samstejskal) November 5, 2021 Season starts on 2/26 and ends on 10/9. MLS Cup is scheduled for 11/5. Fewer midweek matches? Yay! According to MLS, they're targeting one each in May, June and July, and two in August. Plus, midweek matches won't be scheduled in consecutive weeks. Also, we'll get a bit more consistency in opponents across the league: "All teams will face each of their conference opponents twice and play eight non-conference opponents once." I like all of these changes. Of course, we'll need to see how THE LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP and Leagues Cup fit into the big picture.
It would be really cool if they could somehow front load the southern teams schedules in the beginning of the season and give them a lighter summer while the northern teams play a lighter schedule in the in the early months with a heavier summer schedule.
I had no idea that there was an odd number of teams this year. This schedule is better than I expected, but in 2023 will they start the season in early February or go back to a December mls cup final because of the leagues cup? For some reason everyone not familiar with soccer thinks mls plays a winter schedule. Like oh hey the crew won the cup in April right?
The early start is likely here to stay. The early finish probably only for 2022 due to WC2022 - Slave City! The leagues cup will take that time over in 2023 and the MLS Cup will likely be back in December. At least that's how I figure it will be.
Sucks to lose Nashville, though. Sucks more for them, though, since they'll be racking up some serious road trip travel miles. It's farther east than Chicago, for goodness sake.
Nothing official anywhere, but it looks like Bob Bradley is out at LAFC and will return to Toronto. Bob Bradley Toronto FC TFC Los Angeles FC LAFC Michael Bradley - TSN.ca
Distance wise, yes, but Nashville is central time. So they'll have significantly fewer time zone changes
Chicago is also central time. Nashville is a fairly short distance (you can comfortably make the drive in less than half of a day) to ATL, Cincy, Columbus, and Charlotte. Chicago is only relatively close to Cincinnati and Columbus. It seems like an odd choice, but hopefully it's just temporary (for Nashville's sake).
Smart money says St Louis & Chicago wind up in the same conference for rivalry reasons. And, because MLS is MLS, that most likely means that St Louis goes to the east while Nashville stays in the west.
Which is too bad. Nashville is the second best road trip in the league after Montreal. St Louis is like visiting Buffalo.
If you thought Porter underperformed, look at LAFC's roster the past 3 years. Nashville switch should be temporary, but I guess maybe the st. Louis rivalry makes sense. Another west coast team will join. If someone wants to put the money down, Vegas could join in 2023 easily.
Ah, yes. This is more the mL$ way - force a rivalry between fanbases that don't care about each other rather than take advantage of the 130-year-old one that already exists. Good call, I stand corrected.
I've never taken LAFC seriously. They can't defend for shit. And in a parity league, eventually you have to be able to win a close game 1-0 or 2-1. They can't. Put it this way: One of the things that sent us on the road to ruin this year was the number of goals our back line just handed to the opponent. Just absolute gifts. Well, we gave up 45 goals this season. LAFC gave up 51.