Could someone please explain to me how the playoff berth works? I mean how is it that Kansas City for example has clinched a berth yet it remains a few points behind the Metros? How does that go? I'm sure some of you out there are saying "I can't believe she doesn't know that." Don't worry <Spit> I'm spitting on myself! ME ESCUPO A MI MISMA! Thanks though. -Marilyn
If your team is above the drop zone, and if all the teams that are currently in the drop zone win all the remaining games and still have less or equal points than your team, then your team has clinched the playoff. In MLS only one team doesn't make the playoff per division. So assume if the worst team in your division wins all the remaining games and still have less points than your team, then your team clinches the playoff.
This is the important part for you Marilyn. Up until last year the playoff berths were awarded based on a single table even though the teams and schedule were divided into conferences. Under that structure neither KC or LA would be in yet and only Dallas would be eliminated from the playoffs. This year they went back to a conference based playoff structure where 4 of 5 teams in each conference make the playoffs. Out west Dallas can no longer catch KC or LA for the 4th and final spot so they are in even though they have less points than Metro. In the east Columbus and NE can still both catch or pass everyone in front of them so no playoff spots have been clinched, though Chicago has got to be real close given their lead.
Look at the brightside Little, if you think that is confusing, last year my Revs were seeded 2nd for the playoffs despite having the 7th or 8th most points because they were the least bad of the East teams.
Thanks for starting this thread cause I was wondering the same. I was wondering how the 4 teams in the west clinched a playoff spot but no one has yet to do so in the east.
The whole playoff situation is ridiculous. Right now, two teams who have won fewer than 1/3 of their games now have the potential to win the league. As it stands now, LA and KC each have 8 wins for the whole season... EIGHT!!! Neither team has to win another game during the regular season. It's ridiculous.
Yeah, I know. But tell that to all the people that think the true champion should be the winner of the MLS Cup. You'll quickly get comments shot at you like "this isn't England, we have playoffs here", etc. Because they'll say that it doesnt matter what you do for 6 months. If you can't win the big game you don't deserve to be champion. A point I always like to make is that it seems pretty clear that MLS is trying to set up a playoff system taht will make sense when the league has 12-16 teams. If there were 16 teams, half of them in the playoffs would be no different than the NBA or NHL. So they're trying to find a good playoff format (note: NOT necessarily who or how teams get in the playoffs, they're working on the format AFTER the teams are in). Because the playoff format has changed so much its time to get that set in stone. Then we can worry about choosing the teams for the playoffs. Which 8 will make more sense with more teams in the league. That said, I say screw the playoffs. The Supporters Shield winner is the true champ.