MLS playoff format speculation

There was a shocking development in Mexican football this weekend. A club, in this case Monterrey, that wasn't the best over the course of a season captured the league's opening stage championship.

Apparently the Mexicans use a system called a "playoff" to determine their champion. And to think, no Mexican fan has stormed the league office demanding the Toluca be declared champion, based on their regular season play.

Ok, enough with the sarcasm. Yes, other leagues in the world use a playoff format. Most MLS fans know this, but that doesn't stop the endless rambling by certain types that want the Supporter's Shield champion to be declared champs.

It ain't ever gonna happen.

MLS fans that are a bit playoff leery would be best lobbying for changes to the system that would give a greater advantage to the regular season leaders.

And, according to several sources, the league is looking at doing just that. The most popular rumour that has emerged as a possible new format is one that sees two four team groups played, based on conferences. They then play one game against each other team in the group with the home team in all cases being the team that finished with the best regular season point total.

So first place in the each group would play three home games, while second would play two and third one. The final playoff team in both groups would have to play all three games on the road.

It would be hard to argue that a fourth place team didn't deserve to win the title if it managed to do so after winning four straight road games.

There are other systems worth thinking about. Curling's page system might be a solution as well. In it the top four teams make the playoffs in each conference. No. 1 plays No 2, while No. 3 plays No 4. The winner of the 1 v 2 game gets a direct bye to the conference final, while the loser of that game plays the winner of the No. 3 v No. 4 game (the loser there is eliminated.

Australia uses a page playoff system in the A-League.

Regardless, get the idea of no playoffs right on out of your head. Besides the fact that it won't happen, I've yet to hear a compelling reason why anyone should want it to happen.

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