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Ibrahimovic hits out at new MLS playoff format

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Major League Soccer saw a significant change added to its playoff format heading into the 2019 season.

The top seven regular-season finishers will make the postseason, which is up two teams from 2018. It will also see single-elimination for all matches, changing from the two-legged ties from the past.

This season will be the first with the new format and L.A. Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not a fan of it. Ibrahimovic hit out at the format in an interview with reporters on Thursday following training.

“I think the system is sh-t. You talk about mentality. Mentality is every day. The way you train is the way you play. Results in every game is important but here you come 7th, you make the playoffs, and you can win. How do you create mentality to be on your toes 24 hours? It’s very difficult,” Ibrahimovic said.

The 37-year-old is in his second season in MLS, with 16 goals scored in 18 appearances for the current fifth place Galaxy. Although the team has hit some bumps in their first season under new head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Ibrahimovic has remained one of the league’s more dangerous attackers.

Ibrahimovic is new to the playoff format as well as many others after spending every season but these two in Europe. The idea of giving teams only one lifeline in the postseason will definitely bring its positives and negatives to fans and players alike.

Not only will it help speed along the playoff process, but it will reward teams who did better in the regular season as the higher seeds will be the home team for playoff matches.

Ibrahimovic may not be a fan of it, but for now he will just have to accept it and move on and try to help the Galaxy be a part of the playoffs. Currently the New England Revolution and FC Dallas hold the seventh place spots in their respective conferences.

 

Comments

  1. 14 is too many, I’d be happy with 7 if they want to give Supporters Shield winner a bye. Parity is fine if it increases competition it’s not good if it creates teams sand bagging because they know they can still make the playoffs without trying.

    Reply
  2. When one of the best to ever play the game says your systems isn’t good for the development and mental discipline of soccer in America……LISTEN.

    This is coming from a 37 YEAR OLD PLAYER who is still SUPERIOR in this league….that in itself should speak volumes!!!!!

    Reply
    • I don’t think anyone doubts Zlatan can still play at a very high level. You can argue whether he is better than Vela or not, but no one else in MLS currently is even close.
      However, whining to the press about how the league (apparently the best league that would have him) he is in is foolish at best. He likely has less than 3 years in which he could get meaningful time in a good league; illustrating his oppositional side (yet again) is unlikely to get many General Managers looking to sign him up for more than a stunt.

      Reply
      • You think he actually cares what random MLS General Managers might think of his opinions. He clearly has shown that he speaks his mind. He is stating the obvious, but sometimes that’s a big deal. It’s also good that it helps support those in American Soccer world who are pushing for promotion/relegation, when currently those in power want to dismiss the argument or mock those pushing for it.

    • Donny, you think MLS owners care what he, as the primary whiner now, thinks is actually the question. He will be gone in just over a year maximum. A very small footnote in the leagues history. The league will be a LOT bigger after him, US soccer a lot better and not because of him.
      The answer is no way in heck, btw. In my opinion the way it should be, MLS Pro/Rel dreams died over a decade ago now.
      .
      Bizzy, there is no way anyone in the US should listen to him. Why? Just cause he is saying what you or someone else wants to hear? He played on teams all but guaranteed to win for much of his career, remember he just whined a week or so ago about how his old teammates got him the ball better, he wasn’t talking about Stoke City players…..
      ……..now that he has to earn a title, he can’t do it, so he starts to whine…and hasn’t stopped.
      Move him on, sell him to West Ham, he can spend the rest of his career whining there.

      Reply
      • “Bizzy, there is no way anyone in the US should listen to him. Why? Just cause he is saying what you or someone else wants to hear?” Haha???, QUIT WHINING you crack me up

        Zlatan has to EARN A TITLE??? HAHA???????, like he needs Galaxy / MLS to validate him as one of the greats to EVER play the game???? To be the elite of elite players in the world and you think MLS should even be a MARK on his accomplishments???? Hahaha?????…..Zlatan in MLS is like Landon Donovan in Arena football league playing for San Diego Sockers, YOU DO NOT TALLY HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN ARENA SOCCER to his days as a top US performer. At 37 when most careers are long gone Zlatan IS DOMINATING IN MLS (an elite player’s retirement league). If he complains about the way thing are done, again, players and the league need to listen.

        EXAMPLE: If lebron James “retires” and goes to EuroLeague and complains that their set-up there is $hit?…..guess what? IT’S $HIT?!!!!! Do you think after everything LJ has accomplished in the NBA and the titles he has won that he needs to justify his worth, in a lower level league in Europe his is still dominating??? ?

        Here is why he knows what he is talking about and why you and like minded thinkers like you don’t…….enjoy?
        -:
        5X TOP SCORER
        Top scorer
        15/16 Paris Saint-Germain
        13/14 Paris Saint-Germain
        12/13 Paris Saint-Germain
        11/12 AC Milan
        08/09 FC Internazionale
        1X PLAYER OF THE YEAR
        Player of the Year
        06/07 FC Internazionale
        13X FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR
        Footballer of the Year
        2016 Paris Saint-Germain
        2015 Paris Saint-Germain
        2014 Paris Saint-Germain
        2013 Paris Saint-Germain
        2012 Paris Saint-Germain
        2011 AC Milan
        2010 AC Milan
        2009 FC Barcelona
        2009 FC Internazionale
        2008 FC Internazionale
        2008 FC Internazionale
        2007 FC Internazionale
        2005 Juventus FC
        1X ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP WINNER
        English League Cup winner
        2017 Manchester United
        1X SPANISH CHAMPION
        Spanish champion
        09/10 FC Barcelona
        2X SPANISH SUPER CUP WINNER
        Spanish Super Cup winner
        10/11 FC Barcelona
        09/10 FC Barcelona
        4X ITALIAN CHAMPION
        Italian champion
        10/11 AC Milan
        08/09 FC Internazionale
        07/08 FC Internazionale
        06/07 FC Internazionale
        5X ITALIAN SUPER CUP WINNER
        Italian Super Cup winner
        11/12 AC Milan
        08/09 FC Internazionale
        07/08 FC Internazionale
        06/07 FC Internazionale
        05/06 FC Internazionale
        4X FRENCH CHAMPION
        French champion
        15/16 Paris Saint-Germain
        14/15 Paris Saint-Germain
        13/14 Paris Saint-Germain
        12/13 Paris Saint-Germain
        2X FRENCH CUP WINNER
        French cup winner
        15/16 Paris Saint-Germain
        14/15 Paris Saint-Germain
        3X FRENCH LEAGUE CUP WINNER
        French league cup winner
        15/16 Paris Saint-Germain
        14/15 Paris Saint-Germain
        13/14 Paris Saint-Germain
        2X DUTCH CHAMPION
        Dutch champion
        03/04 Ajax Amsterdam
        01/02 Ajax Amsterdam
        1X DUTCH CUP WINNER
        Dutch Cup winner
        01/02 Ajax Amsterdam
        1X FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP WINNER
        FIFA Club World Cup winner
        2010 FC Barcelona
        2X DUTCH SUPER CUP WINNER
        Dutch Super Cup winner
        2003 Ajax Amsterdam
        2002 Ajax Amsterdam
        1X EUROPA LEAGUE WINNER
        Europa League winner
        16/17 Manchester United
        1X UEFA SUPERCUP WINNER
        Uefa Supercup winner
        09/10 FC Barcelona
        4X FRENCH SUPER CUP WINNER
        French Super Cup winner
        15/16 Paris Saint-Germain
        14/15 Paris Saint-Germain
        13/14 Paris Saint-Germain
        12/13 Paris Saint-Germain
        1X ENGLISH SUPER CUP WINNER
        English Super Cup winner
        2017 Manchester United
        5X TOP SCORER
        Top scorer
        15/16 Ligue 1 Ligue 1 – 38 Goals
        13/14 Ligue 1 Ligue 1 – 26 Goals
        12/13 Ligue 1 Ligue 1 – 30 Goals
        11/12 Serie A Serie A – 28 Goals
        08/09 Serie A Serie A – 25 Goals
        1X PLAYER OF THE YEAR
        Player of the Year
        06/07 Serie A
        13X FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR
        Footballer of the Year
        2016 Sweden
        2015 Sweden
        2014 Sweden
        2013 Sweden
        2012 Sweden
        2011 Sweden
        2010 Sweden
        2009 Sweden
        2009 Italy
        2008 Italy
        2008 Sweden
        2007 Sweden
        2005 Sweden

        AND YOU THINK HE NEED TO PROVE HIMSELF IN MLS??? ???

  3. He needs the shut the f up. He can leave.
    .
    He came here because he couldn’t play on Manchester United anymore and he certainly wasn’t going to win anything playing with Bournemouth, who finished in a similar spot to where the last playoff teams in MLS are……only instead of 9 points back like New England, they finished 53 points back last year.
    .
    Then he rips on the league that he decided to join for the exact reason he decided to join it…..because MLS is actually is competitive…..and he has a chance to win.
    .
    Zlatan, leave, go join Bournemouth, not like you will have trouble starting for that team. The Galaxy will have ZERO trouble replacing you, except the stupidity part, that would be tough to match.

    Reply
      • He wasn’t
        but like many who played at the top clubs in the world, he didn’t want to join the thousands of teams that will never win a championship and finish 54 points out.
        .
        So he came to MLS for a chance to win, like many others before him, rather than waste his career losing.
        Now he is whining about the very structure that allows Salt Lake and Colorado to win the league for their first time 2009, 2010
        KC first time in 2013
        Timbers 2015, Sounders 2016, Toronto, 2017, Atlanta 2018…and he joins the team ( Galaxy ) that won most of them in between.
        .
        He knew what he was doing, he made a very smart choice, now….he is whining about it.
        Have him go back to England if he doesn’t like it, he can easily start on a team that is 50 points back and hasn’t won the league in 150 years.

      • Seems like if he is willing to criticize a system that is clearly benefiting his team, this should be a good indication that he is being honest. I really don’t know where you are going with this. Why shouldn’t he simply be candid?

  4. I would be okay if the playoffs were changed to a Cup Tournament that included all teams. This way, the regular season would truly be the greater accomplishment, which it is.

    Reply
  5. Hey! I’m surprised it took this long for him to start bagging on MLS.
    To be fair, all parties involved should have known what they were signing up for – MLS included.

    Reply
    • Yeah the personalities of ex-superstars really show. Compare him to Kaka.
      .
      He could easily start in any top league in the world. MLS ain’t changing so whining about it really just becomes some veiled whine about how getting old stinks, because now he can’t be idolized anymore. He needs to go waste the last year of his career playing for Brighton, then send us a public article apologizing to us and thanking us.

      Reply

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