GOAL looks at the pros and cons of MLS's playoff system, with the best-of-three opening round about to conclude
In 2023, MLS rolled out its first version of a revamped playoff format. At the time, it was met with considerable criticism, and it's fair to see why. Under the rules, more than 60 percent of all teams in the league would at least make the wildcard game. A best-of-three first round series only seemed to compound the workload.
If this was a league trying to be more relevant on a global scale, then shaking things up so significantly didn't look like the right way to go about it.
But a year later, and it all looks a bit different. The 2024 playoffs so far have been an interesting affair. High-profile teams such as the LA Galaxy and Columbus Crew have either won big or lost narrowly. Smaller clubs have enjoyed sellout crowds. There has been no shortage of drama or quality on display.
Still, some core questions remain. There are, broadly, far too many games being played. And for those that do win series early, extended waits for the next round may yet prove to be a problem.
So, 12 months removed from the frustration of fans and angry comments from peeved players, there remains a sense of uncertainty. There are both positives and negatives to be found, and GOAL takes a look at the pros and cons of MLS's revamped playoff format.
ImagnPro: Unexpected jeopardy
This wasn't supposed to happen. There was a widespread assumption that a best-of-three opening round format would decrease jeopardy. In effect, ask teams to play each other three times – as opposed to a winner-take-all single match – and the better one probably comes out on top the majority of the time. Upsets are less likely, drama comes at a premium.
So much for that.
New York Red Bulls did away with the assumption within a week, beating highly-rated and defending champions Columbus Crew twice in a row to secure a series win. Both victories with nervy things – the first a classic smash and grab on the road, the second a penalty nail-biter. And it was all magnificent entertainment, a No. 7 seed pipping a No. 2 seed.
Miami, too, could be sweating. Although the Herons handily beat Atlanta United in the first game of the series, the Black and Red pulled off an impressive win at home. Miami, all of a sudden look beatable. There is a real chance that Lionel Messi and Miami could exit the playoffs early. LAFC, too, find themselves in trouble after being handily beaten by Vancouver in game two. Perhaps these are momentary slips ahead of a big run, but if drama was the goal, then drama fans have received.
AdvertisementGettyCon: Demands on players
Fixture congestion has steadily crept into the global soccer picture in recent years. And it seems to be getting worse, with some top stars in Europe threatening to strike if things aren't brought under control. MLS, meanwhile, hasn't covered itself in glory on this front. The addition of an expanded Leagues Cup to the calendar put more stress on the schedule, and increased injury risk. Players are now playing more games than ever before. Tired legs are an issue.
It is a knock on the format, then, that three games are deemed necessary to decide the first round. It would seem, in some ways, a strange way to play out an initial round of playoffs. After 34 regular season clashes – all played at a high intensity – as well as Leagues Cup and some continental tournaments, there isn't room for extra games.
USA Today SportsPro: Matchday audience and revenue
In most major European leagues, matchday revenue verges on irrelevance. The Premier League, for example, has such a bloated TV rights deal that even the smallest clubs aren't too heavily reliant on fans showing up to games. The same goes for La Liga and the Bundesliga – albeit with less financial backing.
MLS is different. Although the massive Apple TV deal has certainly helped clubs, smaller markets in particular need match-going fans to buy tickets. This is not a question of financial life and death, but soccer clubs are businesses. And home playoff games are the perfect opportunity to generate gate sales.
The Colorado Rapids serve as the perfect example. They were handily beaten, 5-1, by the LA Galaxy in their opening fixture. But game two, in which a win could have kept the side alive, was played out in front of a packed house at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids got to host their first playoff game since 2021. These can only be considered good things – even though they lost.
The same can be said for Vancouver, who won 3-0 at home as a wildcard contestant.
Getty ImagesCon: Time between games
Riqui Puig put it best in an angry tweet:
And he's right. The Galaxy were, in effect, punished for wrapping up their series early. After beating Colorado on Nov. 2, they were forced to wait until the end of the month to resume playoff play. By that point, there will have been an international break – where a few of their first team players might get called up – as well as perhaps just too much time for rest.
There is something to be said for recuperation here, especially in such a busy sport. But the opposite can also be true – three weeks off is a momentum staller, a time in which sharpness can be lost, and performance can suffer. New York Red Bulls will face the same problem in the East. Only with them, after beating the Crew, they might just want the next game to come around quicker – if only to keep the good vibes going.
