I’m not opposed to change. I’m opposed to playing outdoors in Chicago in February. It can be figured out, but it’s also not really a necessity. Getting Messi in his prime wouldn’t have happened back then even if MLS was on the fall to spring schedule.
The inaugural Leagues Cup in 2019 was just 8 teams in Vegas during the summer, I don’t see why they couldn’t set aside a few weeks of the winter break to do a couple of rounds of knockout play if they switch the format. Not that I’m a fan of that tournament, but there are some options available, and I doubt all 9 weeks will be rest weeks for club (current CBA only promises players 6 weeks off in winter). Well, playing outdoors in Chicago in February is a change and you seem to be against it so… But it’s not that big a change - we currently play the last week of February already, and this say “mid-February” is when winter break breaks. So we’d get one more week, maybe two, where we’d possible have to play. I’d have loved February games in Chicago in the past because that would mean were playing in CONCACAF Champions League/Cup again, but most Fire fans are too young to remember those days. I didn’t say anything about Messi because who cares? I just hated signing someone in the January window, waiting for them to actually play for us until may or June and then having them be gassed by the end of the season. Like you said, it can be figured out.
I agree it may not seem to change much...but...I prefer back in the day when the league started it's season in April. We should go back to that. But yes if MLS was going to keep creeping earlier in the year and later in the year...then sure why not go this new schedule. But that is crap.
Bundesliga teams on break used to play futsal indoors then take a week of training in Mallorca, or someplace similar. The indoor tournament wasn't very well liked due to injury risk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DFB-Hallenpokal
Update- despite “ 91% mantra”, latest information indicates 94 additional matches during Nov to mid Dec bad weather matches under new schedule and 30 to 45 fewer matches in May good weather. ( depending upon final playoff format). That equates to 8 or 9 matches under less favorable weather per club. This will be my last whining post today, I promise.
The gradual shift from Apr to Mar to Feb, and extending the end from Oct to Nov to Dec, set this up….had to of been ‘the plan’. So…where is ‘preseason’? And what happens over ‘winter break’?
Not that it's our concern, but fewer 100+degree matches in some markets. Wimps. Could this lead to more afternoon games so that winter games wouldn't be as cold? Oh wait, Apple and home office will schedule for max TV angle over he people actually going to matches.
(Not from any info) Preseason is probably starting mid-June, since preseason currently starts mid-January. Winter break, as mentioned, could just be made into a mini-tournament in Miami, Texas, or SoCal. Or it can just be a full break and there's just no soccer.
A two month break and going back to playing in February weather is a recipe for injury. That said, the condensed end of season into the playoffs after a two month rest could add some intense play. If they overload that second half of the season with regional/rival play it might be a lot of fun. I still think a two month break in the middle of the season is stupid. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I always like to read the "official" announcement of MLS things, since so much gets lost in translation with news reporting and, especially, social media accounts. MLS to align calendar with top leagues around the world https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-to-align-calendar-with-top-leagues-around-world Benefits, according to MLS: 1. Optimize global transfer market activity 2. Maximize player signings 3. Align with the FIFA calendar 4. Elevate playoffs I do not disagree with these, and it will be interesting to see if there is some change to the salary budget/DP rules, to allow for MLS to compete with Europe in the summer transfer window. Perhaps a bit, but I doubt that much. I can see players actively avoiding signing with Chicago, Minnesota, Toronto, Montreal etc. because they know how awful the winters are here compared to most of Europe. The days of the "Summer vacation" that is/was MLS are gone. I am not sure how aligning with the FIFA calendar will work with a two month winter break. Since most of the FIFA calendar is in Mid-Fall and Mid-Spring, that will result is many lost weeks during the regular MLS Season. I think No. 4 is important. Back when the Fire were in Playoffs regularly (and, hopefully, that has returned!) I was always disheartened at how crappy playoff attendance was. I think it was a lack of advertising and notification (and the Playoffs were often in midweek, as I recall), but it was depressing to see. I hope the Fire are adjusting plans for the the new stadium, upgrading into a stadium built for Winter soccer, either with a roof or, at least, a heated stadium, with plenty of cover over the stands. Of course, 22,000 is too small, but that discussion is over.
I guess the latest info. Is that MLS will have a pause in schedule for new (starting in 2026) combined late Sept/ early Oct FIFA international window. This would equate to a two week break for the vast majority of MLS players. The MLS will play through the rest of the FIFA breaks-March,June & December. This would essentially be a 3 part regular season with 11 or 12 matches in each: 1)Mid July-late Sept matches, 2) 2+ weeks FIFA break,mid Oct-mid Dec matches, 3)mid Dec- mid Feb 8-9 week winter break ( with tournaments?), 4) mid Feb - end April matches, 5) month of May- playoffs, ( no break before playoffs) 6) June- mid July-summer break, host Euro clubs, preseason Probably only 2-4 midweek matches??
The only important question is: Will Adidas start making long sleeve MLS jerseys again? (I love a good long sleeve jersey and much prefer them to their short, inferior siblings.)
How do you elevate playoffs when the current situation only goes up against NFL regular season and NCAA regular season and Conference Title matches in football? Playoffs in May go head to head against the NBA and NHL playoffs as well as regular season baseball when no teams are bad enough yet to be out of the race. I would rather move to a Apertura and Clausura than this.
Maybe there's less crossover with NBA/NHL fans and soccer/MLS fans? Or maybe there's less relative national interest in NBA/NHL playoffs than there is with NFL/NCAA, so while it's still head to head, there is more room for MLS to grab eyeballs.
Two interesting possibilities- wish there was an objective definitive source for the answer. Oh wait, the decision has already been made.
The “synergy” of watching some Euro games and heading out for an MLS game is good. Dave Baldwin likes “synergy”, too!
I have been thinking about this lately. I doubt they have an answer (opinion polls won't cut it) until they try it.
The 91% number is a total misrepresentation. #cf97 had 17 games in May, June and July this season. That number will now go to maybe 3 or 4, depends on how a team does in the playoffs. A total own goal by the league, @thesoccerdon should resign.— Colin.nyse (@Colin_ByTheLake) November 15, 2025
Good old Twitter, again showing what a shit site it has become - “1989707616797216867 is not a valid tweet id” is all that show up here.