The Shootout. It was great wasn't it? I like that big clock that was brought out onto the field. That was so cool. I like when Wynalda was disabled because of his collision with the goalkeeper. That was so cool. Bring the Shootout back. Maybe we could make it more exciting for the US fans. Put the clock between the shooter and the goalkeeper so it would kind of be like an obstacle course. That would make it exciting. The Shootout and Elvis are dead. Let them rest in peace.
You mention matches during the season which are sell-outs because "there are plenty of fans of MLS out there." Well, those fans don't need to be alerted that playoffs are upon them. They know what weekend the playoffs will start if their clubs qualify. Where's the playoff sell-out? What's the problem? This "time constraint" argument isn't holding a hell of a lot of water with me. I think it's an excuse, as opposed to an actual reason. One would think fans of the clubs would be so excited to make the playoffs they'd run out to purchase tickets, instead of needing two whole weeks to get their affairs in order so they will have the time put aside to attend. Are they planning a 500-person wedding, or simply going to a two-hour soccer game? Either it means the world to them or it doesn't. If I actually thought I'd walk into Times Square during a two-week layoff and see a billboard promoting a MetroStars playoff appearence, I might be more inclined to go along with you. But you know as well as I that the marketing of this league is pathetic. It wouldn't make a bit of difference. The league would probably fall off whatever radar screen it might be on if you put a dead weekend in between the end of the season and the playoffs.
This is why you do what you do. Whatever it is. It's industry-wide. Ticket sales take time, especially in niche sports. There aren't nearly enough people for whom this "means the world" to be able to put tickets on sale and have them walk out the door all by themselves. Blame the marketing. It's always the marketing. It's never the freaking product or soccer's place in this country. It's always the marketing.
Since the overriding issue is getting more marketing time for the teams wouldn't it be smart if the teams collaborated with say US Soocer and sheduled the Open Cup Final this off week? Since it is single entity and SUM does own the marketing rights to the Open Cup for a few years the teams can all get together and do something like this and possible get the game on ESPN2 at least (yes I know gol tv has it for the next few years). That way teams get the week of to market and the Open Cup gets a weekend all to itself and isn't relegated to some wednesday night on an obscure channel.
Hype basicly. You have a large number of people excited, you are going to turn out fans for playoff games in other sports who havent gone to a game all year. Without the hype, MLS clubs need to market the game effectively to mobilize the fanbase. And it doesnt have to be a "dead" weekend. You could try and get the USOC final for that weekend.
My cure for a lack of marketing is to actually try to market. But point taken, thats now another problems. Just another not, DC and Metro fans had no clue when or where their team would play until sunday of last week. Now for hardcore fans, thats not really a problem, but for the rest it is.
Which is exactly the point until sunday teams didn't know if they would be home or away. Hard to sell tickets when you don't know when the game is.
It took MLS nine years to finally get to the international standards and you want to bring us right back? What we have now is a combination of American and international standards in our playoff system, and it works fine. Of course it's stupid to have 8 of 10 teams in the playoffs, but the system itself is fine. The shootout was a crappy way to end a match, or a series. Now, the best team actually advances from the series (they may not have deserved to qualify in the first place, but that's another story). The NASL and MLS both tried to Americanize the game, and now finally, finally in this country we have respect for the game of soccer and soccer fans. Let's not go back.
Decent idea certainly. As long as a weekend isn't totally "dark." And anything which raises the profile of the U.S. Open Cup is worth a try. Of course, there will be complaining from some hardcore MLS-only fans who have little regard for the Open that it is unfair to the two clubs playing in the game and risking injury, fatigue, etc., before heading into the MLS playoffs. But what else would be new around here. It may be an interesting experiment to attempt one season.
Thats why the Supporters Shield is the trophy given to the true champion of the league. Thats how I see it anyway. To me, the playoffs and MLS Cup is just kind of a fun thing, almost like some weekend invitational tournament. Its not to show who the year's champion is, its just to show who won the playoffs and who won the final game.
How does using PK's to determine the winner of a game fail to respect the game of soccer and soccer fans? If it's good enough for the World Cup, it should be good enough for us.
The supporter's shield isn't even an official trophy. It definitely isn't a measure of the "true champion." To the players, it's the cash of winning playoff games that matters. Not the supporter's shield or the USOC. In Hockey do you care only about the award for the team that wins the regular season as well (the Commander's cup, or whatever?). I remember the year the Stars won that and then lost in the playoffs. Woo hoo. Pretty much meant nothing.
The President's Cup...but you're right. Coming in first overall will mean ziltch unless there's one table and no playoffs.
How can you award a championship to the team with the most game points when none of the teams played the same schedule? A Regular Season championship in the U.S. is seen as meaningless. Just like a division title. When all 10, now 12, teams play the exact same schedule will the Supporters Shield be taken seriously. Actually, let's do this. The Supporters Shield should only count the first home game and first away game in any two-team combination. Such as "Galaxy @ Crew" and "Crew @ Galaxy" would go towards the Supporters Shield standings. But "Crew @ Revs", "Revs @ Crew", and "Crew @ Revs" would only count the first two. That way, when it's all said and done, there's 18 games played by each team in the SS standings. One at home against the other 9 teams, and one on the road against all 9 teams. Sykotyk
Quickly going over these numbers, if you took the first two games, first at home and first away for all teams, this is the 'single table' standings: Code: [u] Team - W - L - D - PTS[/u] MetroStars - 8 - 5 - 5 - 29 Los Angeles - 7 - 6 - 5 - 26 Kansas City - 7 - 6 - 5 - 26 Dallas - 7 - 6 - 5 - 26 Columbus - 6 - 4 - 8 - 26 New England - 6 - 7 - 5 - 23 San Jose - 5 - 7 - 6 - 21 Chicago - 5 - 8 - 5 - 20 D.C. United - 4 - 8 - 6 - 18 I didn't use tie-breakers for teams with the same # of points. But, there you have it. MetroStars should be the Supporters Shield winners as they had the best record in the first eighteen games against the other 9 opponents (9 home, 9 away) than the other nine teams in the league. Sykotyk
It is good enough for us, at the end of a series, not to determine the winner of each game in the series.
By the same token, New England could be MLS Cup Champions, a team that only won 8 games all year and tied for last place. Now there's a true Champion.
Turn that argument around. Surely if Columbus is a "true champion", they should be able to dispatch new England with ease over a 2-game series.
That is a true enigma, you're right. But that's what it boils down to. Someone like myself is a Supporters Shield lover. I feel the "True Champion" is the one that proved themselves all year long. A lover of MLS Cup will say the "True Champion" is the one that proves themselves throughout the playoffs and the final. Each of us has a good point. I will laugh my ass off though if New England hoists the cup. They tied for last place. They are co-winners of this years "Relegation Boot" trophy.
I wonder why everyone wants just random people in the seats so badly. Right now, you have the people that want to be there, cause they want to. Not because of some marketing cohersion. Would you guys would really enjoy it more if they trucked in a bunch of youth teams and soccer moms just to fill the seats? Is the attendance pitiful, sure it is. But atleast you are outthere enjoying the the few games that matter, with the people that actually care about it.
This is somewhat true, but the supports shield is a little tainted too. Teams dont try their hardest during the regular season cause they know they will be in the playoffs anyway. So the best record isnt a true test of being the best team either. I think you might be caught up in a catch 22 man...