Is this League’s Cup scheduled to be an annual tournament? Or perhaps just a ‘once in four years’ type of thing? Isn’t this tournament more of a dry run of the MLS playoffs. Think about it, either Nashville or Miami will have won 5 straight single elimination-game matches. Not just against the likes of the MLS but against Mexico. Does this devalue the MLS playoffs? Will Nashville/Miami winning this tournament be more impressive than winning 4 rounds of games in the MLS playoffs (and only against MLS teams). While some of the games have certainly been exciting, I like having regularly scheduled soccer games during the prime viewing months (from a spectator point of view). If this tournament was in March or April I wouldn’t care as much. I guess I find myself thinking more and more “what’s the point” becuase… 1. it’s a major disruptor to the season. Those MLS teams bounced in the first round have a LONG break in the middle of the season. 2. It basically serves as a MLS playoffs when we already have that each year. 3. Forces an unknown schedule during the summer months when many fans may want to actually travel or plan trips to the road games.(or worse, no games at all for a while during the summer if your team is bounced) i just don’t get it. I realize I’m very “American’ in my sports viewing where ‘tournaments inside of a season’ are a weird concept to me (although I hear the NBA is doing something now too)
Yes, annual, just like CCL (now CCC) is annual. I get what you are saying in the rest of your post, but sports is entertainment, and Leagues Cup was created to attract more eyeballs to the product. From that point of view, it has been successful. We will see what happens in a few years when the novelty of it wears off. but for now, it is here to stay. In 2020, the MLS is Back tournament was also successful, which I think was part of the impetus for Leagues Cup. But the biggest attraction I think is the MLS vs LMX matchups, which MLS playoffs don't provide. Miami could win LC and might not even make the playoffs. You can't really compare the two. Part of the Apple TV deal was more playoff games, so the MLS playoffs won't be going away either (for at least 10 years).
Messi has been a huge part of it, to be sure, but there have been plenty of games not involving Miami that did well. Leagues Cup was created before Messi arrived, not for him.
Totally anecdotal, but the only non-Revs LC matches I've watched have been non-Messi games between Mexican sides and MLS sides. It's the interleague aspect that interests me, particularly the opportunity to see MLS sides oust Liga MX sides. I may not even watch the final since it's just two MLS sides, even if Messi is on one of them.
My finals thoughts on our participation this year was the fact that we would have advanced but for the fact that Atlas targeted Gil and eventually battered him out of the match. And, even though they didn't win, they forced Gil to sit out the next match, which we lost in PKs. Interesting that in the tournament games against Liga teams, the referees frequently treated Gil as though he was embellishing and failed to protect him from persistent fouling. Pretty cynical tactics ... and allowed to be successful.