MLS playoffs format changes

[Taurus]

Looks like MLS will consider changing the format in talks that will begin in January.

http://www.espnfc.us/major-league-s...nsider-playoff-format-changes-for-2017-season

 

[Jon]

Looks like MLS will consider changing the format in talks that will begin in January.

http://www.espnfc.us/major-league-s...nsider-playoff-format-changes-for-2017-season

I'm no soccer expert but as a fan newly interested in the sport, the away goals being the differential in a playoff series sucked. When Toronto scored 2 goals in 7 minutes at our home playoff game you knew you were out of it. Basically you sat there for 83 minutes knowing you lost the series.

 

[Taurus]

I'm no soccer expert but as a fan newly interested in the sport, the away goals being the differential in a playoff series sucked. When Toronto scored 2 goals in 7 minutes at our home playoff game you knew you were out of it. Basically you sat there for 83 minutes knowing you lost the series.

I agree. I'm not a big fan either. They use it in Champions League and the like, and it makes a bit more sense there with international play because they don't have league results to use as a tie-breaker such as the example in the article.

I think they should either consider the regular season league record in their example or doing away with the 2 legged series altogether and make the playoffs all 1 match (less money for the league however) knockouts.

 

[Jon]

I agree. I'm not a big fan either. They use it in Champions League and the like, and it makes a bit more sense there with international play because they don't have league results to use as a tie-breaker such as the example in the article.

I think they should either consider the regular season league record in their example or doing away with the 2 legged series altogether and make the playoffs all 1 match (less money for the league however) knockouts.

Something should be changed. Besides the bye week, there's very little home field advantage. Especially if you can't score a goal on the road.

 

[Fantazma]

I agree. I'm not a big fan either. They use it in Champions League and the like, and it makes a bit more sense there with international play because they don't have league results to use as a tie-breaker such as the example in the article.

I think they should either consider the regular season league record in their example or doing away with the 2 legged series altogether and make the playoffs all 1 match (less money for the league however) knockouts.

liga mx had that before.....where in case of tie the team with the better record in regular season went on to the next round. that was moved as second criteria now, first criteria being away goals.

 

[Falastur]

Something should be changed. Besides the bye week, there's very little home field advantage. Especially if you can't score a goal on the road.

If you're going to have playoffs I think that you have to respect that you are giving every team involved their fair share of winning the competition, given that they've qualified. By all means have some sort of advantage for those who finish higher in the regular season table, but...if you're saying that your team has qualified for the playoffs but is incapable of scoring away goals, I think that you need to consider the idea that that team may not deserve to win the playoffs. Scoring away goals is a fairly fundamental aspect of winning things in football.

That said, NYCFC scored more away goals in the regular season than any other team, so...

 

[engine46]

That said, NYCFC scored more away goals in the regular season than any other team, so...

...and less away goals in the playoffs than any other team :/

 

[BossNYC]

My problem with the current setup is that the higher seed plays away first not knowing how many away goals they need.

The lower seed getting to play at home to start the playoff (friendly atmosphere to ease into it) and then getting to travel away knowing exactly what they need to win seems like an advantage to the lower seed to me.

It's easier to feel the "crunch time" motivation when you're away the second leg.

I'd rather see high seed advance. I will say the better team is more likely to advance in a two-leg series.

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

The outcomes of soccer games are more random than any other sport. A playoff system is never going to show you who the best team is, so it's folly to look for that in a playoff environment. If you want to know the best team, see season standings, if you want to have some exciting games with good teams at the end of the season, enjoy the playoffs.

Worrying about away goals after a series in which we lost 7-0 is ridiculous. TO had to play 3 days after their first playoff game.

 

[Falastur]

My problem with the current setup is that the higher seed plays away first not knowing how many away goals they need.

The lower seed getting to play at home to start the playoff (friendly atmosphere to ease into it) and then getting to travel away knowing exactly what they need to win seems like an advantage to the lower seed to me.

It's easier to feel the "crunch time" motivation when you're away the second leg.

I'd rather see high seed advance. I will say the better team is more likely to advance in a two-leg series.

It's usually understood that playing at home in the second leg is the stronger position to be in. It's the way most of the major seeded two-legged cup competitions in the rest of the world work. While your viewpoint does have clear merit, the idea is supposed to be that the result of the first match means that both teams know what they need to do to go through, not just the away team, and the higher seed is the only one of the two who get home advantage in a match where they know what outcome they need.

This should, theoretically, make it far harder for the away team to get the result they need, especially if the home team did their job in the previous leg and got an away goal or two, because the home team should know exactly how hard they need to play to hold out the opposition and have the crowd behind them as they do it. "Easing into it" shouldn't even be a factor - you've just come off the back of a regular season campaign and your players should be fully fit and practiced for the game already. As for if they are feeling the nerves of the occasion...well, coping with added pressures is part of being a top footballer, and - again - if your players are just less confident than your opponents overall then you have to ask if perhaps they are simply less deserving of the win.

 

[mgarbowski]

I think we're seeing a reaction to what is probably an anomaly. In all 4 conference semi-finals this year the higher seed not only lost but was shut out in the first game. When you start your only home game needing not just to win but to win by more than one and might need to shut out the opponent (or concede at most one goal) it does not feel as if you have an advantage. It is no surprise that only 1 of them advanced. In the conference finals the higher seed also lost the first game. While they scored, that meant that the higher seeds lost every first game. Overall 0-6-0 with 4 clean sheets against for the higher seeds in first games. Even with the significant home field advantage in MLS that's pretty extreme. That's not normal even with the randomness that T Tom in Fairfield CT mentioned.

Last year in the conference semis only one higher sheet failed to score in the first game and 3 of the 4 higher seeds won the round. Lower seeds won both conference finals but it just felt less crazy without all those clean sheets.

 

[ZYanksRule]

How about no tiebreaker? If it's tied after two legs, go to extra time. If it's good enough for the World Cup, it's good enough for me.

 

[Keith Putnam]

I'm no soccer expert but as a fan newly interested in the sport, the away goals being the differential in a playoff series sucked.

One major reason that Away Goals is a standard tiebreaker in two-legged ties is to enhance the entertainment value of the matches by incentivizing the away team (assuming they're not already trailing) to attack rather than just parking the bus to keep a clean sheet.

 

[SoupInNYC]

How about no tiebreaker? If it's tied after two legs, go to extra time. If it's good enough for the World Cup, it's good enough for me.

Because you would see teams play for penalties a lot more often. And many series would be decided by penalties, which just isn't fun.

It works for the World Cup because they don't do home-and-home series. I've heard some interesting ideas on how to "fix" extra time/penalties for the World Cup, but that's a separate discussion.

 

[Ulrich]

Because you would see teams play for penalties a lot more often. And many series would be decided by penalties, which just isn't fun.

It works for the World Cup because they don't do home-and-home series. I've heard some interesting ideas on how to "fix" extra time/penalties for the World Cup, but that's a separate discussion.

I kinda like the idea of the seeding being the tiebreaker. Play total points, then total goals, and then higher seed goes through. Forces the lower seed to outplay/outscore the higher seed otherwise they go home (two draws sees the higher go through). This would put a hell of a lot of emphasis on the regular season.

 

[SoupInNYC]

I kinda like the idea of the seeding being the tiebreaker. Play total points, then total goals, and then higher seed goes through. Forces the lower seed to outplay/outscore the higher seed otherwise they go home (two draws sees the higher go through). This would put a hell of a lot of emphasis on the regular season.

Hmmmm, that's kind of interesting. Not sure I completely like it, but perhaps that would work.

 

[BossNYC]

I kinda like the idea of the seeding being the tiebreaker. Play total points, then total goals, and then higher seed goes through. Forces the lower seed to outplay/outscore the higher seed otherwise they go home (two draws sees the higher go through). This would put a hell of a lot of emphasis on the regular season.

Exactly, the burden should be on the lower seed to prove they are unquestionably the better team.

Ties go to the champ.

 

[jerseyhotspur]

who cares about away goals if you win both legs?

 

[Kjbert]

I would like to see the away goals rule scrapped and extra time immediately for draws after 90 minutes in Leg 2. Playing the Extra Time and PKs at home is your reward for being the higher seed.

 

[sbrylski]

A comment in another thread got me thinking about playoff format again. I am certain we are going to move to 8 playoff qualifiers sooner than later, probably no later than the addition of Team 25. With no pro/rel, the league must incentivize as much of the table as possible for as long as possible.

I will again plug my Group Stage solution. Same number of match days (6), but it would consist of 31 games with cross-fanbase interest compared to 21 games if the league implemented a straight knockout bracket with two-leg quarters and semis. I would also mix the groups nationally.

The single-game format throughout would make final positions in the standings very important, with 1st and 2nd getting three home games in the Group Stage, 3rd and 4th getting two home games, and 5th and 6th getting one home game. Your place in the Group Stage would also matter greatly, keeping incentives for all teams to play hard in the third game. The winners of the Group Stage get homefield advantages in the three knockout rounds.