2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs

[KevinJRogers]

I've never seen an American sports league expand its playoffs, then contract them years later (2020 weirdness excluded). We're stuck with this system, and I'm sure MLS will find away to expand the playoffs even further at some point down the line.

Quite true. I assumed it would be eight teams in each conference, with the wild card play-in game for the bottom slot.

I like the rest of it, though. It's a tweak, not a massive overhaul of what we have now. And MLS would get two opportunities to sell championship merch rather than one for minimal additional cost.

Another angle: the Opening Day match of the following season between the Supporters Shield holder and MLS Cup holder could go on Fox's air to drive MLS Season Pass subscriptions.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Quite true. I assumed it would be eight teams in each conference, with the wild card play-in game for the bottom slot.

I like the rest of it, though. It's a tweak, not a massive overhaul of what we have now. And MLS would get two opportunities to sell championship merch rather than one for minimal additional cost.

Another angle: the Opening Day match of the following season between the Supporters Shield holder and MLS Cup holder could go on Fox's air to drive MLS Season Pass subscriptions.

I do like doing a Community Shield-style match between Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup champions. That's a great idea. Make it a stand-alone game the week before the rest of the regular season begins.

I do think making that first round a group stage would do more to protect the top seeds than this current format.

 

[Seth]

I've often wondered if we wouldn't be better off having a ceremony at the end of the regular season for the winners of the Supporters Shield as the champions of the regular season. Then we could treat the postseason as a tournament for the MLS Cup.

The shield winners could get a little shield icon over their crest and the cup winners a little cup instead of a star. Both "championship" teams would get championship bonus money.

Then the next season, they could open the campaign by playing each other in the first game before the rest of the slate. Kind of a bragging rights thing.

The top eight teams in each conference could go into the postseason tourney, set up with group play broken up into four four-team groups. Top two in each group go into the quarterfinals.

(I would prefer just the top four teams in each conference go into group at the end of the regular season and then the top two in each group emerge to play each other for the right to play in the Cup game, but I don't see MLS leaving money on the table.)

I 1000% support this. We could come in 7th every year, make the playoffs, and win the cup. Which I'm not against at all, mind you. But Coming in 7th and then winning four matches in a row doesn't mean you're the best team, if just means you won an end of season tournament. League Champion <and> MLS Cup winner, totally in favor of this.

The two-symbol idea is interesting. Not against that at all but I think I'd maybe prefer to keep the star though and have the league winner have gold league patches for the next season the way the Premiere League does it. Minor nitpick though and not really an objection.

 

[mgarbowski]

I've never seen an American sports league expand its playoffs, then contract them years later (2020 weirdness excluded).

Best we can hope for probably is playoff numbers remain steady through whatever additional expansion happens.

League Champion <and> MLS Cup winner, totally in favor of this.

I'm very annoyed baseball didn't do something like this. The main reason I have lost interest is IMO baseball devalued a 162 game season via playoff expansion and constant tinkering. I just can't care about any given 3 hour game when they play so many and let teams with a .520 percentage in the playoffs. At the same time they have fully destroyed the legacy of the separate league system, such that the AL and NL are really just conferences, which is fine for other sports but baseball was different.

My never-gonna-happen proposal is to award the AL and NL pennant to the best regular season record in each league, and hand out rings and trophies and such to those teams. Then give nothing to the teams who end up in the World Series. You got through a couple of playoff series ? Congrats, you just won the right to play in the World Series. That's enough. But you're not champion of anything and get no hardware or jewelry or titles unless you win the World Series. Why are giving out shit for "winning" the semifinals of a tournament? It's the only time baseball pretends the leagues matter.
Make pennant races mean something again, among the best teams in each league.

Also MLS should junk the EC and WC conference trophies. Retroactively even. It's stupid. I remember watching the presentation in 2021 and thinking if we don't win the final this trophy will just be a reminder of failure and I hope the club never displays it.

 

[Victors87]

I’m concerned if RB wins they go above us in honors (they already have support shield)

 

[KevinJRogers]

I'd maybe prefer to keep the star though and have the league winner have gold league patches for the next season the way the Premiere League does it.

Not a bad idea.

Another alternative: both champions get a sleeve patch, one a shield, one a cup. Only the defending champs wear it the season after winning, so it rotates with the winners. Anyone who wins either Supporters Shield or the MLS Cup gets one permanent star over their badge.

 

[LionNYC]

God, please don't let the Red Bulls win MLS Cup tomorrow.

 

[CCMore]

God, please don't let the Red Bulls win MLS Cup tomorrow.

I’ve stopped trying to pray cause each god/gods gave me the finger and laughed. So Imma just say some crude shit. I hope New Jersey loses today so that they still don’t have a cup to cover their balls when we kick them in the proverbial crotch in the future. Let’s go LAG!

Fuck the Red Bulls! Fuck New Jersey! MLS is Blue! (Navy? Gold? White?) Come on say hey!

 

[ZYanksRule]

The MLS Cup pregame show on Apple has included the following personnel:

Bradley Wright-Phillips
Sacha Klejstan
Dax McCarty
Steve Cangialosi

Might as well broadcast this pregame show on MSG Network.

 

[KevinJRogers]

The MLS Cup pregame show on Apple has included the following personnel:

Bradley Wright-Phillips
Sacha Klejstan
Dax McCarty
Steve Cangialosi

Might as well broadcast this pregame show on MSG Network.

In my faith, hate is a great sin. We're put on this Earth to love one another, and ourselves. One should never hold hate in their heart.

But I hate Red Bull.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Andres Reyes scratched with an illness minutes before kickoff. Massive bad news for Red Bulls.

Let's go, Galaxy! I love LA. (and as a Yankees fan, that took a lot for me to say)

 

[ZYanksRule]

Gorgeous goal! Spectacular start for LA.

Coronel dives over the ball. That's so Metro.

 

[Gene]

Well, that goal by Paintstil just made the afternoon a tad more palletable.

 

[KevinJRogers]

Weak sauce from Red Bull. But I'm not gloating. It's wrong to gloat. And you should always be positive. Never root against, only for.

However, that being said, I hope and pray the Galaxy blow this herd of dipshits OUT.

 

[ZYanksRule]

That's so, so, so Metro.

2-0 Galaxy.

 

[canchon]

That's so, so, so Metro.

2-0 Galaxy.

Galaxy just literally Red Bull’d Red Bull: long ball, knockdown, turnover and go direct.

now down two RBNJ can’t score first, low block and kick the Galaxy into submission. MLS Cup just got interesting.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Boy, I would hate to be a fanbase that sent 2,000 fans across the country only to get blown out in the biggest game in franchise history.

Sorry, NYCFC fans just can't relate to something like that.

 

[Gene]

Are these announcers getting a bonus for every time they use the phrase "punched in the face"?

 

[CCMore]

This galaxy team is FUN

 

[ZYanksRule]

Good grief what the hell was that.