I realize posting to the YBTD forum is basically a way to just get called an idiot by a number of people, but here we go. Honestly, this tournament has been pretty fun. I don't know if it's the weird times, the 5 subs, the no fans, or the vaguely preseason feel of things, teams not really caring so not playing defensively, but more teams than not have been going for it, making for entertaining soccer. Most likely, such magic could never be captured again. But...what if it could? Obviously with a different name though. Some MLS teams (3-5 per year) start in February because of the Champions League. So why not stick this tournament in February for all of the other teams so everyone has a relatively consistent season start date? Exempt the 3-5 teams in the CL for the group stage. Scheduling: We'll assume the Canadian Championship and USOC are won by MLS teams. If not, just add more teams to the groups and advance more teams to the round of 16. Host it in a southern city. 2021: 22 teams in group stage. 6 groups of 3 and 1 group of 4. To keep the games even, there will be one crossover group game drawn in the 6 groups of 3 - so A teams play 1 game against a B team, C and D, E and F to make 3 games total per team. Obviously the 4 team group just plays within their group. 11 teams need to advance for a round of 16 knockout stage, so group winners and 4 best runners up. 2022: 23 teams in group stage. 6 groups of 3 and 1 group of 5. To keep the games even, two crossover games with another group for the groups of 3. A teams will have two crossovers with the B group, etc. Result is 4 group games each. Again, 11 teams for a round of 16, so group winners and top 4 runners up again. 2023: 25 teams in group stage. Sigh. The easiest solution is 5 groups of 5, 4 group games each, with the winners and runners up advancing plus 1 third place team. When: This year's tournament group stage was scheduled over 15 days. That will work in 2021 and need to be increased once there are more group games. The first leg of the CL was Feb. 18-20 and second leg was Feb. 25-27. The second round of the CL started around March 10. So for 15 days, start approx. Feb. 12 with the final group game ending Feb. 27. Round of 16 can then begin March 3 and end March 5. We'd have to stop at that point to allow any teams in the CL round 2 to continue. When we have more group games, push the start to earlier in February. The QFs, semis and finals could be done then in season. Draw for home teams, rather than a neutral site. Or do it all during the summer international break in a colder northern city, it's not like this tournament has been completely hurt by missing most of its stars and teams might not super-care anyway. I'd keep the rules the same, recognizing this is a quasi-preseason tournament (5 subs, water breaks, knockout rounds after 90 go straight to PKs, etc.) but I'm not wed to them. The only change I'd make is I would not draw groups by conference and I'd let them be random. Cons: Playing this in a warm weather climate will be nice but what fans will go to see the neutral games? Probably none. Fine for a tournament where you can't have fans, but a definite problem here. Will teams care? Do you put a CL spot on the line for this tournament? Will the knockout rounds seem repetitive with the playoffs and US Open Cup? TV deal? Basically a non-starter without one. Will need to delay the opening of the regular season about a week. Will need to find three matchdays for the QFs, semis, and finals. Pros: Extending the season earlier. Teams will all play more meaningful games (compared to friendlies anyway) about two weeks earlier than they do now. It's incredibly likely going forward that not all teams will see each other in the regular season, so this is a chance for teams not scheduled to play each other to be drawn against one another. MLS is Back has been fun and maybe this would also be fun. More soccer is usually good, right?
How about an Apertura/Clausura-style split season? In each half, the top 4 teams from each conference qualify to the playoffs.
I don't think it's NECESSARY to have this be a repeating event, but I'm not opposed to it either. There would have to be some logistics to figure out, obviously. Namely, the fact that a tournament like this would have certain teams that make the knockout stages potentially playing more matches than other teams before the season begins. Also, could this conflict with regularly scheduled CCL matches that are played around the time of year this tournament would take place? But if there's a CCL spot on the line, I like the idea that you actually have to WIN something to get in. Win this tournament, win the Shield, win the Open Cup, or win MLS Cup. No spots for the MLS Cup runner-up (unless a team wins multiples, and then you do what you have to).
They took that away a few years ago. The last couple of years its gone to the non-Shield winning conference champ.
I don't see it happening, especially since the ratings haven't been significantly beyond what MLS normally does. That said, on a personal level I loved MLS is Back. For me it brought that excitement of an international tournament where the opening round feels like a soccer fest. I think I prefer that short term overload to the grind of a whole season.
I would happily argue that being the best regular season team in the conference that does not produce a Shield winner isn't, y'know, winning anything. Especially given that the Conference Championship Trophy is given to the MLS Cup finalists (or, at least, they were back in 2014 when the Revs were allowed to win hardware.)
I believe they also changed that, so the regular season champs get the conference trophies, though I'm less confident that I'm remembering that correctly.
Well I've got Jim Curtin as a supporter anyway. Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin wants to see the MLS is Back Tournament become an annual tournament to kick off the year in Vegas, Florida or wherever:"Sometimes it's okay for the US soccer game to be different from the rest of the world."— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) August 3, 2020
Hmm. Seeing as there are already several preseason tournaments that happen annually (Orlando, Tucson, Charleston, Portland) and other venues that often host multiple MLS teams in preseason (e.g. Carson), it might not be that much effort to merge them into one competition. The easiest thing to do is put one or two groups in each of several cities and have the winners play each other for a preseason championship.
I forget what other league system I read about that has a cup for its premier league. I'd be OK with that kind of thing, but interwoven with the MLS season and the U.S. Open Cup. Of course, fixture congestion is always a party pooper. ETA: And yeah, the MLSIB name needs to go. It needs, really, to have never been a thing.