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playoffs in soccer... and people wonder why nobody takes mls seriously...

TwinTownBisonFan wrote:playoffs in soccer... and people wonder why nobody takes mls seriously...

MLS
USL
Mexican Primera Division
Costa Rican Primera Division
El Salvador Primera
Guatemalan Liga Nacional
Honduran Liga nacional
Nicaraguan Primera Division
Liga Panamena de Futbol
TT Pro League
Argentine Primera Division
Brazilian Campeonato A (pre-2003)
Chilean Primera Division
Colombian Primera A
Ecuador Serie A
Paraguayan Primera Division
Bolivian Lige de Futbol
Peruvian Primera Division
Uruguayan Primera Division
Venezuelan Primera Division
Australian A-League
Japanese J-League (pre-2004)
Iraqi Premier League

Guess what these leagues have in common, besides not being in Europe: a non-"traditional" method of determining a champion, ie not perfect, fair "home-and-away" "single table" Eurosnob purist bullshit. Hell, even the Northern Irish and Scottish leagues do something similar - play X games against everyone, then the tables splinter to take the top and bottom 5/6 teams to produce the champions and relegated teams.

Jackass Americans dismiss MLS simply because the "calibre of footy" is poor and the league is "mickey mouse" piss me off more than anything in this sport. These are the fuckers who proudly were their ManUre, Chel$ki, Barca, whatever blind bandwagon G14 club is in style these days, laugh at MLS and our non western European ways of doing things, and write us off because we can't financially compete with the big European clubs. These people are consumers of the game, nothing more, and look down on anyone who does anything different.

Counting down clocks, spring to fall schedule, shootouts, playoffs, they're all bullshit reasons behind why Americans refuse to support their own league - we are not as good as the G14. Well, no shit, and we won't get there until we have fans paying money to go to the games, watching them on TV, buying "kits", all that. And it's happening now - just more people would prefer to wake up ass early Saturday morning to watch the Reds trash the latest promoted shit then laugh at an invitation for an MLS game that evening.

And reading that just now, I flew off a little bit. TTBF, not directed at you personally, just something that's been building for a while.

TwinTownBisonFan wrote:playoffs in soccer... and people wonder why nobody takes mls seriously...

What are wrong with playoffs?

dbackjon wrote:

TwinTownBisonFan wrote:playoffs in soccer... and people wonder why nobody takes mls seriously...

What are wrong with playoffs?

Guessing you skipped my rant above

People who are more "traditionalist" in regards to soccer, or footy, as they usually call it, prefer the western European method of deciding a champion. Single table, no conferences, you play everyone else twice home and away, team with the most points at the end of the year are the champs. Playoffs are viewed as an American bastardization of the sport, despite the fact most of our hemisphere uses them. It's just one more reason Eurosnobs use for why they don't follow MLS when they just won't admit they prefer to be entertained by the sport, follow a winner and essentially be a consumer, even an ocean away with whom they have no legitimate connection.

DukeJack wrote:

dbackjon wrote: What are wrong with playoffs?

Guessing you skipped my rant above

People who are more "traditionalist" in regards to soccer, or footy, as they usually call it, prefer the western European method of deciding a champion. Single table, no conferences, you play everyone else twice home and away, team with the most points at the end of the year are the champs. Playoffs are viewed as an American bastardization of the sport, despite the fact most of our hemisphere uses them. It's just one more reason Eurosnobs use for why they don't follow MLS when they just won't admit they prefer to be entertained by the sport, follow a winner and essentially be a consumer, even an ocean away with whom they have no legitimate connection.

I'm not a snob - or a "footy" fan... i like soccer - i got hooked during the 02 world cup - got REALLY hooked during the 06 world cup... but i like the way they do it europe because it's so different from how things are done in the US... I LIKE a meaningful regular season - I LIKE relegation (even though it just sent Newcastle to the Championship)... because it's unlike anything we have here. I for one would love the USL and MLS to link up and have the top two teams in the USL table move up and the bottom in MLS go down... I know why this can't work right now... but I think the path to success for MLS is working to recreate the European model here...

I follow MLS - but since 1. there is no MLS squad in MN and 2. UEFA Champions league is so entertaining and easy to follow... it's not something i go out of my way to follow.

thing is, I found a team in many of the leagues that I like - not because they win... usually i got to see a few of their games - maybe read a bit about their history - in the case of Lyon, I dated a girl when I lived in Philly who was a big fan...

i think there is a bit of truth to the notion that "Eurosnobs" may be drawn to the fact that it's kinda like "their thing" that not a lot of people in the US are in to - I find that in Japanese Baseball... which I started following just to be "different" (along with the CFL, truth be told) - but that said, I think there is also an undercurrent of frustration - like "why does the US just HAVE to do it differently?"

Houston Dynamo Vs. Seattle Sounders
Houston Dynamo at (3) Seattle Sounders FC, Thursday, Oct. 29 - 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)
(3) Seattle Sounders FC at (2) Houston Dynamo, Sunday, Nov. 8 - 3 p.m. (TeleFutura, Regional TV)2)


Columbus Crew Vs. Real Salt Lake
(1) Columbus Crew at (4) Real Salt Lake, Saturday, Oct. 31 - 6 p.m. ET (Regional TV, Direct Kick, MLSnet.com)
(4) Real Salt Lake at (1) Columbus Crew, Thursday, Nov. 5 - 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)


Chicago Fire Vs. New England Revolution
(2) Chicago Fire at (3) New England Revolution, Saturday, Oct. 31 - 4 p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)
(3) New England Revolution at (2) Chicago Fire, Saturday, Nov. 7 - 8:30 p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)


Los Angeles Galaxy Vs. Chivas USA
(1)Los Angeles Galaxy at (4) Chivas USA, Sunday, Nov. 1 - 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)
(4) Chivas USA at (1) Los Angeles Galaxy, Sunday, Nov. 8 - 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)

Garber (the Commish) was on FSC last night and addressed that very topic as he took questions via both e-mail and phone. His answer was that North America is too big not to have conferences and a single table is too foreign to Americans to use. MLS went down to the last game before anything was decided and if this year we had a single table Columbus would have won over a week ago. Relegation is of course out of the question.

Looks like we will be heading over to Seattle for Thursdays game. Can't wait, haven't been to a game since American "football" started. Those fuckers in Seattle know how to party, cheer and have some serious fun. Time to break out the scarves.

DukeJack - I did see your rant, and liked it.

So TTBF - so if a team starts slowly, but at the end of the year, despite winning the last 12 matches, including beating the top teams in the end, but still finish third, they are shit outta luck?

Strange way to declare a champion, and rather backwards. The Euros need to change, not the rest of the world.

dbackjon wrote:DukeJack - I did see your rant, and liked it.

So TTBF - so if a team starts slowly, but at the end of the year, despite winning the last 12 matches, including beating the top teams in the end, but still finish third, they are shit outta luck?

Strange way to declare a champion, and rather backwards. The Euros need to change, not the rest of the world.

Why? Why should the European leagues change their ways just to please the American consumers? It is only backward to you and other americans because you can't grasp the fact that the world doesn't follow each and every thing that Americans do.

bandl wrote:

dbackjon wrote:DukeJack - I did see your rant, and liked it.

So TTBF - so if a team starts slowly, but at the end of the year, despite winning the last 12 matches, including beating the top teams in the end, but still finish third, they are shit outta luck?

Strange way to declare a champion, and rather backwards. The Euros need to change, not the rest of the world.

Why? Why should the European leagues change their ways just to please the American consumers? It is only backward to you and other americans because you can't grasp the fact that the world doesn't follow each and every thing that Americans do.

Because we (the whole Americas, not just the US) are superior in every way

dbackjon wrote:DukeJack - I did see your rant, and liked it.

So TTBF - so if a team starts slowly, but at the end of the year, despite winning the last 12 matches, including beating the top teams in the end, but still finish third, they are shit outta luck?

Strange way to declare a champion, and rather backwards. The Euros need to change, not the rest of the world.

because regular season games should matter if you suck early in the year... well t.s.

i really prefer leagues that have a meaningful regular season - in nba and nhl the regular season is largely meaningless.

in the Euro Leagues (and in MLB before they f'd it up) it was an elegant regular season - you played everyone, everybody played the same schedule, and the winner was decided by the results of the regular season.

"wild cards" and expanded playoffs cheapen the regular season... and yes, jon - if a team sucks early, but gets hot late and can't catch up to second place... tough shit...

EPJr wrote:



Chicago Fire Vs. New England Revolution
(2) Chicago Fire at (3) New England Revolution, Saturday, Oct. 31 - 4 p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)
(3) New England Revolution at (2) Chicago Fire, Saturday, Nov. 7 - 8:30 p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)

This game has been moved to Sunday now

Houston Dynamo Vs. Seattle Sounders
Houston Dynamo 0:0 Seattle Sounders FC
(3) Seattle Sounders FC at (2) Houston Dynamo, Sunday, Nov. 8 - 3 p.m. (TeleFutura, Regional TV)2)


Columbus Crew Vs. Real Salt Lake
Columbus Crew 0:1 Real Salt Lake
(4) Real Salt Lake at (1) Columbus Crew, Thursday, Nov. 5 - 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)


Chicago Fire Vs. New England Revolution
(2) Chicago Fire at (3) New England Revolution, Sunday, Nov. 1 - 1p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)
(3) New England Revolution at (2) Chicago Fire, Saturday, Nov. 7 - 8:30 p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)


Los Angeles Galaxy Vs. Chivas USA
(1)Los Angeles Galaxy at (4) Chivas USA, Sunday, Nov. 1 - 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)
(4) Chivas USA at (1) Los Angeles Galaxy, Sunday, Nov. 8 - 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)[/quote]

TwinTownBisonFan wrote:

dbackjon wrote:DukeJack - I did see your rant, and liked it.

So TTBF - so if a team starts slowly, but at the end of the year, despite winning the last 12 matches, including beating the top teams in the end, but still finish third, they are shit outta luck?

Strange way to declare a champion, and rather backwards. The Euros need to change, not the rest of the world.

because regular season games should matter if you suck early in the year... well t.s.

i really prefer leagues that have a meaningful regular season - in nba and nhl the regular season is largely meaningless.

in the Euro Leagues (and in MLB before they f'd it up) it was an elegant regular season - you played everyone, everybody played the same schedule, and the winner was decided by the results of the regular season.

"wild cards" and expanded playoffs cheapen the regular season... and yes, jon - if a team sucks early, but gets hot late and can't catch up to second place... tough shit...

So you can't wait for NDSU to move to FBS, and have "meaningful regular seasons" then?

I love the wild card, and playoffs - only TRUE way to know who is best for the ENTIRE season.

That Houston/Seattle game was pretty intense on Thursday!!

Houston Dynamo Vs. Seattle Sounders
Houston Dynamo 0:0 Seattle Sounders FC
(3) Seattle Sounders FC at (2) Houston Dynamo, Sunday, Nov. 8 - 3 p.m. (TeleFutura, Regional TV)2)


1st leg Columbus Crew 0:1 Real Salt Lake
2nd leg Columbus Crew 2:3 Real Salt Lake
Columbus Crew 2:4 Real Salt Lake

Chicago Fire Vs. New England Revolution
Chicago Fire 1:2 New England Revolution
(3) New England Revolution at (2) Chicago Fire, Saturday, Nov. 7 - 8:30 p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)

Los Angeles Galaxy Vs. Chivas USA
Los Angeles Galaxy 2:2 Chivas USA
(4) Chivas USA at (1) Los Angeles Galaxy, Sunday, Nov. 8 - 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)

1st leg Houston Dynamo 0:0 Seattle Sounders FC
2nd leg Seattle Sounders FC 0:1 Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo 1:0 Seattle Sounders

1st leg Columbus Crew 0:1 Real Salt Lake
2nd leg Columbus Crew 2:3 Real Salt Lake
Columbus Crew 2:4 Real Salt Lake

1st leg Chicago Fire 1:2 New England Revolution
2nd leg New England Revolution 0:2 Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire 3:2 New England Revolution

1st leg Los Angeles Galaxy 2:2 Chivas USA
2nd leg Chivas USA 0:1 Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy 3:2 Chivas USA

Houston Dynamo defeat Seattle Sounders 1-0 and LA Galaxy defeat Chivas USA 1-0.

LA will now host the Dynamo on Friday in the semifinals.

I was really hoping Chivas would win so Houston would host the game and I could go. I went to the last game of the regular season against the Galaxy and it was a blast.

Conference Championship matchups set

Houston Dynamo @ LA Galaxy - Friday (11 p.m. ET; ESPN2/Deportes)

Chicago Fire Vs. Real Salt Lake - Saturday (8 p.m. ET; FSC, FSE)

LA Galaxy defeated Houston Dynamo 2-0 in OT yesterday to advance to their first MLS final since 2005.

Sad to see Houston miss out.

The lights went out at the Home Depot Center and the game had to be temporally stopped until the problem was fixed.

slycat wrote:LA Galaxy defeated Houston Dynamo 2-0 in OT yesterday to advance to their first MLS final since 2005.

Sad to see Houston miss out.

The lights went out at the Home Depot Center and the game had to be temporally stopped until the problem was fixed.

What is it with stadium lights in Cali? Same thing happened during the UC-Davis/Montana game.

Grizalltheway wrote:What is it with stadium lights in Cali? Same thing happened during the UC-Davis/Montana game.

They said it was a grid problem, the whole area was out of power. I was a little surprised the lights didn't go out a third time, actually.