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General MLS Talk 2023


Big_M

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On 10/23/2023 at 9:36 AM, Watchmen said:

I have yet to hear a fan defend or like the best of 3 format.

Contact a fanblog moderator for St. Louis City SC and see what they think.

I also see that the recent World Series featuring two mediocre wild card teams had an all time low viewing rating, bringing somewhat of a rebuke from Murdoch the Younger: 

https://awfulannouncing.com/fox/lachlan-murdoch-world-series-fox-earnings-call.html

so the MLS suits will be hoping that the higher profile teams get through, at least the first round.

 

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14 minutes ago, BearcatSA said:

Contact a fanblog moderator for St. Louis City SC and see what they think.

I also see that the recent World Series featuring two mediocre wild card teams had an all time low viewing rating, bringing somewhat of a rebuke from Murdoch the Younger: 

https://awfulannouncing.com/fox/lachlan-murdoch-world-series-fox-earnings-call.html

so the MLS suits will be hoping that the higher profile teams get through, at least the first round.

 

The Whitecaps lost just as badly and I still think it's a bad format. And if St Louis fans think it's good, maybe they're not the knowledgeable soccer market we were all led to believe.

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38 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

The Whitecaps lost just as badly and I still think it's a bad format. And if St Louis fans think it's good, maybe they're not the knowledgeable soccer market we were all led to believe.

Or, maybe they know full well that it's not the way that it's done in most football cup competitions, but they like it all the same?

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I dislike this best of three series in soccer and prefer the two leg, total goals style but I am pretty sure at least one team will benefit and go on a longer playoff run when they probably shouldn't have and some of that team's supporters will spin the benefits of it if their team wins, so that's my point here.

MLS (and Apple's) grand plam to have Inter Miami make a "cinderella" run to the MLS Cup Final (and push a final subscription surge) gave out like Messi's hamstring did, so Plan B is at least to have the other top seeds and marquee sides (LAFC) get into the top 8 knockout stages (and beyond), so maybe they feel that this format is the best way to do it.

 

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19 hours ago, Watchmen said:

The Whitecaps lost just as badly and I still think it's a bad format. And if St Louis fans think it's good, maybe they're not the knowledgeable soccer market we were all led to believe.

Oh give me a break please , so it’s ok for the other sports but somehow it’s not good for soccer that sacred game . Tell me exactly what’s the problem you have with this best of three ? Is it that it’s soccer sorry football and we just don’t do it like this God forbid . 

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9 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

I dislike this best of three series in soccer and prefer the two leg, total goals style but I am pretty sure at least one team will benefit and go on a longer playoff run when they probably shouldn't have and some of that team's supporters will spin the benefits of it if their team wins, so that's my point here.

MLS (and Apple's) grand plam to have Inter Miami make a "cinderella" run to the MLS Cup Final (and push a final subscription surge) gave out like Messi's hamstring did, so Plan B is at least to have the other top seeds and marquee sides (LAFC) get into the top 8 knockout stages (and beyond), so maybe they feel that this format is the best way to do it.

 

Don’t see a problem with a format that might favour the better teams , like I mentioned before this format favours the teams that actually did better in the regular season . Winning one game for a lower ranked team is a hell of a lot easier than winning two games , moreover , you want the teams with the best regular season record to go further . However, if a lower ranked team can win two games and upset the favoured team then all power to them.

Edited by SoccMan
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3 hours ago, SoccMan said:

Oh give me a break please , so it’s ok for the other sports but somehow it’s not good for soccer that sacred game . Tell me exactly what’s the problem you have with this best of three ? Is it that it’s soccer sorry football and we just don’t do it like this God forbid . 

Yes

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23 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

I dislike this best of three series in soccer and prefer the two leg, total goals style but I am pretty sure at least one team will benefit and go on a longer playoff run when they probably shouldn't have and some of that team's supporters will spin the benefits of it if their team wins, so that's my point here.

MLS (and Apple's) grand plam to have Inter Miami make a "cinderella" run to the MLS Cup Final (and push a final subscription surge) gave out like Messi's hamstring did, so Plan B is at least to have the other top seeds and marquee sides (LAFC) get into the top 8 knockout stages (and beyond), so maybe they feel that this format is the best way to do it.

I don't have really strong opinions about the format, since I think Vancouver has not advanced past a first round because they never deserved to, and TFC go to three finals mostly deservedly. So I don't think the results are terribly skewed in the end. 

I was trying to design a group stage for the first round, giving us the quarter finalists, but I couldn't figure it out entirely, especially the question of home and away games.

 

 

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4 hours ago, narduch said:

They also lined up 2 fall friendlies in China

It would be funny if MLS and Apple+ had some provisional viewing involving Messi set up the day before the MLS Cup final should two unfancied sides contest it.  Who am I kidding?  They'll probably run something during it while the match is played concurrently on the smaller screen. 😉

 

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Now that the season is finished and we are in the playoffs, I wonder what people think of where the MLS ranks in comparison to other leagues as compared to 10 years ago.  I am not asking if the MLS has improved over the last 10 years but whether they have fallen, improved or stayed the same versus the other leagues around the world (which to me is the more important metric).

My gut tells me that with all the expansion that they are neutral at best and possibly fallen somewhat.  Through Covid, it seems many sides went younger and relied more on homegrown.  Montreal is a perfect example.  Also, we see many more Canadians which I am not sure is down to the talent improving or there just being more opportunities.

There used to be all this talk about overtaking all other leagues below the top tier to become the 6th best in the world behind top 5 leagues.  This doesn’t seem to have happened and indeed, I hear less talk about it now (perhaps it’s just where I am looking).  While the expansion may have diluted the product on the field, it doesn’t mean it was a bad thing as long term it gets many more eyeballs in the US on the sport which can only be good for its long term development.  Also, USL seems to have a few solid franchises with decent fan support as well.  And of course, there is the CPL as well.  Perhaps the next 10 years (including with the initial Messi bump) will allow them to close the gap as expansion will likely be curtailed which will give the product time to catch up.

Anyway, I suspect others that follow this type of thing and have the analytics to back it up will enter into the fray and provide more cogent arguments one way or the other.

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2 hours ago, Big_M said:

missed playoffs last couple years and tons of people betting against neville so for him not much to lose and a lot to gain

I don't think anyone is blaming Neville for taking that job. Great soccer town, good sized club. I just have no idea why they'd hire him.

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