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Something to ponder ahead of the games this weekend.
As first seen here in this posting, MLS insider and commentator Sean Wheelock talked about MLS examining the Apertura/Clausura type schedule as a solution to several scheduling problems.
Sean Wheelock was a guest on BBC's World Football Phone-In again early this morning UK time. On it hetook a question regarding how serious the discussions were within MLS about a single table and moving to an Apertura/Clausura season. He elaborated, went into further detail and indicates both the single table and Apertura/Clausura are gaining momentum, and have reached new prominence due to this summer's scheduling conflict coming to a head.
Press play:
You can hear what he had to say at this link.
AUDIO: MLS Has Had 4 Year Discussion Regarding Apertura/Clausura and Single Table
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The League has to get this done asap.
Time to move forward.
Single Table !!
The time is now.
Single Table and A/C next year. No more debate MLS, we want it.
Single table yes.
A/C NOOOOO!!!
Can someone explain what the Apertura/Clausura season is?
It's a spring / fall two seperate seasons within one year.
Honestly, they should do it at least in WC years because there is no point trotting out MLS when the biggest event in the sport is on at the same time.
If you do it for the World Cup then you might as well do it all the time. Anything else would be inconsistent.
As a DC United supporter I support the idea. It allows us to win one more league trophy a year.
A spring/fall league would be interesting as it would put the league more in line with the rest of the world.
My concern would be the spring part for the teams in the east like NE, Columbus and NY. Spring stays around to May and fans will stay away if the weather is to cold
I see no advantage to a single table. I'm like East/West, but really don't care eiher way.
I think having a championship in the spring would be cool. The schedule gets very crowded the the fall, and the spring/summer is a time when not much is happening in American sports, it would give MLS a bigger stage.
Do it!
Single table is much better for everyone. As a football fan who is trying to embrace the league.
A/C seems like a nice change as well. I'd rather watch MLS when I don't have to be distracted by International comps like WC or Euros.
As the league gains real cred it makes sense to act like a football league.
The fact that they have been seriously planning this out for four years should be applauded. Don Garber and Ivan Gazidis really have moved the league in the right direction and I expect they will continue to do so when they adopt the single table and A/C.
This is what the true fans of the game in this country want.
"This is what the true fans of the game in this country want." enough said
My problem with East/West is it prevents match ups based on geography; why shouldn't DC be able to play NE in the final? or LA v Chivas? I think any two teams should be able to play in the final game.
I like the idea of our calendar matching most of the rest of the world; but I hate the idea of two "mini" tournaments. I think 2 champions a year diminishes the accomplishment.
""This is what the true fans of the game in this country want." enough said"
It is? Because I'm a true fan and I think the idea of an A/C is terrible.
While the split season makes some sense in that it would allow the midsummer tournaments to be more fully featured, while also reducing the overlap of the regular season with the FIFA calendar; does it really make sense to go to a single table for a few years to abandon it later when the league is too large to have a single table along with Superliga, CCL, USOpen Cup, and the Playoffs?
20 team single table with that can work.
24 and a truly national league with that kind of fixture pressure can not be done for single table. Unless you think that a team should play 46 regular sesason games (one a week) and up to 30 other games in a single year, along with a playoff at the end. The league literally runs out of weeks to compete, not just with the split season, but in a 52 week year.
There will be Conferencs, and maybe even formerlly recognized 3 team derbies and every team will play ever other team at least once.
I doubt you see MLS go above 20 teams for a long time. The single table is the way to go.
MLS will have 20-teams in 2012. There are too many deep-pocketed-owners in good soccer markets to ignore!
Also, I just came up with an idea to shorten the playoffs...
Send the top-8 to one location, play the Quarterfinals Sat/Sun, Semis Tues/Wed, and the Finals Sun.
8-days and done. You could do it in non-MLS markets, like Miami/Orlando/Tampa or Phoenix/San Diego/Las Vegas. I think this would also give the playoffs more of a World Cup/Gold Cup/Euro-feel.
If you shorten the playoffs, that leaves more time for the schedule to expand outside of FIFA date/tournaments and even allow single table for 20-teams.
Also, play SuperLiga during the A/C break. Give the Top-4 MLS teams at the break a place in SuperLiga.
I do not like the idea of two champions in one year though! One overall Champion for the Supporters' Shield, and playoff for Top-8 overall.
There may be a lot of deep pocketed owners but the league may wait at 20 to allow expansion to proceed at a slower rate and expansion fees go up 50,60,70,80 million....
at that point the next clubs that want in are paying the league serious money which should be reinvested in deeper rosters.