Straus: MLS to expand playoffs again

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by Howard the Drake, Nov 29, 2014.

  1. Howard the Drake

    Feb 27, 2010
    This needs its own thread.

    I could see doing this when the league gets to 24 teams but 12/20 is a throwback to the ridiculous days of the league. Adding Philadelphia and Portland would not have enhanced the season or playoffs this year. The lackluster attendance and ratings don't suggest that people are screaming for more of these games.

    http://www.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/11/29/mls-cup-playoff-format-2015-changes
     
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  2. EvilTree

    EvilTree Member+

    Canadian S.C
    Canada
    Nov 20, 2007
    Frozen Swampland, Soviet Canuckistan
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    lackluster attendance? this playoffs begs to differ
     
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  3. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The knockout round games, which is what we get more of, didn't have great attendance.
     
  4. morrissey

    morrissey Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 18, 2000
    West Los Angeles, Calif
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In 2016 only teams that average 20000+ make the playoffs.

    ;)
     
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  5. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    More games means more attendance. (And more content for tv partners.)

    Everything expands.
     
  6. EvilTree

    EvilTree Member+

    Canadian S.C
    Canada
    Nov 20, 2007
    Frozen Swampland, Soviet Canuckistan
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    I'm hoping MLS FO gets its head out of its ass and shorten reg season by a week, and have the play in round on a Sat
     
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  7. JoeCelt

    JoeCelt Member+

    Jul 7, 2012
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    Bosnia-Herzegovina
    I like this format only if they play games on weekend.
     
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  8. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    At some point, it is going to just be called the first round, and not a play-in round.

    Or, they could take out some of the H/A rounds and just play the full post-season at the home of the higher seed.
     
  9. Mateofelipe

    Mateofelipe Member+

    Mar 10, 2001
    Spokane, WA
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And Toronto still misses fhe playoffs.
     
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  10. Sal Paradise

    Sal Paradise BigSoccer Supporter

    Jan 14, 2009
    Club:
    Jaguares de Chiapas FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This change was expected. MLS is aiming for a sweet spot of somewhere around 60% of teams making the playoffs. The idea is to keep as many teams in contention for as late into the season as possible. When the league is 24 teams, you can expect 14 teams in the playoffs.
     
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  11. MattXG

    MattXG Red Card

    May 17, 2010
    Guys it adds 1 team to each conference playoffs. We've had over 50% access to the playoffs since 2011, hardly the end of the world.

    If this is what the TV execs asked for for that nice TV contract upgrade, so be it. There are some positives. It will increase higher seeded teams' advantages and make more money for MLS which will mean a better product on the field (in theory)
     
  12. carnifex2005

    carnifex2005 Member+

    Jul 1, 2008
    Club:
    Vancouver Whitecaps
    Thank god. I was a bit worried about the 'Caps not making the playoffs with Houston and SKC coming to the west. Of course, this format will make a bit more sense when the league is up to 24 teams.
     
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  13. revsfan603

    revsfan603 Member

    New England Revolution
    Jun 20, 2013
    New Hampshire
    Club:
    ADO Den Haag
    may have a good chance of getting their first playoff win with the new format
     
  14. Eric B

    Eric B Member

    Feb 21, 2000
    the LBC
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This also increases the advantage for coming in second in your conference as opposed to third: one less game
     
  15. Boloni86

    Boloni86 Member+

    Jun 7, 2000
    Baltimore
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Gibraltar
    Way to reward mediocrity ...

    If they want to expand playoffs why not add a game 3 tiebreaker for the high seed. This way you actually reward success and get your increased TV content. Playoff games between teams below .500 is absurd especially in the current format where there is no real advantage to the higher seed.
     
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  16. Kot Matroskin

    Kot Matroskin Member+

    Aug 10, 2007
    SF Bay Area
    I wasn't expecting it. I actually thought they had more sense. In what universe is 60% of teams making the playoffs a "sweet spot"? That's just ridiculous. Why even have a regular season? I really, really hate this.

    That is how you boil a frog. Doesn't anyone recall the uproar when they added the 5th team and the play-in round? It was grudgingly accepted because we figured that they were just setting up the playoff format in anticipation of expansion. Soon it would be 20-24 teams and 10 playoff teams would mean 50% or less making the playoffs, which is in line with the other major sports. This, on the other hand, is a joke.
     
  17. Zxcv

    Zxcv Member+

    Feb 22, 2012
    The first round playoff games need time to breathe. There needs to be a break before the playoffs ensue to give everyone time to keep calm and buy tickets.
     
  18. jayd8888

    jayd8888 Member+

    Aug 22, 2006
    Denver CO
    This increases the rapids chances of making it from 0% to 5%.
     
  19. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I have to think the owners of current and soon-to-be Western Conference teams had some sway here. Why would they accept further loading their conference vis-a-vis the East without some benefit coming their way?
     
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  20. jason1551

    jason1551 Member+

    Apr 9, 2003
    Columbus, GA
    Club:
    DC United
    Not this year, but in 2015 adding an expansion team in the east and at least one of Houston, KC, or Portland in the west would make things more interesting.
     
  21. Ghost

    Ghost Member+

    Sep 5, 2001
    Bad.

    Idea.
     
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  22. Autogolazo

    Autogolazo BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 19, 2000
    Bombay Beach, CA
    There already isn't enough punishment for failure in this league--why in the holy heck do Klopas and Yallop still have head coaching jobs in MLS, for example?

    So my larger concern is not for just the playoffs, but for the now abysmal level of head coaching accountability becoming completely vaporized into some sort of "it's all good, we finished twelfth" mentality.

    I would only be onboard with this if it meant the automatic firing of every non-first-year head coach that finished 13 or below.

    I also think owners who make mistakes or go cheap should be forced into some sort of a comeuppance. This is NOT the path to get owners to spend more on players who will one day make the league better than LigaMx and prove it in CCL, that's for sure. This is yet more "cover" for cheapness and mismanagement.
     
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  23. Ghost

    Ghost Member+

    Sep 5, 2001
    Maybe they can hand out orange slices and give a trophy to every little special snowflake of a player while they're at it.
     
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  24. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Because penalizing Kraft would have made this Revs season better how? If anything it would have made it less likely for him to sign Jones.
     
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  25. bunge

    bunge BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 24, 2000
    Good idea. It will be even better if the league can find a way to make seeding more critical.
     
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