Major League Soccer's tradition of continuing to play matches during the World Cup will come to an end next summer.
MLS announced on Wednesday that it will not hold matches during the group stages of the 2010 World Cup, which begin on June 11, 2010. MLS, which won't hold matches from June 11th until June 25th, will also not play matches on the days of the World Cup semifinals or the final.
The announcement comes after criticism of MLS for having played matches during the past three World Cups, and continuing to play matches on international fixture dates.
MLS also announced that it will go to a balanced schedule in 2010, with all 16 teams playing each other twice. Also, the 2010 MLS season will kick off on March 25, with the 2010 MLS Cup set for Nov. 21.
What do you think of these developments? Relieved? Happy to see MLS come to its senses? Disappointed to know rivals like Chivas USA and LA will only play each other twice now? Getting excited about the World Cup (even thouh it's still eight months away and even though the US national team hasn't qualified yet)?
Share your thoughts below.
good & good. particularly like the balanced schedule.
It is a start but it is still ridiculous that MLS plays for almost 8 straight months. IMO, the season needs to be condensed drammatically with it starting in Mid April and finishing in October. I would like to see them play 2 games almost every week and take breaks for international dates and also club competitions like Champions League, Superliga and US Open Cup.
Those competitions need to get more attention and that will start with MLS giving those competitions the full focus on the North American soccer audience on those match days. I think that even the most avid US and MLS soccer fans get tired of the season draging on. Make soccer the summer sport in the US. No reason to take it deep into fall and even winter in many parts of the country.
Now obviously some other changes need to be made to enable this to happen. Playing two games every week will require much higher salary caps to increase the depth. Teams will need to have at least 24 quality players. Also be smarter about the scheduling. Don’t play April or October games in climates like Salt Lake City, Denver, Toronto, Vancouver and others. The first two home games for RSL this season were played with temperatures in the 40s and snow. Conversely, try not to schedule games in Houston, Kansas City and other places in August.
Lastly, have all teams take two weeks off every summer and throw everything into the All-Star game. Make it more of an event with celebrity games, concerts, youth academy all-star games, MLS vs International club games and more.
I do not see what you’re failing to get.
A) The league has decided that each team should play each other team twice.
B) This would allow for a single table.
C) MLS should therefore have a single table.
D) God is not involved in any way.
Since there are no travel issues due solely to using a single table, I believe a single table would be more fair and less confusing. Now if you don’t like that for any logical reason, that’s fine, but stop dragging God and geography into the conversation.
This is a very good sign. It is a pitty it takes MLS so long to come around to NORMALIZING the league format.
Don Garber – please finish NORMALIZING MLS by moving to an August-May regular season schedule, abiding by the international calendar, using a single table and doing away with the play-offs. It is pretty simple!!!
Huricano: Much like Jamie trecker, apparently you don’t realize the US is not the only league to play a more March-October/November schedule. The Scandanavian leagues, Ireland, and Russia all do so as well due to the cold. Here in Boston the Revs would almost certainly go with a home game for three months, even if we did a split season. I don’t see MLS moving from the current set-up even if all the teams end up in soccer-specific stadiums.
Nats fan, while your post was definitely an extreme example, it was right on. I always love how the Eurosnobs always bring up the single table while ignoring the fact our closest soccer playing neighbors, the Mexican League, does not use the single-table and has a playoff structure. Look, promotion/relegation is NEVER happening in MLS, so getting a playoff spot is the closest thing we have to keep people interested in their team towards the end of the season. Single-table leagues in Europe have Champions League, Europa League, and relegation spots to keep it interesting. MLS only has the CCC spots at this moment (technically Superliga, though that doesn’t seem to get anyone excited these days). So playoffs, which we are NOT the only league to use (in addition to Mexico, Austrailia and Korea use them as well), are here to stay.
Mike
I’m with you NatsFan. Well said.
I’m telling you MLS is getting better…I love the new schedule especially with teams playing each other twice a season…It’s so stupid to have, for example, the NYRB playing DC 4 times a regular season games…Well done MLS
royster: Again, it is not ordained by God that every team has to play every other team twice.
huricano: If you know about the cold, then why do you insist on putting it down to “American exceptionalism”?
Ok, maybe I should have put destroy the NFL before switch to a normal soccer season, but my list wasn’t supposed to be chronological, just the remaining things that have to be done.
And, ok, if every team in MLS plays every other team in MLS twice (and this is what was just announced), then it adds no additional travel to put every team in one table, except possibly during the playoffs, but need I point out to anyone who the Western Conference Champions were last year?
If they don’t go single table then the conferences will have to be adjusted once Portland and Vancouver come in to saturate the Pacific Northwest market. could KC now be in the East, or will FCD or Houstan be moved? Remember, two teams would have to be moved to make it even.
what about the atlantic cup? how can the red bulls snatch it back if they only play two games a year against DC?
Well, this is definitely a good move. I think MLS knows the inherent conflicts with the viewer base are obvious. Who freakin’ cares about an MLS match when Brazil is playing say Spain in a WC match??!!
Secondly, I agree with other posters that MLS should adopt a single table format. I know they will still insist on playoff, as American sports fans and team owners simply cannot wrap our brains around the concept of promotion and relegation. However, a single table would at least allow the production of a “regular season champion,” which is a step in the right direction.
mehhh it’s not like there are going to be too many MLSers on the roster
observing international dates is all i ask for
BEST NEWS since they decided to have the clock move forward!
Posted by: Nate(Sounders) | September 16, 2009 at 08:38 PM
Yea, and since they got rid of that stupid shootout!
Nats fan, I think you’re off base.
Ives, or anyone, what, other than American exeptionalism,keeps MLS from adopting a normal Apertura/Clausura Fall/Spring set-up that respects international dates? I know that there are issues of cold, and other leagues, but the MLS season is just weird.
about god damn time garber
seriously.
And now that there’s no geography excuse there’s no reason not to have a single table.
Now we just need to get rid of the turf, switch to a normal soccer season, and destroy the NFL.
Posted by: roysterer | September 16, 2009 at 08:48 PM
I agree about the turf and of course it’s definitely wise for Major League Soccer to step aside for a couple weeks during the World Cup. This comment is more in response to the overall “Eurosnob” tone of this and so many other threads about MLS. MLS is in North America. Is MLS supposed to have 20 teams, promotion/relegation, August-May schedule, single table/no playoffs, no All-Star game, etc. just simply to be more like Europe?
Let’s see through our crystal ball what might happen when Don Garber “comes to his senses” and acts “like a legitimate commissioner” and adopts the ” universal international standard” so that the MLS can finally “grow up”.
It’s early February 2015 and the Boston F.C. (changed from New England Revolution just like every other team with an official nickname in order to have “more legitimate international club titles”) is playing at home against F.C. St. Louis. Barely 1,500 hardy souls are braving 15 degree temps with gusty winds and blowing snow to enjoy a slow, sloppy (even by MLS standards), scoreless draw. Since there is already no shot at the title for either team what few fans bother to show up come for the cheap beer and to heckle players barely better than them. With the possibility of relegation over every new expansion market MLS has not been able to build any new soccer-specific stadiums downtown and all teams without stadiums are forced to move into college and/or high schol stadiums in the outer suburbs. MLS is a dying league since it lost most of its TV contracts trying to compete with football, the NBA, and the now massive MMA and remaining sponsors are fleeing as fast as possible. The ever thinning rosters are unable to keep up with the long schedules and the quality of play by the middle of the season suffers league-wide and all but the most diehard supporters are losing interest. By this season even second-tier young U.S. talent is plying its trade in emerging soccer markets like Turkey and Russia rather than looking to MLS, which at this point is barely able to stay ahead of its debtors much less agree to new CBA increased pay minimums. A few old Beckham-style has-beens from Europe (insert favorite names here) haven’t panned out and fail to drum up any new long-term support. Versus is taping the game to air later during its off-hours.
By the end of the season the league will “suspend operations indefinitely” before going out of existence entirely to the delight of every soccer naysayer in the U.S. The U.S. loses out on the 2018 WC bid to the UK and the USMNT falls precipitously in the rankings and fails to qualify for 2018. Soccer recedes to the back of the American consciousness once more.
But hey, at least we’ll be more “pure” back in our semi-pro state then. The USL-1 regional rivalries between Real Maryland and D.C. United (now playing in George Mason University’s 5,000 seat stadium to make way for construction on Dan Snyder’s new monstrosity at the RFK site) will be great.
Yes, obviously this scenario is a bit of an exaggeration. However, the point is what possible advantage is it to the NORTH AMERICAN game to simply move towards a European models just for their own sakes? MLS is a North American league with North American conditions and traditions. In response to that earlier snotty comment about MLS being a “big kid” now a real “big kid” is secure enough and knows himself well enough not to have to be like all the other kids, even if those kids are bigger and more popular.
The interesting thing about all of this, is that if they were to play every Saturday from March 25th, even with the 2 week break the league would end one week after the Oct. 24th. So really, there is no reason for many, or hardly any week games.
Why do I want a single table? I want a single table so that the best 8 teams make the playoffs, regardless of conference. I want chicago and columbus to be in the final, if they are the best two teams, or what does an LA-Chivas final sound like? With conferences that could never happen, so if you have a playoff format, what would be better than having the two best teams meet in the final? NHL perspective, would a Pittsburgh-Washinton final not make the Stanley Cup final something that everyone would want to watch? but that can never happen, but back in the days Boston met Montreal in the final when the palyoffs were based on the top 16.
“That’s sense, Withnail.”
Whoever gets that reference wins my everlasting respect.
@never first
i couldnt possibly agree with you more…as long as theres still playoffs single table isnt gonna revolutionize the league and make it more competitive…theres already incredible parity as it stands now…continue to increase revenues and reinvest in the league…thats the most important right now…and theyre doing a pretty good job with their slow steady approach
Just keep the playoffs.
What will Toronto fans do for 2 weeks….LOL
Posted by: M | September 16, 2009 at 09:13 PM
In my Special One voice:
Very nice, M.
in reality, I like this but it is not like it will change my enjoyment of the league. It is not like when I am at a game, I think to myself: boy, I would like this so much more if we played a single table. I understand the differences between single table and conferences and really don’t think it makes a difference in my love of the game.
One home and one away creates MUCH bigger rivalries. Also, those of you that dont understand our fandom of single table need to check themselves. Single table with one home and one away is clean and authentic. When I want to watch American style sports I tune into college football, college basketball or the NFL. I like soccer because its decidedly unamerican. I want my MLS to mimic Europe. What’s wrong with that? I want it set up the same way so I can follow it the same way. I am not alone.
What will Toronto fans do for 2 weeks….LOL
roysterer, you make no sense. People are arguing that cutting down on travel is more important than the supposed sanctity of a single table format (which isn’t a big deal anyway when your champion is determined by playoffs), so no, it is not ordained by God that every team has to play every other team in a league twice.