North American Pro Soccer 2017

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I think I heard during the Portland game last night that 7 of the last 10 lower seeded conference finalists went on to MLS Cup. And that the knockout round winner keeps on winning too.

 

In MLS playoffs, the higher seeded team continues to be at a disadvantage. I know we pretend the Supporter's Shield winner is as important as MLS Cup, but it's not. But so long as the playoffs continue to support the underdog, it's hard to really put much credence in the outcome.

 

While I like the home and home, I think it's probably time to just switch to knockout for the entire playoffs, with the higher seed hosting. It rewards better records, gets rid of the terrible away goals rule, and makes the game more likely to be free flowing throughout, rather than second-round bench parking.

 

Given Altidore and Giovinco's suspensions, I can totally see a Crew/Sounders final. While that makes me happy as a Sounders fan, I also want to see the best matchup, which ought to include Toronto.

[tBBP]

Not exactly soccer-related...but just some more interesting side info pertaining to Amazon's inroads into Cincinnati as it may potentially concern that piece of Cincy's MLS expansion bid.

 

From the Business Journal:
https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/10/17/amazon-gobbles-up-another-piece-of-greater.html

 

"It’s the latest local real estate move for Amazon in the region in 2017, with the company announcing plans for its Prime Air Services Hub at CVG at the beginning of the year and a 1.3-million-square-foot distribution facility in Monroe. That's in addition to the other sortation and distribution facilities Amazon has near CVG."

 (CHRIS WETTERICH, 10-17-17)

 

 

From WCPO:
Experts: Amazon Prime Air could bring up to 15K jobs over time - WCPO Cincinnati, OH

 

"In addition to the Prime Air hub, an unnamed developer announced at a June Sanitation District meeting it wants to reserve sewage capacity for a 2.2 million square foot sortation building with 15,000 employees."  

(TOM McGEE, 11-3-17)

 

 

Hadn't realized Amazon had already been digging roots in the area. (Side note: CVG sure has come quite a ways from the Delta Connection Comair hub I remember it as.)

[dfwabel]

19 minutes ago, Buc said:

Not exactly soccer-related...but just some more interesting side info pertaining to Amazon's inroads into Cincinnati as it may potentially concern that piece of Cincy's MLS expansion bid.

 

From the Business Journal:
https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/10/17/amazon-gobbles-up-another-piece-of-greater.html

 

"It’s the latest local real estate move for Amazon in the region in 2017, with the company announcing plans for its Prime Air Services Hub at CVG at the beginning of the year and a 1.3-million-square-foot distribution facility in Monroe. That's in addition to the other sortation and distribution facilities Amazon has near CVG."

 (CHRIS WETTERICH, 10-17-17)

 

 

From WCPO:
Experts: Amazon Prime Air could bring up to 15K jobs over time - WCPO Cincinnati, OH

 

"In addition to the Prime Air hub, an unnamed developer announced at a June Sanitation District meeting it wants to reserve sewage capacity for a 2.2 million square foot sortation building with 15,000 employees."  

(TOM McGEE, 11-3-17)

 

 

Hadn't realized Amazon had already been digging roots in the area. (Side note: CVG sure has come quite a ways from the Delta Connection Comair hub I remember it as.)

238 cities in 44 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada and the District of Columbia officially gave Amazon a bid proposal.  Obviously many did so for media buzz for a day, but public transportation and infrastructure was supposedly key to Amazon.  

[Digby]

Right, but that was for the white-collar HQ -- Cincy could be a logistics hub for Amazon with or without the new corporate headquarters.

 

As for the soccer, MLS playoffs never disappoint (at least in terms of being MLSy). I'm all in on the Crew pulling a Major League run. Also if TFC wins it I won't be able to handle all the tweets and Reddit posts about Braldtidore.

[Brian in Boston]

The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County has voted 31 to 6, with two abstentions and one council member absent, to approve a financing plan for a $275 million soccer-specific stadium that would play host to a proposed Major League Soccer expansion franchise in the city. The stadium would be built on eight acres of land at The Fairgrounds Nashville.

Under the terms of the financing plan, the city will issue $225 million in revenue bonds for the project. John Ingram - who heads-up the proposed franchise's investor/operator group - has committed the team to paying $25 million up front towards stadium construction, as well as $9 million per year for 30 years to help retire the city's annual $13 million of debt on the revenue bonds. The city's $4 million share of the annual debt payments on the bonds will be paid with money generated through sales and ticket taxes at the stadium.

Ingram and his partners have also agreed to take on liability for all cost overruns related to both the stadium's construction and new city infrastructure built for the stadium.

Additionally, Ingram and his partners are to receive an additional 10 acres of city-owned fairgrounds land adjacent to the stadium site for private development. Said development is likely to be a mixed-use complex including residential, retail, restaurant, hotel, and office-space components.      

Nashville Metro Council approves financing for $275M MLS stadium project  

[MJWalker45]

https://www.sbnation.com/2017/11/8/16618962/columbus-crew-relocation-austin-financial-records

Interesting that Columbus pays the least rent of any MLS team but could possibly be in the middle of the pack should they move to Austin, which is looking less likely to give them an actual downtown stadium like he wants. 

[FiddySicks]

On 11/8/2017 at 9:49 AM, Brian in Boston said:

The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County has voted 31 to 6, with two abstentions and one council member absent, to approve a financing plan for a $275 million soccer-specific stadium that would play host to a proposed Major League Soccer expansion franchise in the city. The stadium would be built on eight acres of land at The Fairgrounds Nashville.

Under the terms of the financing plan, the city will issue $225 million in revenue bonds for the project. John Ingram - who heads-up the proposed franchise's investor/operator group - has committed the team to paying $25 million up front towards stadium construction, as well as $9 million per year for 30 years to help retire the city's annual $13 million of debt on the revenue bonds. The city's $4 million share of the annual debt payments on the bonds will be paid with money generated through sales and ticket taxes at the stadium.

Ingram and his partners have also agreed to take on liability for all cost overruns related to both the stadium's construction and new city infrastructure built for the stadium.

Additionally, Ingram and his partners are to receive an additional 10 acres of city-owned fairgrounds land adjacent to the stadium site for private development. Said development is likely to be a mixed-use complex including residential, retail, restaurant, hotel, and office-space components.      

Nashville Metro Council approves financing for $275M MLS stadium project  

 

That's probably REALLY bad news for Cincinnati, Detroit, and Phoenix. At least for this round of expansion. Nashville is now neck and neck with Sacramento and there's only about a month left to go. 

[Gothamite]

Cincy can vault back into it by actually committing to any one of their stadium sites.  This “we have a site but we don’t really love it” thing looks really bad. 

 

If they do, I wonder if MLS might announce three teams in December, even if one will start a year later than the others.  That would mean a mad scramble for the final spot to be announced in a year. 

[Sport]

Oakley is where I live and would be fine, but its 10-15 minutes from downtown and the neighborhood is already frustrating to deal with in terms of traffic. It's a distant third for me in the three proposed sites. 

 

but it sounds like they've found more private funding so if that's true that's encouraging. 

[dfwabel]

Keep in mind that the tax plan which passed committee yesterday takes away the "zero tax" municipal bonds, but it only adds another $20-25 million to these SSS projects.  Metro Nashville is on record to state that the franchise would pay the additional cost.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2017/11/03/could-gop-tax-plan-affect-nashvilles-275-m-mls-stadium-bond-proposal/829478001/

 

Mods: Edit if you feel this post is "too political".

[4_tattoos]

Question. Somebody on another forum I visit brought this up and I wanted to know what you guys think.

 

Could a soccer league realistically have both a postseason playoff tournament and promotion/relegation? They weren't specific as to which league, so they could mean the big 5 leagues in Europe. Although I have a feeling they were talking about MLS (and USL).

[Red Wolf]

3 minutes ago, 4_tattoos said:

Question. Somebody on another forum I visit brought this up and I wanted to know what you guys think.

 

Could a soccer league realistically have both a postseason playoff tournament and promotion/relegation? They weren't specific as to which league, so they could mean the big 5 leagues in Europe. Although I have a feeling they were talking about MLS (and USL).

Is there a reason they couldn't? The good teams move up and the bad ones move down. Easy.*

 

*Other than the system not being built for it and the money reasons, etc.

[4_tattoos]

1 hour ago, Red Wolf said:

Is there a reason they couldn't? The good teams move up and the bad ones move down. Easy.*

 

*Other than the system not being built for it and the money reasons, etc.

You think Premier League, La Liga, etc. could actually lose money if they added a playoff system?

[Red Wolf]

6 minutes ago, 4_tattoos said:

You think Premier League, La Liga, etc. could actually lose money if they added a playoff system?

I don't know about all that. I do know that the fans of those leagues don't want a playoff. I was speaking more towards the American system not being built for pro/rel. 

[dfwabel]

2 hours ago, 4_tattoos said:

Question. Somebody on another forum I visit brought this up and I wanted to know what you guys think.

 

Could a soccer league realistically have both a postseason playoff tournament and promotion/relegation? They weren't specific as to which league, so they could mean the big 5 leagues in Europe. Although I have a feeling they were talking about MLS (and USL).

 

2 hours ago, Red Wolf said:

Is there a reason they couldn't? The good teams move up and the bad ones move down. Easy.*

 

*Other than the system not being built for it and the money reasons, etc.

 

54 minutes ago, 4_tattoos said:

You think Premier League, La Liga, etc. could actually lose money if they added a playoff system?

A playoff system of would add even more games to an already crowded annual European schedule. Top European clubs play the domestic schedule, the domestic cup, PLUS a league cup.  The US doesn't have a "league cup".

 

And the Bundasliga has a "playoff" with a two legs between the 16th place First Division club and the 3rd place Second Division club.

[UnclearInitial]

59 minutes ago, dfwabel said:

 

 

A playoff system of would add even more games to an already crowded annual European schedule. Top European clubs play the domestic schedule, the domestic cup, PLUS a league cup.  The US doesn't have a "league cup".

 

And the Bundasliga has a "playoff" with a two legs between the 16th place First Division club and the 3rd place Second Division club.

Do you mean European play as in 'league Cup"? Because AFAIK,  only England and France have a league cup among top European leagues.

 

 

Belgium has a championship playoff where the top 6 qualify and have their regular season points cut in half, and then they play a classical double round robin to determine the winner. They also have a playoff for the last European spot and relegation. The LPI and LPP on this board had a similar system.

 

 

 

 

[AnPheitseog]

3 hours ago, 4_tattoos said:

Question. Somebody on another forum I visit brought this up and I wanted to know what you guys think.

 

Could a soccer league realistically have both a postseason playoff tournament and promotion/relegation? They weren't specific as to which league, so they could mean the big 5 leagues in Europe. Although I have a feeling they were talking about MLS (and USL).

Top 14 does this for rugby. Top 6 in playoffs, bottom 2 relegated

[Gothamite]

I’d tend to think “no”.  The only justification for promotion and relegation is that it lets the best teams move up and sends the worst teams down.  Playoffs muddle that picture, and you’re into the luckiest or unluckiest clubs. 

 

England has a one-game playoff for the third promotion spot into the Premier League, but that still leaves two spots earned by overall season performance.  I wouldn’t want that expanded, and if pro/rel was introduced here I’d want to see any playoffs severely curtailed.  

[MJWalker45]

1 hour ago, Gothamite said:

I’d tend to think “no”.  The only justification for promotion and relegation is that it lets the best teams move up and sends the worst teams down.  Playoffs muddle that picture, and you’re into the luckiest or unluckiest clubs. 

 

England has a one-game playoff for the third promotion spot into the Premier League, but that still leaves two spots earned by overall season performance.  I wouldn’t want that expanded, and if pro/rel was introduced here I’d want to see any playoffs severely curtailed.  

Mexico and other Latin American nations have playoffs. Most involve split seasons with playoffs after each season. The playoff for the last EPL place is a 4 team playoff with 2 legged semis and a final at Wembley. This is at the Championship level and below so I don't see that changing any time soon. 

[Gothamite]

I gladly stand corrected on the EFL playoffs.  I only remembered the final game, not the semifinal legs. I’m still not a fan of a playoff system with pro/rel, because it rewards temporary form over true excellence. 

 

And FWIW, I don’t like split-seasons either.