MLS kicks off again this Saturday.
The format has never been so laughable. The number of teams that qualify for the playoffs has now been expanded to 9 from each conference. Teams will therefore play 34 games in the regular season to eliminate just 38% of the teams.
The first round of the playoffs has also introduced a 'best of 3' format like we see in other US sports.
We also have a new team this year (number 29). St Louis SC. Did they win the USL to achieve this position? Of course not. The MLS Cartel was bribed with a delicious $200m expansion fee.
Apple now have the exclusive rights to all the games which feels like a real backwards step to growing the game. I can't imagine many of the sports bars here are going to be paying out for Apple TV. It is also clear that Apple have demanded more games which has led to this ridiculous format.
Phil Neville (Inter Miami coach) recently got in trouble with his employers in a recent interview for suggesting that MLS was a micky mouse league for only announcing the league format 4 days before the season begins. Hard to disagree.
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Inter (Miami) vs Real (Salt Lake).
Just a cool $130 for tickets to see the world's oldest football team play worse football than Sutton United
Hate the rep MLS gets
Been watching it consistently for the past 10 years or so since BWP and the other Charlton boys joined NYRB and the difference in ability now from when I started watching is massive, you see people putting clips online of mistakes or something and saying typical shit MLS but mistakes happen in the prem week in week out doesn't make it shit, said before majority of MLS teams would fit somewhere between bottom of the Championship top of League 1, but is improving year on year so wouldn't be surprised if soon they are all Championship quality
Anyway looking forward to the season restarting at 1am over here, watched a few off the CONCACAF Champions Cup matches to get me ready over the past couple of weeks
They're boycotting the US Open Cup (a competition over 100 years old) because they don't control it and don't make any money from it. They've cited fixture congestion being the prime issue, despite creating a new tournament called the 'Leagues Cup' last year. Pretty devastating to all the teams who aren't in MLS and morally wrong.
Most MLS sides would run rings around the top of League 1 now, every year they get more and more players in their prime instead of washed up has-beens, and the athleticism on show is immense even when the technical skill lacks.
I'm hoping that replacement referees will be referees drawn in from Ice Hockey and American Football just to add a bit of colour to the games.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/football/a-step-backwards-mls-players-union-criticizes-referee-lockout/ar-BB1iEI7e?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=e7c728eb8c8249cca1c5e3f361a20981&ei=18
And sure the Premier League bullies the EFL, but at least the FA has some power to tell them to F* off. The USA soccer federation gives in to every MLS demand.
The USL (a rival league to MLS) has decided to implement Promotion/Relegation from 2027. They've already got a TV contract with CBS to could be interesting to see if it manages to compete with MLS.