Martin Rogers of Yahoo Sports also dislikes the current playoff system. He even spoke to an anonymous club official who dislikes the playoff system.
The Galaxy had it right. Why bother messing around with April, May, June and July? Their only problem was they waited until Sept. 19 to get their shit together, and even then they got to the final game before they were eliminated.
Nice column echoing some of what you have said. However, allowing the seeded teams to pick their opponents? He just wiped out all his credibility with that one.
ReplyDeleteWhat about crowning the single table champion as the official champion of MLS but also conducting a League Cup playoff throughout the season? The League Cup Final could be played after the week after the regular season ends, even as a two legged affair.
Start the League Cup in July/August with the non SuperLiga teams battling in the first round. Introduce the SuperLiga teams in August/September. Play the semifinals in September/October.
This way, teams like Chicago or LA who start getting results later in the season, can focus on the League Cup as a way of salvaging a season while Chivas or DC get the reward of the league title for being the best team from start to finish.
Yes, it marginalizes the US Open Cup but don't most MLS teams do that already? ... and one more thing, eliminate the All Star Game - totally unnecessary.
I fail to see why every team should get a home playoff game. If a team really wants one, they should earn it by getting one of the top 4 seeds.
ReplyDeleteRound 1: Single elimination game with higher seed getting to play at home. Imagine if the top 4 positions in the league earned a team a SuperLiga spot and a true home field advantage...this would give good teams something to play for beyond the Supporter's Shield or Conference Title.
Conference championships: Home-and-away series with higher seed getting the small advantage of extra time and penalty kicks at home.
MLS Cup: As is.