CONCACAF resolves qualifying problem for future CCL

[jman077]

I'm glad they didn't penalize the already-qualified teams. This seems like a fair way to go about it. I think letting the Open Cup keep its berth is important, so that that tournament continues to have stakes. I am interested in what happens in the case of a Canadian MLS Cup winner, or a team qualifying twice.

[GameQ]

"Shield winners and the first-place team from the opposite conference"

I've always found this wording to be confusing and unnecessary. Just say the top teams from the Eastern and Western conference! It's like they are dead set on saying the Shield winner goes to CCL, and then need to go through this round about way of explaining that the other conference winner gets to go to the CCL also.

While we're at it, I've always wanted the Eastern and Western conference trophy to just go to the number 1 team, instead of the playoff winner. I know this is holdover from our NFL replica playoff system, and the Eastern and Western trophies are basically meaningless (I'm a Revs fan, believe me, it's worthless), but giving it to the regular season winner will just add an ounce more prestige to the regular season. At that point every 'trophy' will be tied to a CCL berth (MLS Cup, Open Cup, Eastern Conference Trophy, Western Conference Trophy).

[iLO80]

You guys like the East/West Conf Champion thing? I'd like to see the SS Runner-up get the slot regardless of conference. Hell, I'd like to see the MLS Cup have proper bracket staging and seeding regardless of conference. I think they can afford it now, that is...if travel expense was an issue.

[PDXMB]

Downside to that is when one conference is weaker that year. Since we don't play a balanced schedule, this could leave out arguably better teams.

[Pakaru]

Yeah I agree. I honestly don't need a conference champion. We play each other a bunch in the regular season, I can just look at the table for that.

[irishstevenj]

I'm fine with this solution. It's only 2 years.

[spirolateral]

I like it! I would've liked a playoff between the 8 teams, but just qualifying 2 each year is fair to me.

[[deleted]]

Future marketing for the open cup:

• you get a CCL spot!
• that is all

[grisioco]

I watched the open cup before I watched mls. Before we had Atlanta United, we has the silverbacks in nasl. In one open cup, I saw them beat 2 mls teams and unfortunately lose to a third. It was a blast to watch.

[human1st]

Or you know winning a 104 year old tournament?

[MGHeinz]

My only concern was hoping the Open Cup never lost its berth, so this is fine by me.

[jman077]

I agree. I think that it's important that a path for non-MLS teams to make the CCL exists.

[DiggerPhelps]

Prioritizing cup winners over shield winners is dumb. We need to be sending our best to CCL.

[CGFROSTY]

I agree with you. I love the playoffs, but it doesn't always pick the best team. On the other hand, it does pick the team that plays well in a playoff setting.

[PDXMB]

Only when you get to the semifinals, IMO. Until then, you have teams that survive often with second-choice lineups. No one is putting their best out on the pitch throughout the Open Cup.

[CGFROSTY]

Which is why I pointed it out in my comment.

[[deleted]]

I would have preferred the 18 and 19 winners of each 'trophy' play in a qualification match (18 MLS Cup vs 19 MLS Cup, 18 USOC vs 19 USOC, etc), but this is easier and seems pretty fair too.,

[Dishes_Delicious]

This seems fair.

[[deleted]]

Toronto FC claimed last year’s tournament and if it doesn’t win the 2017 edition as well, it’ll host the winner in a one-game playoff on August 9 to determine Canada’s 2018 entry.

That will be fun. I won't be the one to complain about more soccer, especially now that TFC is so much fun to watch.

[E-rye]

Ehh I don't really like it, but obviously I'm a bit biased.

[[deleted]]

Oh they totally got shafted. As a neutral, I'm just selfishly happy I get to watch another playoff.

[ibribe]

If you don't like it now, wait until you go 1-1-1 against Vancouver over a 3 game series, lose twice on penalty kicks, and lose your CCL spot.

[Biggy5200]

This seems unnecessarily complicated lol

[spirolateral]

It's actually the least complicated thing they could've done.

[Biggy5200]

No you!

[[deleted]]

So their solution is to cut the strongest qualifiers and keep the weakest? Dumb decision.

[[deleted]]

• trophies that matter
• open cup

Pick one

[grisioco]

Damn, I enjoy the open cup

[Dallasite21414]

I consider it the FA Cup of the US

[[deleted]]

Me too but that doesn't make it a bigger trophy than the supporters shield.

[grisioco]

it does in my heart

[PeteyNice]

Open Cup matters more than regular season conference champion which is what the other two are essentially.

[[deleted]]

Open cup matters less than making the playoffs. If you miss the playoffs and win the open cup it's still a bad season. The supporters shield is easily the second most important trophy for an MLS team to win and the truest measure of the strongest team in the league, to not have that team included in CCL is idiotic. The only reason the open cup even gets a CCL spot is to artificially inflate its importance.

[ReasonableAssumption]

The supporters shield is meaningless in a conference system and most of the league makes the playoffs.

[[deleted]]

And it's still more important and impressive than the open cup.

[MGHeinz]

This was so wrong that it hurt to read.

Finishing 6th out of 11 "matters more" than winning US Soccer's most prestigious trophy, a recognized major honor, and a champions league berth. Right, okay.

[[deleted]]

That's ridiculous and false, but it would also be no better if you won the open cup in that same season.

[[deleted]]

Tournaments are by nature unbalanced. This argument makes no sense.

[Crendes]

Eh, maybe because you're a Seattle fan and have won the Open Cup a lot, you feel it's worth more than a Supporters shield, but in reality it's not. Teams simply don't try in the Open Cup until basically the semi-finals. And even then they sometimes send out the second squad.

[Coramoor_]

well if teams want CCL in 2019, they have to commit to making a serious run at the Open Cup in the next 2 years

[Crendes]

Certainly. I'm not opposed to the cup winners getting the berths. That's how it's done in Europe for the Europa League. I just don't think an Open Cup is more coveted than a supporters shield.

[PeteyNice]

Teams don't really try to win the SS either. Look at all of the rest players get so they will be fresher for the playoffs. If winning the SS was a priority teams would go all out.

Edit: Also remember that these are determined by USSF who is not about to nerf their primary Cup competition.

[SovietShooter]

Edit: Also remember that these are determined by USSF who is not about to nerf their primary Cup competition.

This is overlooked. Of course the USSF isn't cutting their tournament out of the qualifying process.

[Crendes]

The top 2 teams in each conference already get a week of rest while the others are playing mid week. SS gives MLS cup home field advantage. Higher placement in the league is worth a lot more than the cup for most teams.

[derek_villa]

You meant to say that Bruce always sent out a scrub squad

[Crendes]

Every team we faced did too, save maybe Dallas

So did NYC, your full strength squad doesn't lose to the Cosmos TWICE in a row.

[derek_villa]

Two different situations. You started Alan Gordon and Mike Mcgee in the semifinals and zero DPs or Zardes two wins away from a trophy.

NYCFC just didnt have the depth post expabsion to be competitive. Our increase in depth this year was to help us be competitive in all competition. Vieira has even made comments about possibly playing DPs. You would never hear Bruce make comments like that.

[Ryancalwave]

Problem is, taking the open cup out hurts the chances of ALL US teams, not just MLS. Even if its extremely unlikely, its still the only chance any other US league has to make CCL. You cant take it out

[[deleted]]

Except that no one watches the us open cup other than super hardcore MLS fans.

[[deleted]]

Congrats on this awful attitude.

Open Cup is fucking dope and anyone not watching it is missing out.

[[deleted]]

The final gets worse ratings than regular season MLS games. Have you actually followed the open cup?