My biggest argument against the current Cup final format of a predetermined site is that if the two teams participating in the final are not from the host city, it cheats the supporters of the finalist clubs from being there to support their teams on the day that it coutns the most. If this nation was smaller than it would be possible to do but since it is not, it is very hard and expensive for fans to fly or drive across the country to see their clubs play. If the final was home/home then fans would be able to see their clubs in their own stadium fight for the Cup. I love the 1st round format, it ought to continue into the second and final rounds in my opinion, it is inconsistent to have home/home and then just one single elimination match for conference final and final? Next year the Final will be in Dallas. If D.C. Utd makes it again and lets say L.A. orS.J. make it, it wouldnt be fair to those fans to have travel to Dallas, where is their reward for supporting the club all year long? Many if not most are relegated to watching it on TV, takes alot of it. And then, who is to say Dallas fans would even go and watch? The HDC did not sell out this year for the final, why? Because what do L.A. fans care about D.C. and K.C.? MLS is notthe NFL and should not try to emulate the Super Bowl, even the MLS Cup Trophy looks like the Lombardi Trophy? We need to stick to our football traditions and cultures, it is what sets us apart from the other sports leagues in the USA.
Except that even from Newcastle you can get on a train to Cardiff early in the morning, watch the match in the afternoon, have a few in the pub afterwards, and still get home late the same night/very early the next morning. This isn't feasible in the U.S. I agree that the final should be played over two legs, one in each team's ground.
This is were i'm torn. I think we do need to have some likness to the other sports in the USA in order for us to appeal to the non soccer fan (which let's face it, are alot of). Also i think its nice to be a little bit different then the steriotypical football traditions and cultures because it makes US soccer, US soccer. It's for these reason that I don't like salt lake's shield and love New England's symbol, It just more origanal. Thats just my opinion. Anyway, I totally agree with you HOME-HOME series idea. Maybe make it a 2/3 senerio and not agriagate (even though i love agrigate goal series, the first game could ruin the next). Each team plays at home once, and for the 3rd (if needed) the Home team will be decided by total goals from the two games, if tied, then go to number of penalties, ect. if tied at the end then coin flip.
Get your lazy ass off the couch and buy a ticket early. If you're a supporter then in May and in September, you should believe your team is going to be there.
What a stupid idea. There is nothing wrong with a one match MLS Cup Final, any more than there's anything wrong with the FA Cup Final, UEFA Champions League Final, etc. For once, MLS does it "like the rest of the world" and still gets criticized.
If it's good enough for the World Cup, it's good enough for MLS. My major problem with the aggregate goal thing is it's confusing to the soccer novice. Not a great way to draw in the fans. The offsides rule is hard enough to understand. I'm just glad it's not as confusing as hockey's offsides. Anyway, keep it at one game! Do or die! Divide or UNITE!
I think the system we have is fine, but the TV guys need to display the aggregate score better. You could have something like this in the little box at the upper left corner: ..........Game 1...Game 2...Total Team 1....2...........0............2 Team 2....0...........2............2
As for MLS finally doing it the same as the rest of the world and still being criticized.... For starters, all those competitionns you mention, UEFA cup, CL, FA Cup, World Cup are ALL tournaments and thats fine for what it is but we are talking about domestic league play to determine a national champion, and in that regards, we do not do it like the rest of the world. Excluding most Euro leagues who do not have a playoff systems, the leagues that do have a playoff system use a home/away format for playoff and final games.
I agree. Winning the first leg of a home-away series my be fun but it lacks the drama of a winner-takes-all, one-off knock-out match. If anything, I would like to see the first round also be a one-off but I realize that Mr. Hunt and the "every playoff team must have a home game" crowd would object. The current playoff structure is an adequate compromise.
An adequate compromise for some maybe .... It could be so much better........ oh well, perhaps someday..
I like it the way it is. It gives the league a chance to award the final disportionately to league SSS's. That way, those that choose to get one get an additional reward to help them pay for it. Dallas needs the final next year to help them get up some more interest in their program. I imagine they will offer season ticket packages that include great seats for the final, too. I expect the next three finals after Dallas to go to Colorado, Chicago, and then NJ. Also, the division championships being one game gets TV more interested in putting those games on, too. Hopefully, one of these years ABC will buy up the division championship games, too. If they were home and away, I think that might take longer.
I'm pretty sure the final is two games. That's why KC didn't really need to press for the draw at the end. Does anyone know when and where the second leg is played? Only down one goal, I think the Wizards will take it all.