Besides a Round of 64?
Staggered entry, giant R64/128, whatever. Anything to avoid MLS v. MLS play-in matches. Those suck.
Besides a Round of 64?
No reason to allow (for some teams) 2 rounds of USL Championship vs USL Championship matchups. Bring in MLS sides in the 3rd round and allow any lower division side the right of first refusal to host. That's a start.
Then do a truly random draw after the 4th round or so.
If you scan YouTube looking for Bradley Wright-Phillips, youll find numerous goal compilations, a few interviews and, eventually, an excerpt from the grime mixtape series Lord of the Mics.
3rd round games played tonight and tomorrow. Round 4 draw will be on Thursday. Teams will be divided into 8 regional groups of 4 teams each. Each group will have a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 lower division teams. Lower division teams must be drawn against an MLS team this round. So we will have either a 33% or a 100% chance of playing a lower division team.
Teams will be redivided into regional groups for the 5th round draw after which the tournament will have a fixed bracket going forward.
i'd like more lower div teams to be more involved, but i don't mind the regional groupings. lower div teams get the shaft when it comes to x-country traveling duee to USOC.
RIP Guillermo Romulo, Alexander Francis Orig, Celenio Eleazar, and my Mom, Resurreccion Eleazar.
RIP Cesar Castello, Mike Vallo, Glenn Stampiglia, Bob Paquette, and Warren Lee
i'd like more lower div teams to be more involved, but i don't mind the regional groupings. lower div teams get the shaft when it comes to x-country traveling duee to USOC.
I really hope the format is altered next year. 11 lower division teams is too few, especially with two more MLS teams next year.
The benefit of the regional grouping as they currently stand is that it provides every MLS team a chance to play a lower division sides even in geographic regions that are not well represented in the 4th round. Doesn't necessarily help out too much with travel--sure Hartford won't be going to California, but Nashville might end up travelling to Boston depending on how things shake out. Considering their are only 11 non-MLS teams left and 10 of them are pro sides I'm not too concerned about travel (this year).
just not sure what the ideal tweaking of the tournament would involve, but having the matches on ESPN+ instead of USSoccer dot com or something has been a god send, tbh.
Also 2 rounds of the USOC will occur inbetween the Philly away game and the game on the 28th. we're gonna be missing a shit ton of guys and we're limited to 5 int'ls.
Hypothetical XI and reserves
White
Royer Rza Ivan
Casseres Davis
Lade Tarek Parker Muyl
Meara
Robles Nealis [need outside back cover] Omir Koffi Barlow Jorgen$en
Players missing due to Callups/Injuries:
Long Taxi Murillo Duncan Kaku Etienne //// Valot Beze BWP
Also the RB2 squad will be extra thin during this period, I'll assume they'll have academy kids to fill out the 18.
If the team does give a shit and advances through the quarters, we'd have 2 games a week and end up playing 8 games in 28 days, ~6/23 6/28 7/3 7/7 7/10 7/14 7/17 7/21.
RIP Guillermo Romulo, Alexander Francis Orig, Celenio Eleazar, and my Mom, Resurreccion Eleazar.
RIP Cesar Castello, Mike Vallo, Glenn Stampiglia, Bob Paquette, and Warren Lee
We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams.
just not sure what the ideal tweaking of the tournament would involve, but having the matches on ESPN+ instead of USSoccer dot com or something has been a god send, tbh.
Also 2 rounds of the USOC will occur inbetween the Philly away game and the game on the 28th. we're gonna be missing a shit ton of guys and we're limited to 5 int'ls.
Hypothetical XI and reserves
White
Royer Rza Ivan
Casseres Davis
Lade Tarek Parker Muyl
Meara
Robles Nealis [need outside back cover] Omir Koffi Barlow Jorgen$en
Players missing due to Callups/Injuries:
Long Taxi Murillo Duncan Kaku Etienne //// Valot Beze BWP
Also the RB2 squad will be extra thin during this period, I'll assume they'll have academy kids to fill out the 18.
If the team does give a shit and advances through the quarters, we'd have 2 games a week and end up playing 8 games in 28 days, ~6/23 6/28 7/3 7/7 7/10 7/14 7/17 7/21.
I have to believe there's no way the tournament isn't tweaked next year with Nashville and Miami joining. That would only leave 9 lower division teams in the 4th round per the current format. Not sure how they'll do it, but pretty much an alternative method they can think of would be an improvement.
Definitely agree that ESPN+ is, at least, one massive improvement for the tournament.
Kyle Duncan got a call up? To where?
I have to believe there's no way the tournament isn't tweaked next year with Nashville and Miami joining. That would only leave 9 lower division teams in the 4th round per the current format. Not sure how they'll do it, but pretty much an alternative method they can think of would be an improvement.
Definitely agree that ESPN+ is, at least, one massive improvement for the tournament.
Kyle Duncan got a call up? To where?
We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams.
With 23 MLS clubs next season, I could see a round of 64 with each team facing lower-tier opposition, preferably away. However, MLS may not want an additional round of non-league matches, even if played at home.
The top 9 non-Canadian USL clubs would not face MLS opponents in this round.
Rd of 64 seems like the best solution. It adds one extra game for MLS teams which doesn't seem like a huge deal. Eligible USLC teams (28) and MLS teams (23) enter this round. That leaves 13 spots for D3 and below. There were 38 teams that entered in this category this years. Seems within the realm of possibility that they could whittle that number down to 13 within two rounds.
It would mean some USLC v USLC matches in that round (which already happens), and that some MLS teams would be guaranteed to play 2 lower division opponents. However, neither of those things bother me. I'd rather see more matches hosted by small markets excited to see an MLS team than another MLS v MLS game at Harvard attended by 500 people. I'm also totally on board with lower-division teams getting right of first refusal to host up to round 4 or so, but I feel that's probably less likely to happen.
Anyway, I have little faith in US soccer to get it right.
2017 1/4-final drew a reported 2,331. Seemed like more.rather see more matches hosted by small markets excited to see an MLS team than another MLS v MLS game at Harvard attended by 500 people.
I have little faith in US soccer to get it right.
We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams.
10 USL League 1 clubs
+ Penn FC, Rochester Rhinos and Omaha, -TFC2, Orlando City B, North Texas
9 USL1 teams. FC Tuscon is owned by Phoniex Rising and serves as their B team, so they are ineligible.
Edit: You also forgot Miami for MLS, so your total is still correct.
NISA just seems like a horrible idea. Most of their teams are based in markets with an MLS team already. I just don't see the point.
Can't wait for the draw... NYCFC at home to be followed by Philly on the road.
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