Well, it's finally over. Every one of the teams that was tasked to play in the Superliga as well as the Champions League has now bitten the dust ....... in a couple of cases, losing spectacularly to do so. Since the extra burden of Superliga, the Revs went into a downward spiral. DC also went into a downward spiral. DC/Revs/Chivas all struggled to stay/get healthy with all the extra games. DC ultimately failed to make the playoffs. The Revs were simply dead in the water the last couple of months. Chivas and the Revs were smoked out of the CCL by what were supposedly inferior teams in the play-in portion. DC managed a single point in their Superliga group. Chivas and the Revs got bounced out quickly in the playoffs. And now the coup de grace. The 2 time champions bounced out of the playoffs, at home, by a 3-0 score. The only real accomplishment by any of the 4 teams after Superliga was the fact that DC won the Open Cup, a feat accomplished entirely at home. Sure, I understand that a major problem is depth. However, I once again want to opine about how ridiculously stupid it was for MLS to decide that the CCL teams for this year WERE REQUIRED to play in the Superliga as well, as I have seen stated elsewhere. As the decision for next year has not been made, I want to implore the league offices to do the right thing, and mandate that the Superliga teams are the top 4 teams not already playing in the CCL. I want to see our teams do well in all competitions and not handicapped in our own playoff races to an unnecessary degree at the same time. I remember seeing either Gazidis or Garber state a month or so ago that SUPERLIGA was a priority, while not mentioning the CCL. Being that we have to play our best in the CCL, that statement makes me very fearful about them pulling the same stunt with the Superliga/CCL again next year. Garber/Gazidis/et al ...... this league is a parity driven league. It's better to play a "2nd tier" teams in Superliga then to drain your own best teams. Get it together!
Scary thought, isn't it? I have to admit that I was on this kick from the moment that I realized PRIOR to the season that the teams were being asked to do both. I railed against it then, but was met with heavy resistance from those who thought that this was a chance for "glory". I just want to see what people generally think of it now. Whether or not it was a factor, or just chance. One of the group of fans I would like to hear from are YOUR team. I was reading posts in the Crew forum when you guys clinched the Shield, and I already saw many of your fans repeating the same things that DC fans had said ......... that they were looking forward to being in both and that they had the depth to do it and that it was a chance to win everything.
I thought Chivas played well in their CCL game and had numerous good chances to score, their finishing was just off. I do not think it is fair to lump them in with the Revs.
Superliga should always be the UEFA Cup to the CCL. Send the top 4 teams that aren't in CCL to Superliga.
IMHO, i think the superliga should be used like the UEFA cup. the loser of MLS cup, USOC final, and the 2nd placed teams in both the east and west should only be in the Superliga.
NON OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS such as la super NOTHING liga cup should be done away with... this is a worth less series of games that is as worth less as the cup itself it cant even count as official championships.... Official FIFA international sanction cups should always be given its proper priority....
If MLS wants SuperLiga make a pre-season tournament. Make the Mexican teams play in-season. I know it will not happen but what the hell.
Top six teams in previous year's regular season go to either the CCL or the Super Liga. The 1st place team picks which one of the two tournaments it will play in. 2nd team picks next, and so on. These six teams should put their reserve team in the Open Cup. This would give their reserve team good competition besides the reserve team 12 game schedule. Or, these six team could choose not to play in the open cup. With more and more teams in MLS and parity we would have six good teams at possibly full strength playing in Super Liga & CCL. That would still leave us several teams in the Open Cup who could also possibly play the cup games at full strength. This set up would not sap teams so much in their MLS games and playoffs. Also, more teams would get to participate in the 3 tournaments. And, regular season standings would 'stand' for a lot in terms of importance.
England EPL FA Cup Carling Cup Champions League International Friendlies No excuses for MLS. Suck it up.
This thread seems to have turned into a bit of a fantasy thread, so I'll throw mine out there as well. Starting with the CCL because the USSF determines who gets these. MLS Cup Winner: CCL Group Stage Supporters Shield Winner: CCL Group Stage MLS Cup Runner-UP: CCL Prelim stage US Open Cup Winner: CCL Prelim stage Superliga should be the next bext four teams that aren't in the CCL. US Open Cup: Due to the fact that the winner gets a CCL berth every US based MLS team should be able to enter. To reward the top teams from the previous season they should enter later than the rest of the teams. The 8 teams that are in CCL/Superliga would get a bye to the round of 16. The rest of the teams would start in the first or second round. And having the t eams start in the first or second round wouldn't any extra games to their schedule as if they would have had to go through the current play in procedure they could theoretically end up playing that many games anyway.
Am I the only one who questions whether Superliga will actually be back next year? IIRC the contract with the FMF was only for two years. Excitement amongst the major Mexican clubs (the ones making money for everyone) is at an all-time low. I wouldn't be surprised if Club America and Chivas can make more money organizing their own pre-season tours north of the border.
You want make a bit of an adjustment for economic resources and roster depth? Pretty sure that the 24th player on the roster at ManU doesn't have to work part-time at the local bank to pay the rent.
As henry kissinger would say, what confers legitimacy? I want to see MLS teams playing Mexican teams. I'm not interested in spending my money or TV viewing time watching MLS teams play Central American, Caribbean, or non-MLS Canadian teams. Based on USA and Mexican ticket sales, this is the majority view. Why not reward the majority view? CCL is just as much a "made-up" tournament as superliga. But the costs are not worth the benefits. I'm not interested in MLS or USSF subsidizing Central American and Caribbean teams to play in it.
English clubs don't play in both the Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions, and all this one poster is asking is for the same teams not be playing in both Champions League and SuperLiga. They can still hold both competitions. SuperLiga gives us an artificial high, only because for Mexican teams it's more like pre-season conditioning. One can tell the stark contrast, in that when we play them in Champions League, suddenly they look a whole lot better. If we're not playing somebody who wants to win as much as we do, then I don't confer as much legitimacy towards it. Mexican clubs know that winning Champions League is more prestigious, so they're going to put more into that. So I want to win that trophy more than SuperLiga. Also I feel that no competition with a Mexican club is truly legitimate, unless we can win road games. If we can beat them on their own soil, that's saying something--otherwise we're still pretenders.
Look, SuperLiga is an AEG money grab from the word go. Just combine SuperLiga with InterLiga and have it in the winter break if they wan't to continue making money. I just don't like having it in the middle of the MLS regular season. I'm not saying one of the MLS clubs gets a ticket to the Copa Libertadores but at least the intrest from the Mexican clubs having to play "serious" matches all away from their home ground and all in the U.S. no less, at least the combativeness is there. If AEG wants MFL teams to show up in a pre-season tournament, at least SUM can set the stage for a short tourney that sees all teams involved go in with anger. You sure about that?
I'm a fan of Superliga and Concacaf Champions league-really enjoy the level of competitiveness in those games. Agree the best solution to what happened this year would be the top 4 teams in Champ. league, next 4 in Superliga. Besides entertainment, I think there's a number of other arguments for MLS being in the two tournments. Success in the tournaments will make the MLS be more internationally respected as a high level league. Playing with clubs from all different countries in the Northern Hemisphere provides exposure of the MLS in those countries. Also, I think the players improve from playing in these tournaments-the league will get better, faster.
But you gladly accept the Primera Division "subsidizing" MLS in the Super DuperLiga. Let's turn this question around one more time. What's in it for Mexico playing lower rated MLS teams? Is it truly worth it? Club America, Cruz Azul, and Pumas don't seem to think so. Why play Superliga when you can play Barcelona or Sao Paulo during pre-season?
I'm with the group that says divide the CCL and SuperLiga appearances between different teams. The CCL is the meaningful event (winner gets the World Club toruney in Japan, correct?). An earlier poster said he didn't like seeing MLS subsidize non-Mexican teams by playing non-Mexican teams - heck, we haven't even proved we can beat the non-Mexican teams on a continuous basis. I'm not sure we've proven we're better than anyone yet. And doesn't Man U, etc. play teams from Latvia & the Ukraine & the Check Republic in their big tourneys? But having the same teams in the SuperLiga and CCL appears to be a dead end. As another earlier poster said, our depth extends to part-time bank tellers who've kicked the ball the last 4 years for a few months in college. Ain't the same story as the European clubs. MLS management needs to be smart about this if they don't want to slowly ruin whatever image (& substance) their league has in the long run (not to mention increasing their players' chances of injury).
the only problems with superliga are 1) it taxes the top teams [MLS teams need bigger rosters and more money, yeahweknowblahblahblah], so the next four should go in, and 2) the early round isn't home/away so it's not truly fair... however, all the teams know the rules going in so STOP BITCHING and root for your club or don't watch. really that simple. if CFSC isn't in CCL next year, i'm hoping to see them in superliga because in the case of all international tournys MLS clubs will not get better to any degree without taking their lumps.
you see I think that the MLS has put pressure on itslef to increase the salary cap this way. They cannot possibly expect good performances everywhere with shallow rosters as they are in MLS right now. I think it is a good sign for things to come. If this congestion had not existed, there would have been less pressure on MLS to increase the cap. Maybe this was not intentional but now they have to deal with it, whereas before they really did not have to do anything about it except for avoiding the subject or pacifying the enrages soccer fans. I know the Superliga means nothing, but it is important in bringing in the ever so fast growing hispanic population in the US. I view the Superliga as a "conversion tool" in the hands of MLS for the hispanic segment of the US population. With that said, we should do away with the Pan pacific championship. What a waste of time that was.
Hopefully MLSHQ sees it the way you do. With their stated goal of MLS becoming a world-quality league, versus the results in some of these tourneys, they SHOULD realize they have to invest in their product more if they want to realize their stated objective. We will see if they speak with their wallets or out of the corners of their mouths.
I'm in heartfelt agreement on no CCL/Superliga overlap. If fact, for me, I'd take the following to the CCL: 1. MLS SS Champion (Group Stage) 2. MLS Cup Champion (Group Stage) 3. USOC Champion (Preliminary Stage) 4. Next Best Regular Season Record (Preliminary Stage) I'd prefer to reward regular season excellence over two good playoff games, any day. I doublt MLS would go there, as they must validate their silly playoff system. As for the playoffs: 1-8, single table. Or you could go 1-9 and let the #1 seed have a buy into the final, or take 1-10 and have the top two get buys, but that would extend the season. USOC: Every MLS teams should enter. Let the teams playing in CCL and/or Superliga come in later as a reward. As for Superliga, my vote would be to get rid of the thing entirely. It's a waste. Next best, move it to preseason. But I'd settle for: 1. MLS Cup Runner Up (or best regular season record available if Runner Up goes to CCL). 2-4. Next best Regular Season Record. You could throw the USOC a bone and give the runner-up a Superliga spot, though that would risk a USL team qualifying.