shermanator Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 Just announced by Don Garber during his halftime interview on NBC. This means it will be even more painful when TFC miss the playoffs in 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 A little more information. "Under the current system, the fourth- and fifth-place finishers in each conference meet in a one-game playoff that sends the winner to face the top seed. Starting next season, the third-place team in each conference will host the sixth seed in one single-elimination game while No. 4 hosts No. 5 in the other. The four conference semifinalists then will be reseeded to ensure the first-place finisher faces off against the lowest-ranked knockout round survivor." http://www.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/11/29/mls-cup-playoff-format-2015-changes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Okay so now you need to be in the top 2 in each conf to get a by instead of the top 3. One more play-in game but both the 4th and 5th will be on the road. To just host a playoff game just got tougher. In one sense I like it. The best teams over the full season should get an advantage in the playoffs. It gives some meaning to the Supporter's Shield race. Here's hoping we all host playoff games next year! PS Shermanator that was a low blow, dirty crack etc but ya made me laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
narduch Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 This was to be expected. I'm sure this won't be the last time either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcalibre Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Still need top 4 to guarantee a home playoff game, something no Canadian MLS team has ever hosted (and played in) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Why not just let every team into the playoffs? If the playoffs are to have value, they should be difficult to qualify for. To finish 12th, a team will quite likely be below .500. 12th place in the Premier League last season was Swansea, 11 wins, 9 draws, and 18 losses. 12th place in Serie A last season was Sampdoria, 12 wins, 9 draws, 17 losses 12th place in La Liga last season was Rayo Vallecano, 13 wins, 4 draws, 21 losses. 12th place in MLS this past season was Philadelphia, 10 wins, 12 draws, 12 losses. (19 teams) At the risk of being attacked as a "purist," this is a horrible move, and just makes the regular season even more pointless. Someone tell me again why I should buy tickets to a match July? If the team is even halfway decent, it should really just be an exhibition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 RJB - No you're not being a purist but I do differ on this making the regular season more pointless. Instead of the top 3 teams in each conference getting byes it is now the top 2. The other 4 have to win a one off play in game. That favours the home team so regular season standings become even more important. The MLS is not stopping at 20. Personally I would have left it at the top 5 but if you are going to 24 teams eventually then doing it now and keeping it at 6 when they expand further makes some sense. I hope MLS doesn't further expand the playoffs to 7 teams out of 12 in each conf as they grow to 24. 10th out of 20 in EPL last year was Newcastle with 15W, 4D, 19L and 49 points. Not a huge improvement over Swansea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 At some point in the near future, the playoffs will expand to eight teams per conference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Hopefully not before MLS gets to 32 teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Hammer- Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Being a fan of the CFL (a league where 2/3rds of the teams make the playoffs) I'm well aware of the hypocrisy of this post, but anything greater then (or at least close to) 50% of the teams making the playoffs is silly. It stinks in the CFL, (where there is a need for a bye week, to offer the advantage of good regular season play) where there's not enough teams to ensure only winning records make it in. Even in the 90s people still commented on how bush it was that in 1981 a 5-11 team made it to the Grey Cup. Thankfully, that footnote in history seemed to die with the original Ottawa Rough Riders franchise. Anyways, in a 19 team league, where there is limited reason to have playoffs to begin with (I get you want to appeal and have a North American feel/spin on it) given how Soccer determines it's champions everywhere else, having 12 teams make the playoffs is ridiculous. Wait till 2017 when you have more teams joining the league Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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