Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Change in playoffs

According to the MLS Fact and Record Book, there will be a shift in the playoff format for the 2008 season. Eight teams will still get in but this year the top three teams in each conference are guaranteed of a spot. After the top three from each conference, the two teams with the most points will go regardless of conference.

It's a slight shift from last year when the top two in each conference were guaranteed a spot followed by the four teams with the most points. The format allowed the Kansas City Wizards to get in as the four seed in the West as they finished even with Chicago with 40 points but lost out on the tiebreaker. Under the previous system, Colorado would have gotten in with 35 points.

It's a minimal change, but a change nonetheless. It would not have affected last year's playoffs, for instance.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Drop two teams from the playoffs. 8 of 14 is too any teams.

Anonymous said...

Too MANY...sorry.

L.B. said...

yeah, way too many teams. Even when you have eight of 16 teams in 2010, it'll be too many teams.

The league tries to say that the regular season will matter now more than ever but it's statistically harder to miss the playoffs than to make it.

I've always felt the playoff system rewards mediocrity and as long as more than half of the league's teams make the playoffs I'll still continue to feel that way.

Anonymous said...

1 step forward 10 steps back. LAME move by MLS if this is the case. The proper move would have been a straight table, 'top 8 get in, the rest go home' format. If that means every team in one conference gets in, so be it.

The playoff race last year was the first semi-exciting on in a LONG time.

This move is so obviously a move to give LA every chance possible to get into the playoffs it's pathetic. Everyone and their mother knows the West is the weaker conference again this year and MLS is deperate to have Beckham in the playoffs and this move stinks of that desire.

I have a feeling this year is going to return to the lowered intensity of years past. Horrible move.

I also agree with you guys that there are too many teams in the playoffs.

Someone should start an e-petition to send to Garber about this.

L.B. said...

You know what might be better? One table, top four get into the playoffs and the Champions League. Teams that finish 5-8 would get into SuperLiga. Then at least there is a difference between finishing 8th and 9th or lower.