MLS considers a 34-game schedule
Major League Soccer is considering a move to a 34-game regular season schedule, an increase in four matches per team.
You can read more about the details here at SI.com, where I first had the news in a piece posted this morning.
But this is no slam dunk. Two committees (the technical committee and then the influential competition committee, which includes some high-profile owners and coaches) will help make a recommendation. Owners will then vote during meetings at November’s MLS Cup in
I can also tell you that there are few “proceed with caution” attitudes among some team officials. They know that opening the stadium doors provides, in most cases, more opportunities to make money. Most markets have reached the point that even a midweek contest will put a few more coins in the club bucket. (Maybe not as much as a weekend contest, but markets where teams control the revenue stream can, at the least, make a few bucks even when attendance is relatively light.)
But … (click forth for the “but”)
Some team officials are also concerned about players overuse. (Because all of this was discussed in closed-door owners meetings, coaches, GMs and technical directors can’t go on the record just yet as they talk generally about these things.)
With U.S. Open Cup, SuperLiga, CONCACAF Champions League and then the MLS playoffs, teams could easily reach 45 competitive matches.
I know what you’re saying: teams in
So, the choice of whether to go to 34 games is really all tied into the important decisions ahead on roster expansion and the newly recreated reserve division.
I like the idea, personally, but I do see the other side of it all.
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Personally don’t see it.
I am new to being a fan of MLS but I just think it’s a little too early. Get to the point where the league is really successful before adding a bunch more games, IMO.
by I need more Esteban on Jul 30, 2010 10:52 AM EDT reply actions
I think we'll see 34 games,
and when the league expands to 20 teams, I think we’ll see a 38 game schedule. Every team should play the other team twice.
How do you do 38 games
And Playoffs
And avoid FIFA dates
And avoid weeknights
And play the Open Cup
And play CCL
And play Superliga?
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Fine
That gets you four more weeks
but 8 more games
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Why avoid weeknights?
Europe does weeknight games to make room for tournaments. They’re not ideal, but if it works…
To also help with increased games, why not start the league a couple weeks earlier? Or increase roster size limits?
Either way bottom line… Europe has figured out a way to play their 38 games, plus all the various tournaments they participate in. I’m sure we could too.
by chrisperry1983 on Jul 30, 2010 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, people show up for weeknight matches in Europe
Not true here.
They have a shorter break for most of the leagues than MLS does so that gets them more time.
Starting up to two weeks earlier could be pursued, but many MLS cities’ March is not “soccer” weather
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Have you been to Columbus in February?
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by woodsmeister on Aug 1, 2010 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I actually wrote a piece for Black and Red United a few weeks ago speculating about how the MLS can handle expansion. What do you guys think?
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This is a small jump
the league did 32 matches just 4 years ago and handled it without any major issues, there were still playoffs, FIFA dates, Open Cup and some version of CCL. You can’t avoid weeknights, but hell we have to have weeknight matches cause it is the only time ESPN will show the damm league anyhow.
I do think it will take expanding the roster to 30, 24 senior and 6 developmental, and I would like to see a regional developmental league as well.
I don’t think the league will go past a 34, just because of the limits of weather in some markets, you can’t really start before the end of April in a lot of markets.
I don't really see the point
I mean, what’s the use of expanding the regular season by four games if you still have a playoff? I can’t see that it would make much of a difference except for a couple of teams on the bubble (although an 8 seed did win the Cup last season).
Not mediocre. Right about average
It could work
But MLS needs to increase rosters and get (yeah, I don’ t know how) Warner to adjust the Champion’s League format. CCL doesn’t need a full group stage. Uefa CL has a group stage because they can make money off of it, and that’s why big euro teams tolerate it. There’s no reason to shoehorn concacaf’s tournament into the uefa format, though.
Bigger Squads Required
I don’t think MLS can handle anymore games without increasing both the cap and the roster size. IMHO, the MLS roster size needs to be increased by 2-4 players with a bump in the cap size by at least 10%.
Currently, the top teams in MLS don’t have the depth to handle Open Cup, CCL and MLS play. Some teams decide to just focus on MLS play and get royally embarrassed in Open Cup and CCL games (see also Galaxy, LA). Teams that really try to compete in all three areas risk injuring their key players.
I personally think the tough schedule last year really hurt DC United. This year the Sounders were hurt by the tight schedule of MLS games early in the season. Part of the tight schedule early was to make way for CCL and Open Cup games later in the season.
The only answer I can think of under the current CBA is to cancel some of the meaningless friendlies (including SuperLiga).
It makes sense
more matches, more profit. Perhaps to cut down on time travel they can keep it to regional games. You know Philly, DC, New York, and say NE or Columbus. etc. It can really create great rivalries if somebody on the bubble needs those games, plus it would be more likely to have a decent turnout for weeknight matches. Plus as said above, perhaps more TV coverage for the weeknight games. More exposure is always good. It would take some juggling but it is a very feasible idea.
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