The Swamp

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:32 am Sorry to be "that guy" but you play a 34 game season and then you decide the champion with single elimination games?

It's incredibly stupid and honestly makes me care very little as a (now) neutral observer. Even with a DCU win on Saturday, I'm just barely paying attention because the format makes the whole thing so arbitrary.

If they are going to keep adding teams, they need to figure out a less bullshit manner to crown a champion.

If you think about them as two different competitions it is less annoying. The supporters shield is the full season crown and the MLS cup is a separate cup. Both are big deals to win. MLS does not market the shield as much as it should which is why my argument falls flat. You get a star on your jersey for the cup not for the shield.

Yep, I've been saying that for many years. If they marketed the shield more, they'd get a lot more leeway from guys like me.

I'm not a Europhile on this stuff. It's just a matter of the relevancy of your "regular" season.

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:59 am Yep, I've been saying that for many years. If they marketed the shield more, they'd get a lot more leeway from guys like me.

I'm not a Europhile on this stuff. It's just a matter of the relevancy of your "regular" season.

Any difference though between this issue and the NHL? Is it the 7 game series that makes it okay for the NHL? The caps hung banners for their regular season success for a bit. The NBA usually has a top team win the title, the NFL &MLB has fewer teams make the playoffs. Or is it just that is the way it always has been.

College sports have really minimized the regular season with big expanded playoffs, automatic qualification from division, etc

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:32 am you play a 34 game season and then you decide the champion with single elimination games?

Works for college basketball.

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 11:20 am

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:59 am Yep, I've been saying that for many years. If they marketed the shield more, they'd get a lot more leeway from guys like me.

I'm not a Europhile on this stuff. It's just a matter of the relevancy of your "regular" season.

Any difference though between this issue and the NHL? Is it the 7 game series that makes it okay for the NHL?

Yes

The caps hung banners for their regular season success for a bit.

And that was sad.

The NBA usually has a top team win the title, the NFL &MLB has fewer teams make the playoffs. Or is it just that is the way it always has been.

To expand on the bit above, the fact that MLB, NBA and NHL have fairly lengthy playoffs means the ratio of regular season to playoff games isn't so far out of whack. In the NFL, 16:4 games is about right (5 playoff games if you start in the first round, 4 if you get a bye).

If you get a first round bye in the MLS format, you can win three games and hoist a trophy. That's ridiculous.

College sports have really minimized the regular season with big expanded playoffs, automatic qualification from division, etc

Works for college basketball.

I don't know how it works in other conferences, but winning a B1G title and/or the conference tourney is considered a very big deal by most fan bases. Maybe it's meaningless for casual fans?

And for March Madness, you have to rip through 6 wins to cut down the nets. Again, my point isn't other playoff systems are bad... I'm specifically pointing out that MLS' is stupid.

I think this convo is kind of outdated with the league heading towards 30+ teams (which it should do, it should expand way past that in fact) and some sort of combination with Mexico (it should do that too). The powers that be need to figure out ways to get the big clubs playing each other more frequently and with high stakes. The current playoff format isn't my personal favorite but it does accomplish that, and it's scalable too.

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 12:19 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 11:20 am

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:59 am Yep, I've been saying that for many years. If they marketed the shield more, they'd get a lot more leeway from guys like me.

I'm not a Europhile on this stuff. It's just a matter of the relevancy of your "regular" season.

Any difference though between this issue and the NHL? Is it the 7 game series that makes it okay for the NHL?

Yes

The caps hung banners for their regular season success for a bit.

And that was sad.

The NBA usually has a top team win the title, the NFL &MLB has fewer teams make the playoffs. Or is it just that is the way it always has been.

To expand on the bit above, the fact that MLB, NBA and NHL have fairly lengthy playoffs means the ratio of regular season to playoff games isn't so far out of whack. In the NFL, 16:4 games is about right (5 playoff games if you start in the first round, 4 if you get a bye).

If you get a first round bye in the MLS format, you can win three games and hoist a trophy. That's ridiculous.

College sports have really minimized the regular season with big expanded playoffs, automatic qualification from division, etc

Works for college basketball.

I don't know how it works in other conferences, but winning a B1G title and/or the conference tourney is considered a very big deal by most fan bases. Maybe it's meaningless for casual fans?

And for March Madness, you have to rip through 6 wins to cut down the nets. Again, my point isn't other playoff systems are bad... I'm specifically pointing out that MLS' is stupid.

Conference regular season and tournaments are losing value each year. Still important right now but if this was the market..I am selling

and to be fair I was thinking way less about college basketball and football, but more non-revenue sports like soccer, baseball (which does have the ratio of games and not single elimination), etc.

If they expand anymore than 32, they really need to consider something I've long been an opponent of... pro-rel.

It's just becoming silly and unwieldy.

Also, my wife is gonna flip her shit if one more team names themselves United. Cut that shit out!

Possibly. But I think the powers that be should be thinking on a continental scale, not a national one. USA/Canada/Mexico is half a billion people. The largest European country with an elite league is Germany which is 80 million. The Bundesliga and its feeders makes sense for Germany (especially since they have a real Champions League) but the same thinking doesn't make sense for North America and all the clubs it could accommodate. I don't pretend to know the best answer but whatever it is, it's definitely something that hasn't been tried before.

Rex wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 1:16 pm Possibly. But I think the powers that be should be thinking on a continental scale, not a national one. USA/Canada/Mexico is half a billion people. The largest European country with an elite league is Germany which is 80 million. The Bundesliga and its feeders makes sense for Germany (especially since they have a real Champions League) but the same thinking doesn't make sense for North America and all the clubs it could accommodate. I don't pretend to know the best answer but whatever it is, it's definitely something that hasn't been tried before.

FIFA has been very weary of cross-boarder leagues. They are super uncomfortable with a Super League that the owners want. They have threatened bans to maintain the national nature. The only reason the MLS got away with it was because Canada did not have a league.

Also there is a huge difference from buying into a pro league for $MMMM of dollars and owning a "club" that has historical president from moving up and down. Tough to get a big expansion fee (for you dilution on other revenue) if you start at the bottom of a pyramid. The haves and have nots get sorted pretty quickly in the pro/rel model. Now if you have pro/rel and mandatory salary floors/ceiling that force you to compete even when you are in tier 2...interesting (but you would have to figure out what to do with the DP salary model), but in the U.S. hard to support tier 2 leagues so they don't feel like tier 2 (so you can still get premium ticket prices, coverage, etc).

Could you imagine Audi field if DC was not in the top league? Would never have been built and then empty if it was not in the top league.

EC Finals between DCU and NER back in 2004.

That's some good shit, man. Look at those two squads! I remember that game very well. Insane atmosphere.

Great video
Young pre-tattoo Clint
Freddy Adu
RFK still looked like a dump with a great pitch
Baggy uniforms
Alecko and Twellman pre injury problems
MLS using the portable goals
Great black eye on Ries

The flowing locks from Dempsey

tennbengal wrote: ↑Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:49 am The flowing locks from Dempsey

Dempsey's rookie year.

Wondo resigns with San Jose for 2020. All time MLS goal leader gets another season.

Savage. Canadians now better than us at soccer, racist presidents, AND banter.

I think it was a clean tackle if you’re allowed to tackle freely in the box.

I find the voting for goalie of the year in the MLS fascinating. Look as the difference between player and media for Hamid.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/10/ ... eeper-year

Wow...can't believe the Sounders pulled that off. LAFC is good going forward, but their defense is lacking. Ruidiaz had a great game.

And fuck the LAFC crowd...launching beer cans onto the field...

Why is the Toronto Manager wearing a scarf...indoors?

DaveInSeattle wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2019 8:44 pm Why is the Toronto Manager wearing a scarf...indoors?

Or all those fans lol

But seriously, maybe one of these teams will start defending wide-open shots at the top of the box.

P.D.X. wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2019 9:26 pm

DaveInSeattle wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2019 8:44 pm Why is the Toronto Manager wearing a scarf...indoors?

Or all those fans lol

Poorly phrased...it wasn't a supporter scarf...it was a jaunty plaid scarf...very elegantly loosely tied around his neck.

But seriously, maybe one of these teams will start defending wide-open shots at the top of the box.

The Atlanta defenders on the winning goal were definitely watching the paint dry...

DaveInSeattle wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2019 8:44 pm Why is the Toronto Manager wearing a scarf...indoors?

Bogus affectation that.

Weird game. I don't think TFC had a pass or a sniff at the ball inside the Atlanta 18-yard box.

Nick DeLeon is one of the classic MLS level players. Never really an option for an overseas transfer, but big game player. Really nice strike.

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:47 am Nick DeLeon is one of the classic MLS level players. Never really an option for an overseas transfer, but big game player. Really nice strike.

That's similar to Loderio and Ruidiaz for Seattle. Really good players, but just not quite there for playing in Europe somewhere.

One of the guys on the Football Weekly show this summer was saying, during the Copa America, that Loderio just didn't have the size/frame to play in the EPL, but that he was a really fun player to watch.

This guy seems part of the problem not the solution

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... g-the-pack

Baloney wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:50 am This guy seems part of the problem not the solution

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... g-the-pack

So much complaining in that article.

DaveInSeattle wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:49 am

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:47 am Nick DeLeon is one of the classic MLS level players. Never really an option for an overseas transfer, but big game player. Really nice strike.

That's similar to Loderio and Ruidiaz for Seattle. Really good players, but just not quite there for playing in Europe somewhere.

One of the guys on the Football Weekly show this summer was saying, during the Copa America, that Loderio just didn't have the size/frame to play in the EPL, but that he was a really fun player to watch.

Lodeiro did have a couple seasons at Ajax. Ruidiaz I can't even recall lining up for Peru NT (and I think I watched all there games at the last Copa.)

Missed penalty aside Josef Martinez gets way more respect than his skill deserves. Seems like he goes 1/5 in chances and gets credit instead of a seat.

It is pretty telling that the MLS Best 11 has only 3 Americans (Opara, Miles Robinson, Walker Zimmerman). Last time there were more 3 was 2015. Last time there was a forward...2013 (Mike Magee).

Martinez has been best 11 for the last 3 years. That is voted on by player, coaches, and media. Figure that may speak to respect and skill

27 goals is still pretty ridiculous. And he was injured for the last few season games.

Guess so. Maybe I have unreasonable expectations and certainly lots more knowledgeable than I but blown chances are pretty easy to spot. Harder to find someone to do better obviously. Still I'd like to see a video of all his playoff touches.

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 2:33 pm Guess so. Maybe I have unreasonable expectations and certainly lots more knowledgeable than I but blown chances are pretty easy to spot. Harder to find someone to do better obviously. Still I'd like to see a video of all his playoff touches.

So not a Wondo fan huh?

DaveInSeattle wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2019 11:26 pm

P.D.X. wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2019 9:26 pm

DaveInSeattle wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2019 8:44 pm Why is the Toronto Manager wearing a scarf...indoors?

Or all those fans lol

Poorly phrased...it wasn't a supporter scarf...it was a jaunty plaid scarf...very elegantly loosely tied around his neck.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/11/ ... yoff-scarf

Growth business...value up 30%
https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith ... 3cf30751b5

Zlatan leaves Galaxy in most Zlatan way

Zlatan's twitter wrote:I came, I saw, I conquered. Thank you @lagalaxy for making me feel alive again. To the Galaxy fans - you wanted Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan. You are welcome. The story continues...Now go back to watch baseball pic.twitter.com/kkL6B6dJBr

Also San Jose sign a 14 year old goalie (plays for the US U14 and U15 national team). But goalies don't get good until older. Silly. He is only 23 days older than Freddy Adu when he signed. They were pressed to make the move as he is Mex-American and being offered from a Liga MX squad.

6'2" 148lbs

On the bummer side of things: https://awfulannouncing.com/ratings/mls ... n-fox.html

Moving MLS Cup to November and on NFL Sunday fucked the ratings. (Very circuitous route to criticize shorter playoffs, btw.)

If you want an interesting MLS article. Pablo Maurer and Paul Tenorino (DC-based soccer guys) got their hands on an MLS Confidential study done by Boston Consulting Group.
https://theathletic.com/1362372/2019/11 ... odern-era/

Joe Scally moves from NYCFC to Borussia Monchengladbach for $2M and could escalate to $7M. Move becomes official on 1/1/21 so NYCFC gets him for another year.