PBP: 2024 MLS Season PBP Thread Week 27 October 2 - 6 {R}

This match has an odd mixture of overthinking and poor execution.

 

"Even though I'm in a good shooting position now, if I take a few more touches I can walk it into the goal"

 

Props on Dallas for bringing it today even though they've been eliminated.

 

Thia has been an entertaining scoreless game to me.

 

With the best kind of tie incoming.

 

Chara has not had a yellow yet. That's unusual.

Of course, if he does get one he will miss the game against the Sounders.

 

I am just angry that DC United has suckered me into attending the reguar season finale on Saturday by virtue of winning 2 straight away. I get to see them implode on Decision Day and make me regret my life.

 

This game is nuts.

 

Almost a dramatic goal for Portland

 

lol, cleared off the line by Dallas

 

QFT.

 

WOW!!!!!

 

Arre-gol-a!

 

...and another pretty good week of MLS comes to an end.

Respectfully, ******** you @Sounders78. That game was your fault. Another ********ing boring scoreless tie. Yes, I have had this post sitting waiting to hit "Post Reply" for at least 40 minutes.

 

It's because of Portland we can't have nice things

 

For being an atheist, he sure is great at tempting the soccer gods.

 

And with that there's at least one more trip out to the Dick in store for me this season.

Hard to top yesterday's tailgate though with the first ever C38 Brewfest. 8 local breweries came out with Ratio Beerworks' King of Carrot Flowers taking the Golden Oar.

 

I remember the Nigel de Jong foul on Nagbe as standing out as being excessive

 

It's disappointing that said soccer gods didn't take the bait. I guess I'll give props to Sounders78 for calling this one. His Magic 8 Ball did the trick!

 

Good catch...forgot about NYC's Sunday game!

 

Man talk about Cincy stumbling into the playoffs...if I'm looking at the table right, they may very well stumble out of a Concacaf Champions Cup spot too. Two of three (Cincy, Seattle, RSL) will make it based on the Supporter's Shield standings with all of them being on 56 points; Cincy holds the wins tiebreaker, so if they win they're in (which is not a foregone conclusion the way the past month has gone). The only team that will need help if they win is RSL, which needs either Cincy or Seattle to drop points.

 

This guy on our Forum found this:

If that's the case, then Cincy is on the outside looking in.

But which is it? I thought it was wins first also.

Lastly, all three teams would have to get the same result (not score) for this tiebreaker to kick in, so it probably won't be in play anyhow.

 

Sheesh what a mess, yeah according to that rulebook sounds like it's goal differential unless they just didn't update their document to match up with MLS's rules.

Also brings up another point (which might be addressed in that handbook, I don't have a link)...if Columbus were to win MLS Cup, which first round bye slot would they occupy: that one or the Leagues Cup one? If it's MLS Cup, would the Leagues Cup runner up get the first round bye and if it's League Cup...Supporter's Shield winner would get it since technically the MLS Cup runner up could not even be in the tournament?

 

Here is the link to the 2024 regulations, which is the source of that screenshot. I don't see the 2025 regulations posted.

https://stconcacafwp001.blob.core.w...24-concacaf-champions-cup-regulations-eng.pdf

The Leagues Cup/MLS Cup double is handled like this in Rule 5.1.4.4:

"Should the 2023 Leagues Cup Champion also be the 2023 MLS Cup Champion, then the runner-up in the 2023 MLS Cup will qualify to the Round of 16..."

So this specific instance would bring the MLS Cup runner-up into the tournament with a bye even if not qualified by any other means.

The tiebreaker stuff is a huge mess. The goal difference tiebreaker in the screenshot Rule 5.1.7.6 is stated to apply "Excluding the clubs directly qualified as listed above." Those listed above are the five direct MLS slots: MLS Cup, Shield, other conference regular season champion, next two in Shield standings. That would indicate to me that the MLS rules apply to the direct slots, but the goal difference rule listed in 5.1.7.6 applies if there's a need to go further down the table to backfill some of the slots. Currently Columbus and LAFC hold the last two direct slots, which would both need to be backfilled, but LAFC could be passed by some or all of the teams tied at 56. If all three pass LAFC, it could be that they apply the MLS tiebreaker to determine the last direct slot, and then the goal difference tiebreaker to determine who backfills the Crew's slot.

Or there could be something different in the 2025 regulations which we haven't seen.