Get rid of conferences MLS!

For the last two years, Major League Soccer hasn’t had an eastern conference team win the Eastern Conference Finals. Yes, last year it was the Colorado Rapids versus the San Jose Earthquakes in the eastern finals! What? C’mon! Aren’t those teams from the western conference?

What is the MLS doing? I don’t get it! How can it have this ridiculous design for the MLS playoffs! Anyone that loves soccer should be able to see this huge mistake.

I understand that the season should take the top eight teams to the playoffs. Unfortunately, the eastern conference has been really weak for the last two years and still is. The last two years, most of the teams that made playoffs were from the West. I still think that this stubborn American way of seeing sports is not right for our soccer league.

The MLS should just cancel out conferences. If you watch soccer from other parts of the world, the champion of each league is the team that has the best record, period! Oh yeah, other leagues don’t have conferences either.

There are only a few leagues that have playoffs to determine the best of the year. In Mexico, they have groups, and I guess that’s OK because their groups are not named after regions of Mexico or areas. The names for their groups are plain: Group A, Group B, etc. The top of each group goes to playoffs and the next best ranking teams continue as well.

It’s fine with me, when it comes to having playoffs in a league. I love the playoffs! Having playoffs is very American! However, it doesn’t fly with the MLS.

All of our professional leagues have playoffs, and I love that! I love the feeling of nervousness that I get when I watch the LA Lakers in the playoffs. I always end up with bloody finger tips (no I’m just kidding!), but it’s an awesome feeling watching your team in playoffs. It’s our tradition, and I hope we never let go of that! But, the MLS can’t go on this way! Like I said, the MLS should cancel out the East and West conferences.

All the teams in the MLS should play each other twice (once away and once at home) like 99% of the world does. Once the season is done, the MLS should have the playoffs by taking the top eight teams with the best records and simply call it the MLS Playoffs. The number one team plays the 8^th place team. The 2^nd place plays the 7^th. The 3^rd place plays the 6^th. And last, the 4^th seeded team plays the 5^th. The last team to win it all would be the MLS Champion!

I do think that the MLS should not forget to honor like it does every year the number one team of the season with the Supporters’ Shield Award. That’s the best thing the league has offered the fans so far. 

J.L. Herrera @soccerexaminer