I'm not a big fan of the overtime format that MLS uses. I think if the game is tied after 90 minutes, then the game ends tied. I don't like this 10 extra minutes. But if they do want to keep overtime, they should do it like everywhere else, play two 15 minute halves with golden goal. But no penalty shootout, leave it a tie if no one scores in OT. Anyone agree or disagree?
I disagree. It adds an additional 10 minutes of soccer or a game winning goal. An extra incentive to get two points.
Agree. The US should play the game like the rest of the world. Also, ten extra minutes fifteen times per season saps a team. This together with cup competitions makes for very tired players come the playoffs. Nix OT MLS, it is a bad idea IMO.
Re: Re: Overtime in MLS Gotta disagree with this. Why should the US "play the game like the rest of the world?" Some of the most exciting MLS games I have been to ended in overtime. It adds an extra level of excitement at the end of the game. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, for the casual fan the OT provides an additional element of tension and excitement, which is heightened by their 'American expectation' of an overtime period if a game is drawn at the end of regulation. All the casual fans I bring to games LOVE the overtime, they look at it as ten more minutes where the teams attack to get a victory. As for the claim that the extra ten minutes "saps a team," I find that hard to believe. Perhaps if the players were subjected to the extra minutes all at one time, but I can't imagine that professional players would actually be affected by the overtime minutes. If this argument is true, then why bother with extra/injury time, or why not eliminate a game or two from the schedule? Seems like those would be legitimate answers to your concern as well.
The overtime is the way it is because to sell soccer to the American public, you can't have games ending in ties. For some reason, we don't like that. As for limiting it to 10 minutes, You have 5 mins. pre-game, 15 minute halftime, and a 90 min. game and that leaves only 10 minutes before your 2 hour TV time slot is up. Now if MLS want to try to get ESPN, et. al. to give them 2-1/2 hours per broadcst, Good Luck! I kind of like it the way it is. 10 extra minutes of soccer is 10 extra minutes of soccer and I thinks thats what we all want is more soccer. And, it beats the hell out of the shootout.
Re: Re: Re: Overtime in MLS I realize it's not comparable, and I realize they play more games, but in the EPL, the following teams have played to 10 or more draws this season: Liverpool Blackburn Southampton Bolton West Ham That's 1/4 of the EPL, FWIW. For comparison, there are two teams in Germany, two in Holland, four in Italy, four in Scotland, and just one in Spain (though there are 8 teams, including league leaders Real Madrid, who have played to 9 draws).
Therein lies the rub. ESPN will give MLS however much time they want for their games. Only catch is, MLS has to pay for that time.
WUSA plays without pandering to some illusionary excitement-loving, can't-take-a-tie, we-need-overtime American audience; you'd think MLS could at least do the same.
I'm all for standardization given that i want to see MLS become more integrated with the world of soccer. Though I don't find anything inherantly wrong with MLS's overtime. I just wish either the rest of the world would adopt it or MLS would get rid of it.
I'd prefer to see MLS can overtime altogether. But if the league insists on keeping it, then I'd like to see them modify their scoring system for overtime games. Rather than the present system of awarding OT winners 3 pts and OT losers 0 pts, I'd like to see OT winners receive 2 pts and OT losers 1 pt. By ensuring any team that reaches overtime will get at least 1 point, we'd avoid some of the dull overtimes we now have where both teams play cautiously in order to avoid losing any points from the game. And making a win in OT worth less than a win in regulation would help increase the likelihood that teams go all out to win the game in the first 90 minutes rather than coast the last few minutes prior to OT.
And this strategy has enabled WUSA to attract crowds how much larger than those that go to MLS games?
lol...the first paragraph seemed liek complete ************************... but after you explained yourself you brought out some good points... i'd MUCH rather have soccer be inline with the US rather then the rest of the world. think about it, why do you think soccer isn't popular here? because its not "our" sport. its like having a mexican returaunt in china. sure it will get some cash in, but not any where nearly as much as the chinese food will. stupid analogy, i know
It doesn't really matter. Those leagues that were mentioned also play more games in there season. Having the threat of going into overtime sudden death overtime pushes them harder at the end to avoid an against the run of the play goal that could end it. In a league with as much parity as MLS, anything that can spread out the standings is a good thing.
I disagree. No games should ever end in a tie. They should play until there is a winner or everyone drops dead from exhaustion. Ties suck and so do people who like them. Sachin
Re: Re: Re: Re: Overtime in MLS Because MLS is played here and, absent someone applying wild and unheard of variations to the game of soccer in America like, say, a shot clock or a penalty box, minor distinctions in the game is not necessarily a bad thing. We like contests with winners. We like a playoff to determine the champion. We like a multi-division league. There's nothing wrong with that.
Soccer is the world's game, so why shouldn't we play it like the rest of the world? Including no OT for the regular season. I'd prefer no playoffs either but one step at a time. And do NOT give the team that loses a point. The NHL does this and it's asinine. It should not take any more than three columns to write out your team's record. If you want a point don't allow more goals than you score.
But the world is America's plaything, so it's up to the rest of the world to do things the way we want to. On the other hand, the French have ties, no playoffs, etc. Do you really want to be like the French? Sachin
If the rest of the world does one thing, it doesn't necessarily mean it's good. It seems like the rest of the world is starting to consider emulating American sports economic system.