With no knowledge of what MLS will actually do, here's a proposed schedule, complete with CONCACAF matchdays, for 2004: Sat 4/3/2004 MLS1 Sat 4/10/2004 MLS2 Wed 4/14/2004 MLS3 Sat 4/17/2004 MLS4 Sat 4/24/2004 MLS5 Sat 5/1/2004 MLS6 Wed 5/5/2004 MLS7 Sat 5/8/2004 MLS8 Sat 5/15/2004 MLS9 Sat 5/22/2004 MLS10 Sat 5/29/2004 MLS11 Wed 6/2/2004 MLS12 Sat 6/5/2004 MLS13 Sat 6/12/2004 CONCACAF Q2 Leg1 (Olympic mini-camp?) Sat 6/19/2004 CONCACAF Q2 Leg2 (Olympic mini-camp?) Wed 6/23/2004 MLS14 Sat 6/26/2004 MLS15 Sun 7/4/2004 MLS16 Sat 7/10/2004 MLS All-Star Game Wed 7/14/2004 MLS17 Sat 7/17/2004 MLS18 Sat 7/24/2004 MLS19 Sat 7/31/2004 MLS20 Sat 8/7/2004 MLS21 (Olympics) Wed 8/11/2004 MLS22 (Olympics) Wed 8/18/2004 CONCACAF SF1 (Olympics) Sat 8/21/2004 MLS23 (Olympics) Sat 8/28/2004 MLS24 (Olympics) Sat 9/4/2004 CONCACAF SF2 Wed 9/8/2004 CONCACAF SF3 Sat 9/11/2004 MLS25 Sat 9/18/2004 MLS26 Sat 9/25/2004 MLS27 Sat 10/2/2004 MLS28 Sat 10/9/2004 CONCACAF SF4 Wed 10/13/2004 CONCACAF SF5 Sat 10/16/2004 MLS29 Sat 10/23/2004 MLS30 Sat 10/30/2004 MLS QF1 Sat 11/6/2004 MLS QF2 Fri 11/12/2004 MLS SF Wed 11/17/2004 CONCACAF SF6 Sun 11/21/2004 MLS Cup I tried to place the Wednesday MLS matchdays at the least disruptive points in the schedule, while also trying to give the USMNT at least one week before each CONCACAF matchday. Thoughts?
Wow, great point! Geez, I don't know. Maybe I'm just looking forward to the 2004 MLS season, WC2006 qualifying, and the Olympics? I'd love to see an MLS season that conformed to FIFA and CONCACAF matchdays with a minimum of interruption to our domestic league! (To appease you, Alf, I'd also be in favor of awarding MLS Cup 2004 to Chicago!)
Re: Wow, great point! I hope you mean the actual trophy, because I don't want the game played in Chicago next year when I will be out of the country.
A couple points: 1. You need to take into account the CONCACAF Champions Cup dates, which are: 3/17 - QF Leg 1 3/24 - QF Leg 2 4/14 - SF Leg 1 4/21 - SF Leg 2 5/4 - Final Leg 1 5/11 - Final Leg 2 It would be nice if these games were on TV, but that's another story. 2. I would hold MLS Cup the week before the November WCQ date, so a Wednesday match would need to be added somewhere. This would give the MNT players 2 weeks before the perhaps crucial final game (except for the players in the final). Maybe double up on Memorial Day Weekend (Saturday/Monday), and/or reduce the conference semi-final round to a single game. But I certainly like the idea of no MLS matches on international dates. Hopefully MLS does as well.
Excellent points! Excellent points in re: CONCACAF Champions Cup. Luckily most of those dates are mid-week, so I can hopefully re-work the schedule to account for those matchdays. I'll get back to you...
Revised w/ Champions Cup Wed 3/17/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup QF1 Wed 3/24/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup QF2 Sat 4/3/2004 MLS1 Sat 4/10/2004 MLS2 Wed 4/14/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup SF1 Sat 4/17/2004 MLS3 Wed 4/21/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup SF2 Sat 4/24/2004 MLS4 Wed 4/28/2004 MLS5 Sat 5/1/2004 MLS6 Wed 5/5/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup Final 1 Sat 5/8/2004 MLS7 Wed 5/12/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup Final 2 Sat 5/15/2004 MLS8 Wed 5/19/2004 MLS9 Sat 5/22/2004 MLS10 Sat 5/29/2004 MLS11 Wed 6/2/2004 MLS12 Sat 6/5/2004 MLS13 Sat 6/12/2004 CONCACAF Q2 Leg1 Sat 6/19/2004 CONCACAF Q2 Leg2 Wed 6/23/2004 MLS14 Sat 6/26/2004 MLS15 Sun 7/4/2004 MLS16 Sat 7/10/2004 All-Star Wed 7/14/2004 MLS17 Sat 7/17/2004 MLS18 Sat 7/24/2004 MLS19 Sat 7/31/2004 MLS20 Sat 8/7/2004 MLS21 (Olympics) Wed 8/11/2004 MLS22 (Olympics) Wed 8/18/2004 CONCACAF SF1 (Olympics) Sat 8/21/2004 MLS23 (Olympics) Sat 8/28/2004 MLS24 (Olympics) Sat 9/4/2004 CONCACAF SF2 Wed 9/8/2004 CONCACAF SF3 Sat 9/11/2004 MLS25 Sat 9/18/2004 MLS26 Sat 9/25/2004 MLS27 Sat 10/2/2004 MLS28 Sat 10/9/2004 CONCACAF SF4 Wed 10/13/2004 CONCACAF SF5 Sat 10/16/2004 MLS29 Sat 10/23/2004 MLS30 Sat 10/30/2004 MLS QF1 Sat 11/6/2004 MLS QF2 Fri 11/12/2004 MLS SF Wed 11/17/2004 CONCACAF SF6 Sun 11/21/2004 MLS Cup I still like the idea of MLS Cup after the 6th CONCACAF semifinal date, but obviously it could be moved a week earlier if needed quite easily.
And what about the U.S. Open Cup dates? Those have to be fitted into the equation as well. Nonetheless, nice work on that. March to November... I can live with that length of a season.
Including US Open Cup Dates OK, another revision including US Open Cup dates. MLS teams joined last year's cup in the 3rd round: Wed 3/17/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup QF1 Wed 3/24/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup QF2 Sat 4/3/2004 MLS1 Sat 4/10/2004 MLS2 Wed 4/14/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup SF1 Sat 4/17/2004 MLS3 Wed 4/21/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup SF2 Sat 4/24/2004 MLS4 Wed 4/28/2004 MLS5 Sat 5/1/2004 MLS6 Wed 5/5/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup Final 1 Sat 5/8/2004 MLS7 Wed 5/12/2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup Final 2 Sat 5/15/2004 MLS8 Wed 5/19/2004 MLS9 Sat 5/22/2004 MLS10 Sat 5/29/2004 MLS11 Wed 6/2/2004 MLS12 Sat 6/5/2004 MLS13 Sat 6/12/2004 CONCACAF Q2 Leg1 Sat 6/19/2004 CONCACAF Q2 Leg2 Wed 6/23/2004 MLS14 Sat 6/26/2004 MLS15 Wed 6/30/2004 US Open Cup Third Round Sun 7/4/2004 MLS16 Sat 7/10/2004 All-Star Wed 7/14/2004 MLS17 Sat 7/17/2004 MLS18 Sat 7/24/2004 MLS19 Sat 7/31/2004 MLS20 Wed 8/4/2004 US Open Cup Fourth Round Sat 8/7/2004 MLS21 (Olympics) Wed 8/11/2004 MLS22 (Olympics) Wed 8/18/2004 CONCACAF SF1 (Olympics) Sat 8/21/2004 MLS23 (Olympics) Wed 8/25/2004 US Open Cup QuarterFinals Sat 8/28/2004 MLS24 (Olympics) Sat 9/4/2004 CONCACAF SF2 Wed 9/8/2004 CONCACAF SF3 Sat 9/11/2004 MLS25 Sat 9/18/2004 MLS26 Wed 9/22/2004 US Open Cup SemiFinals Sat 9/25/2004 MLS27 Sat 10/2/2004 MLS28 Sat 10/9/2004 CONCACAF SF4 Wed 10/13/2004 CONCACAF SF5 Sat 10/16/2004 MLS29 Wed 10/20/2004 US Open Cup Final Sat 10/23/2004 MLS30 Sat 10/30/2004 MLS QF1 Sat 11/6/2004 MLS QF2 Fri 11/12/2004 MLS SF Wed 11/17/2004 CONCACAF SF6 Sun 11/21/2004 MLS Cup
MLS Cup is already confirmed to be Sunday November 14th... Now work around that, and take into account all those international dates, take the top 5 most important ones, take those dates off the MLS schedule, play the other 26? or so weeks on saturday, no all star game its a waste, then 5 wed. games per team, 3 sat's of playoffs, MLS Cup on the 14th...that the perfect schedule..
Re: Wow, great point! You need some serious fun in your life!!!! This is the fantastic work of the reason why soccer will have a hard time making it as a major sport in this country. The 34 year old virgin soccers fans that seem to be in abundance in MLS and on these boards
Re: Re: Wow, great point! Yeah, all "those people" do is buy MLS season tickets, MLS shootout packages, MLS and US soccer merch, and fly cross-country for MLS Cup and World Cup Qualifiers. I can see your point, Steve-o.
I agree it's rather nuts but... What a dick! Guy likes his soccer let it be. Different strokes for different folks.