dumb question....but did they change it to a home and away with a tie breaker at the end of the second game or is it still the first to 5 points with 3 possible games...
It's home and away for the first round, then single games from then on. Check around before asking dumb questions...not that I could find anything on MLSnet...
thanks for info... lol... i couldn't find anything on mlsnet either.... not that that type of information would be useful this late in the season with the asterisks appearing before team names indicating that they qualified for the thing not mentioned on the site.
Well done! Silly me, I was looking under "rules and regulations" where the pull-down menu even says "playoff structure" and not in the november 2002 news archive...
That's normal in other leagues. Two 15-minute halves, golden goal. I'm glad they are using aggregate goals, but it does give a huge advantage to the higher ranked team. Excellent.
I'm not sure that it does. In fact, the home-and-home, aggregate-goals system was created precisely to negate any home-field advantage; the main criticism I have with the thing is that it doesn't give ENOUGH of an advantage to finishing higher in the regular-season standings.
That's why I think the higher seed should advance on a tie after 180 minutes. Would make for some exciting endings and give the higher seed a considerable advantage.
I agree. There needs to be a noticable difference between finishing places, or else, once you make the playoffs, it's time to rest the regulars, and play to not get hurt, until the playoffs start.
I don't know about that. It seems akin to just spotting the higher seed a half-goal before the playoff round starts. I'd find a 30-minute golden-goal exercise more exciting. If you want to make a high seed matter, schedule the series Wednesday-Saturday, with the higher seed getting the home playoff game. Or, if you feel it's an advantage hosting the first game of a home-and-home series, then schedule the series Saturday-Wednesday instead. The larger weekend crowd would create a more pronounced home field advantage, and would benefit the owner/operator financially as well. - HWM
In Baseball, Basketball and Hockey they play 7-game series, where the higher seed gets an extra home game if the series is tied after 6 games. This format is essentially exactly the same. If the series is tied after 6 30-minute segments, it goes to a final 30-minute period, at the higher seed's home.
Well, MLSNET.com finally has a playoff section, accessible from the front page. Here is the direct link: http://www.mlsnet.com/special/mlscup/2003/index.html Not much there now but I am sure it will be fleshed out as the playoffs get closer.
I think one of the advantages of going with the two-legged series is that both games of the leg could be scheduled for the weekend. This will help with attendance figures. Going back to a Wednesday-Saturday schedule for the two-game series kind of defeats the whole point.
Which I feel is much more exciting because there will be no sitting back on a tie, because there is no tie. A draw is impossible in Mexican League-type set-up, which this is, and would insure that a lower seed won't try to hold back for 210 minutes and escape on penalty kicks. Anyway, PKs haven't decided a post-season matchup in the seven MLS Cups (counting shootouts), 23 best-of-three series, and all of the 18 first-to-five series since 2000. The only MLS post-season exercise that has gone to a PK/shootout-like tiebreaker at the final conclusion of the series is the Kansas City-Dallas Western Conference semifinal in the inaugural year. I bet that number gets a big boost at the end of this year. What do you guys think about the implications of this? I always thought that this was the big advantage of the first-to-five series, that every team really has to prove themselves to get to the Cup.
I don't think too many, if any, series will go to the PK's. As Bradley pointed out this week, no team in MLS right now should feel comfortable trying to play for a tie and get a PK victory. First round will be fun, but I'm looking forward to the all-or-nothing conference finals. One game, winner goes on. With the higher seed getting the home game, I feel that takes care of the home field advantage so often cried about on here. If I'm the high seed, I take the second game (first round) at home. If you're ahead coming in, it makes it that much easier to keep that lead. If it goes to a tie, you get the 30 minutes in front of your fans. You win the series, you got the conference finals at home. That right there is reason enough for a club to not just rest the starters once they are in the playoffs. It's MLS, people. Almost every damn game means something.
I hate this! We should have best out of three no ties. If a game is tied after reg. play for two 15 min half than pk's. home field advantages for best rec. This home and home helps who where's the advantage? Okay SJ has the best rec. and they win at home 3-2 they go to la and lose to LA 3-1 where's the advantage. none until you get to the second round. Stupid!!!!! At least with three game you get more games and more playoff intesity. The Wizard have no championship in this system 2000. I hope they change it come on you change rules every year change it next year. Please.
In your example, why would San Jose chose to play the first game at home? Read the post right above you explaining how a second game at home is very much like a home field advantage. Besides, this home field stuff is way overrated in my book. Yes, it's good for the club. However, if you are going to win a league championship, you should be a team that can win or tie a big game on the road in my book. Take, for example, this year's Galaxy. They have a good home record and no wins on the road at all. Is that a championship worthy team to you? Champions, real champions, can win anywhere against anybody. If a team can't win or tie one measly game on the road, they don't deserve to raise the MLS Cup.
You say that like it's a bad thing. I think the Wizards are one of the reasons the system's been changed actually, given how LA laid down for them in game two last year.
The higher seed does not choose which game of the conference semi-final series to host. It is mandated by official MLS playoff rules: The higher-seeded team will host both the Conference Semifinal Game Two and the Conference Final. http://www.mlsnet.com/special/mlscup/2003/mlscuppo_format.html But I agree with JCUnited, if San Jose did have a choice, why would they choose to play the first game at home?
Thanks for catching my error. Seems like I heard that the high seed would choose, but most likely that was just somebody's thought during a post here back when the new format was announced. Higher seed gets the second game, plus the thirty minutes extratime if necessary, plus the conference finals if they reach them. Sounds like an advantage to me.
I've heard that mistake too before on one of the Big Soccer radio shows. It would not surprise me to hear that the source of the error was a Big Soccer post.
One of the major problems I have with the system is if a team loses bad in the home and home it's a joke for a second game. COL 4 KC 0 What happens if a star player gets two soft yellow cards = Red and no game two. I know that home and home looks good on paper and in some leagues, but I just don't like it.
I'm not a big fan of home and home as it, as someone has already pointed out, was created to negate homefield advantage. I am just glad they didn't use the away goals rule which is the most idiotic tiebreaking procedure in all of sports.