Penalties Are No Way To Decide a Championship

I can't believe it... but I agree with Sepp Blatter on something.

Recently, FIFA's President since 1998 (term limits?!) called for an elimination of the "tragedy" of penalties when deciding matches.  I've got to say, it's about time.  I'm sick of seeing World Cups, Champions League tournaments, various continental cups & even domestic league championships decided by 5 (or more) penalty shots.  Team sports should award championships based on team interplay, not individuals in a skills competition.

If IT Project Management taught me anything it's that usually the best and most elegant solutions are the simplest.  My fix for FIFA and the IFAB?  Golden Goal Extra Time (GGET), with 2 tweaks:

1. Each side allowed one additional substitution
2. Each side must remove one player

Nothing new here, really.  Additional subs will reward a team's depth and bring life to the match in GGET.  Removing a man from the pitch happens frequently enough with red cards that it wouldn't be a shock to the fabric of football.  And that's the beauty, in my view; allowing the game to maintain its integrity while still deciding the winner of a given match.

The previous use of golden goal, from 2000-2004, was ended due to teams bunkering in rather than trying to score.  With each team removing a player from the field, the game will open up a bit and entice more attacking opportunities. 

There was also a lingering concern about player safety due to the fatigue of playing an extreme amount of minutes in potentially unlimited GGET. However, in the current IFAB model, it is mandated that everyone on the pitch after 90 min plays an additional 30.  I'd bet a dollar that 2 out of 3 matches, with an additional sub and a more open field, would be solved within minutes 91-120.

Plus, let's look at who would be taking the field to start GGET in the 91st minute.  Assuming a 4-man defensive line, 6 remaining field players start a game and do the bulk of the attacking.  In the new model, 4 players could have been substituted at some point, and another would have been removed to start GGET.  Not to say that defenders don't get hurt or tired, but if all 4 stayed on this leaves only 1 attacking player forced to play more than 90 minutes.

So, problem solved!  I feel better already.  Time for breakfast.  Will the better team win more often?  Who knows, but at least it will be via a goal created by a team and defended by a team.  Yes... we'll switch ends each 15 minutes to keep any pitch or wind concerns at bay.  No, it might not be as riveting for some fans as penalties... but I refer to my previous argument about this being a team sport.

With the European Championships starting this weekend, I wish a system like this were already in place.  Hopefully a change is in the cards before Brazil 2014.

'twas the night before Crewsmas

'Twas the night before Crewsmas, when all through the state
All Crew fans were stirring; no one could wait.

Their gear was all laid out on floors with care,
In hopes that St. Dunc soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Renteria danced in their heads,

Glitter Mama in her 'kerchief, that hooligan wench,
If her seats were closer she'd be on the bench.
When soon at Crew Stadium there arose such a clatter,
Casual fans came out to see what was the matter.
To I-71 they flew like a flash,
Tore open their minivans and brought all their cash,
When they got to Hudson St it was packed,
The cars were all decked out in yellow and black.
When, what to their wondering eyes should appear,
But a proud Crew team, just like last year!
With a new central midfield, so lively and quick,
It was that time of year- it must be First Kick!
Faster than one dollar bratwursts they came,
Warzycha whistled, and called them by name:
"Now! Milo, now Duka! Now Gaven and O'Rourke,
"On! Marshall, on! Balchan, on! Hesmer and Anor;
"On to Crew Stadium, as the Nordecke calls,
"Now get out there and kick Montreal's balls!"
As the national anthem was sung by and by,
The teams were lined up, planes raced through the sky;
'Twas there, in Crew Stadium, that everyone knew,
This year was special - the year of the Crew!
And then in a twinkling, the squads took the field
Could this be happening?! Was all of this real?
The bellowing crowd was heard in Whitehall,
Even Gaven's beard shouted, "Close shave, Barbasol!"
McCullers was psyched, from his head to his foot,
Proud of the team on the field that he put;
A bundle of scarves was flung round his neck,
And he looked like a drunken fan in Nordecke:
Fans all poured into Crew Stadium's seats,
And Crew Cat was there to meet and to greet.
The game then kicked off, the battle began,
And thoughts of past glories raced through the fans:
Of McBride and Guille, their heroes from yore,
Who guided their teams to the playoffs and more.
But this team today needed support,
So they cheered and they sang until they were horse.
The Crew responded with multiple goals;
The fans felt rushes of joy in their souls
Reporters reported and bloggers did blog,
Some dude in Portland chopped up a log.
TFC and DC United both lost,
The Hudson St Hooligans clearly were sauced.
A day couldn't be more perfectly set,
The club made a profit and got out of debt.
The only thing left to proclaim with a beer,
"Merry Crewsmas to all, and be massive this year!"

MLS Pre-season

The preseason is a glorious time for a team. Hope springs eternal, and your record is once again flawless. For The Crew, 2011's preseason was compelling. The team was still adjusting to a post-Black Monday world, and fans were still reeling from its impact. Lucky for me, they selected Arizona for their training sessions. This allowed me the unique opportunity to take in four of their matches with virtually no one else there. I could hear all the on-field chatter from the comfort of my camping chair, situated directly at midfield on the sideline. Here were some of my impressions, coupled with what actually went down in 2011:

• There were hordes of new signees and trialists fighting for roster spots. Unless you're a starting 11 talent, preseason is brutal from a player perspective.
  
• Dilly Duka had transformed into a phenom and would push Robbie Rogers for a starting spot (This was going to happen, except that DD was injured for much of the year. I'm still on the DD bandwagon and am expecting the goods to be delivered in '12)
• Andy Iro was filling the power vacuum in the back and establishing himself as a vocal leader. (O-H-I-ro never got his footing after JJ showed up. He was traded to TFC but kept his Crew pride close to heart by playing terribly for them. For such a loyal gesture, I award him figgy pudding.)
• Miranda was an extremely solid pickup at right back. I saw him make only one mistake in about 180 minutes worth of time, and it was basically a communication letdown. (Held true.)
• Mendoza was a jerkface diva, who in one match picked up a red card and was sentenced to running laps. I sheep you not, he had to run laps around the park like he was late for practice in high school. And he didn't even run them; he half-jogged it. (Acted a fool all season, is still a jerkface but thankfully dropped by Crew brass right after season ended.)
• Sporting Kansas City had more A/V support for coaches than The Crew. SKC had a bona fide videographer employed and recording their first training match, while the extent of the Crew's video team was my unwatchable UStreaming of the match off my iPhone.
  

I say all this not to toot my boot about predicting The Crew's future based on a few early season matches, but to point out two things.

1. MLS preseason can be both interesting and fun for fans. With a time frame that aligns with MLB's, league brass would be wise to nurture the spring training concept and help support true cactus (AZ), grapefruit (FL), palmetto (SC) and lone star (TX) leagues. With teams in close proximity, player travel time is reduced and more field time is possible. It would also make for predictable annual travel and bonding experiences for supporters. With the promise of annual use, local facilities across the southern US would be able to rationalize facility improvements that would improve the experience for both players and fans. Spring Training single-handedly transforms Phoenix each March, and with a bit of effort MLS Preseason could generate a similar vibe and product.
   
2. Why not show preseason matches online? I know some matches this year are being streamed; let's send Ashley I to the matches and have her present some Crew-centric content. Should streaming matches on thecrew.com be an operational priority for 2012 or '13? Maybe not. But it would be a fun, relatively low-cost bone to throw to supporters that would build excitement. It would further show that the organization was reaching out to fans to give them a unique perspective into the season. It would give bloggers more game tape & data to stew over, generating podcast fun and more buzz within the established Crew fan base. And while that may not sell another 3000 season tickets, as any GOP presidential candidate would tell you it's never a bad time to solidify your base.
   

The Playoffs Re-imagined: MLS Madness

In September, I read an article from Grant Wahl describing a new proposal for the MLS Playoff structure. In this scenario, first proposed by Brian Straus (now of Sporting News), World Cup style groups would be played to determine the teams in the MLS Semi-Finalists. It sounded exciting and fair, to the point that I wouldn't have minded another make-up-as-you-go rule change midseason that would have implemented it. Now that the regular season has ended, let's revisit the plan.

Again, while I will add a few ideas to flesh out this post, I am standing on the shoulders of giants. Please read these articles first:
Here's the link to Brian Straus' (@brianstraus) original article: http://aol.it/u7cF43.
Here's the link to Grant Wahls's (@grantwahl) article. http://bit.ly/wahlplayoffs.

Done reading? Ok. Let's plug in some teams!

It would start with Wild Card play-ins, grouped this time by conference (imagine that). In the West, FC Dallas would host Colorado on Wednesday at 8:30pm (World Series issues for another time). In the East, the Columbus Crew would play host to the New York Red Bulls, let's say on Thursday night at 7:30pm. Let's examine the impact on this round.

• Compared to the current format, conference grouping would reduce total travel in this round by 55%, from 2539 miles to 1141 miles. Travel is a major issue during the season, and playoffs will be no different. Still, reducing unnecessary travel would be a good start.
  
• While Dallas still hosts and New York still travels, Columbus (47 pts on the season) would now host a home playoff match instead of Colorado (49 pts). While it's nice to reward the team with the better season-long record, I'd say if you're 5th in your conference you don't have a lot of griping room. Just be happy to be in the playoffs.
  

Let's assume that the higher seeds win. The groups are now set.

Group A: LA Galaxy, Houston Dynamo, Philadelphia Union, FC Dallas
Under Brian's plan Group A would include West #1 (Galaxy), East #2 (Dynamo), East #3 (Philly) & West #4 (FCD). LA Galaxy is rewarded for winning their conference by hosting 3 playoff matches. Philly would host Houston & FCD, and Philly would host FCD. FC Dallas, being the wild card team, faces 3 road matches in their group. However, with a few good results they could still advance to the MLS (not conference) Semi-Finals; the top 2 in each group move on.

Group B: Sporting KC, Seattle Sounders, Real Salt Lake, Columbus Crew
In Group B, Sporting KC would host Seattle, RSL & The Crew. Home/Away matches are handled just like in group A, with The Crew traveling to all 3 opponent's venues. Quite the gauntlet - LiveStrong Park, CenturyLink & Rio Tinto!

In terms of game sequence, I would have the 1-4 match played first, followed by the 1-3 and 1-2 matches. This gives the #1 seed the benefit of the (on paper) easier opponents earlier and possibly guaranteeing passage into the Semis sooner. This would mean game schedules might look like this:

Round 1: Saturday, 10/29
Columbus Crew @ Sporting KC	8:00pm EST
Real Salt Lake @ Sounders FC	10:00pm EST
Round 1: Sunday, 10/30
Philadelphia Union @ Houston Dynamo	8:00pm EST
FC Dallas @ LA Galaxy	10:00pm EST

Round 2: Wednesday, 11/2
FC Dallas @ Houston Dynamo	6:00pm EST
Columbus Crew @ Sounders FC	8:00pm EST
Real Salt Lake @ Sporting KC	8:00pm EST
Philadelphia Union @ LA Galaxy	10:00pm EST

Round 3: Saturday, 11/5
FC Dallas @ Philadelphia Union	8:00pm EST
Columbus Crew @ Real Salt Lake	10:00pm EST
Round 3: Sunday, 11/6
Sounders FC @ Sporting KC	6:00pm EST
Houston Dynamo @ LA Galaxy	8:00pm EST

Now, let's break it down, round by round.

Round 1 - Since there are 3 matches guaranteed for each team, one hiccup doesn't cost a quality team their entire season. Games in this round would have urgency, especially since the away team knows that life isn't getting that much easier; the time to press is now, when they're freshest.

Round 2 - The midweek match is really where the pressure hits. All matches would be played on Wednesday, which would cram the TV schedule a bit. No one complains about this during March Madness, and I actually think it would be fantastic to have overlapping playoff matches in this round. It would also help to focus media/hype to one day midweek, as opposed to trying to get the public to remember which teams played on which days. Just my theory, but I think it would help.

Round 3 - Obviously, this is the make or break round. It would be held over the 2nd weekend of the playoffs, with a well-deserved week long break awaiting Semi-Finalists. As happens in the group stage, some teams will likely be eliminated by this point, while others may have already clinched a berth in the Semis.

For our purposes, let's say those emerging from MLS Madness are: 1) LA Galaxy & 2) Philadelphia Union from Group A, 1) Sounders FC & 2) Columbus Crew from Group B (hey, it's my fantasy). I would favor a 2-game aggregate series, with of course A1 vs B2 and B1 vs A2. No extra benefit would be given for away goals. This does a few key things:

1. It "earns" each Semi-Finalist a home playoff match. In the case of the Wild Cards, this could be their first and only home playoff match. If a team went from a 5th seeded Wild Card on to win their road WC match, then get out of their group, they deserve to reward themselves and their fans with a home playoff match.
2. Balances the home/away field time. No team should win a soccer title with home-field advantage in every single match (looking at YOU, SSFC).
3. Does not penalize a team for hosting a high-scoring match (away goal rule not in effect). Maybe it's just me, but I think some games turn out high scoring and others don't. Why should it matter which one you hosted? And if away goals was so important to the beautiful game, why aren't they emphasized during the regular season? I'm not a fan of arbitrarily bringing in new rules just b/c it's playoffs.

All this means that in our 2011 MLS Semi-Finals, LA would face Columbus & Seattle would take on Philly. Here's a question - what if the A1 seed had a lower season point total than the B2 seed? Basically, do you re-seed at this stage, which would change where the 2nd (and more advantageous) match was hosted? I would advocate not to re-seed. It's less confusing, and would allow the organizations and cities to better prepare for possible upcoming matches. That said, we would have:

MLS Semi-Finals: Leg 1 Saturday, 11/12
LA Galaxy @ Columbus Crew	8:00pm EST
Philadelphia Union @ Sounders FC	10:00pm EST
MLS Semi-Finals: Leg 2 Sunday, 11/19
Sounders FC @ Philadelphia Union	6:00pm EST
Columbus Crew @ LA Galaxy	8:00pm EST

The debate on whether MLS Cup should be a 1-game neutral, 1-game at the higher seed's site or 2-game aggregate can be held at another time. At this stage in the game, I'd lean towards a 1-game match at the higher seed's home site. Yes, that means it could be freezing for the MLS Cup, but the Revs, TFC & Vancouver don't look like they're testing that theory anytime soon. I would love to see supporters rewarded with a home match to potentially win the whole thing. I was at MLS Cup '08 when the Crew won, and while I was euphoric & there were hundreds of Crew fans at the HDC, it would have been even more magical in Columbus Crew Stadium.

Ok, that's it! So, this is all good for 2012, right? No matter what you think, there's one thing we can all agree on: at least this championship is settled on the field, without computer polls or strength of schedule affecting anything.

DTBM - Part 2

When we last left our intrepid Crew blogger, he was offering a couple guiding principles for Crew Nation to chew on before it could establish a true DTBM strategy. Step 1: Accept the fact that we’re a small market team. Step 2: Act accordingly! When we buy DPs, we need to buy the loaded 3 Series, not the 7 Series. Stadium improvements should be small but smart, and we need to avoid own-goals like in-town scheduling conflicts whenever possible.

Step 3: Scarf Ohio

My favorite Crew marketing campaign was last year’s Scarf Ohio. It was perfectly timed before the playoffs, and gave a sense of solidarity not just in the Columbus community, but all throughout Ohio. It incorporated statewide celebs and socialites (you’re not a celeb for reading the news) and offered fans priceless morsels like seeing Anderson Varejao in a Crew scarf. It was also super fun as it was an interactive game played with fans. I hope to see it again very soon… I said NOW Silent Bob!

The playoffs are an obvious time to send out a rallying cry, but this message is one that should be reinforced year-round: The Crew is not just a Columbus team, it’s an Ohio team. While we have accepted that we are a small market team (see Step 1), The Crew benefits from the fact that it’s situated smack dab in the middle of the 7^th most populous state in the union. 10 million people live within a 2 hour drive of Crew Stadium, and 1.5 million people get Crew matches on ONN (“get” is a stretch; more on this later). 10 million people is about the size of Chicago. Is it a lot to ask to drive an hour or two for a “home” match? Maybe, but I’d rather drive an hour from Dayton or two from Cincy than 1 ½ hrs. in Chicago traffic any day. The fact is that if The Crew want to gain fans, they might not have to look too far. What could they immediately implement that would help to bolster state-wide support?

a) Additional Locations for Non-League Matches. What works better than try-before-you-buy? I love Crew Stadium as much as anyone, but until it starts pulling more than 1,845 fans for US Open Cup matches they should give other Ohio communities a chance to see the black and gold up close. This could be in the form of pre-season or midseason friendlies, or even Open Cup matches. A few potential venues:

o FirstEnergy Stadium, Akron (Capacity: 4000)

o By winning the 2010 NCAA national championship, the University of Akron’s men’s soccer team solidified themselves as a true juggernaut of college soccer. They recently renovated their field and can pack their stadium (5241 record attendance, but don’t tell the fire marshal). This community has rallied around the Zips’ success; let’s feed the beast.

o Jesse Owens Field, Columbus (Capacity: 10,000). I know, boring. But if paired with a students-get-in-free with BuckID promo, to match Ohio State’s policy for all other soccer games, The Crew get a huge helping of target-market fans served on a home field platter.

o Baujan Field, Dayton (Capacity: 2,000).

Ok, a little dinky. Am I just being sentimental b/c I think it would be amazing to see The Crew at this site? Probably. Is the actual Dayton location obviously going to be at the new Dutch Lions venue, against the USL squad? Yes, and I hope it becomes an annual tradition. Still, look at this picture and tell me it wouldn’t be gorgeous. Maybe a 2-game swing in Dayton?

b) Media and Moychendising

o Pro teams deserve match highlights from major network local news, each time. How about also on Dayton, Cleveland, Akron and Cincinnati’s local broadcasts? Anticipating a rebuttal around “lack of viewer interest,” let’s use supporter group sway and the FO to help influence that. Treating the Crew like an actual professional team will keep the team top-of-mind with the casual fan throughout the state, which will drive interest and attendance.

o ONN – In the name of Guillermo, who has the ability to improve the picture/production quality of Crew broadcasts on ONN? Can a supporters group hold a bake sale or something? Getting Duncan in the booth was a fun and important improvement, but we must do better. We live in an HD world, and every single Crew broadcast should have an HD feed available. It’s like buying a steak at Hyde Park and then dumping ketchup all over it. The slightly-better-than-scrambled-p0rn visuals are likely a strong factor in why the Crew feed was almost never selected by MLS Direct Kick this year. This makes me sad. (Speaking of Direct Kick, the guide has been a total mess lately. How about sending the Intern back to his Comm 103 lecture? Also, DK needs to offer home and away feeds. I would pay an extra $3 a game to guarantee that I get to hear Duncan.)

o Wearing gear to rep the brand is as basic and grass roots as it gets. That said, why can’t I get a Crew hat in my local Target or Wal-Mart?! Why can’t I get a Crew key ring at the gas station? I suppose perhaps the market has spoken on this front many years ago; maybe these angles died out after ’96. If the gear just doesn’t move in some parts of Ohio, I get that. But kids in Columbus all have the inherent right to an Eddie Gaven lunchbox. Please, merch people, make it so. And make it so that Mom doesn’t have to go to Crew stadium during business hours to do it – Target will be just fine.

c) Scarf Columbus, Too. As we learned playing Risk, you need to win over your base before rolling the dice in adjacent lands. While the ‘bus has become much more Crewish since the magical season of 2008, we’re not done yet. Some notions on how to get there:

o Can we get the High St. arches lit up in black & gold during the MLS Playoffs? I always liked the streetlight banners downtown – let’s have playoff banners, too. That kind of advertising goes a longer way with me than highway billboards, and is probably way cheaper.

o Cleanup on aisle CMH. Why does Port Columbus have all that ridiculous junk about cow tipping and zero Columbus Crew and Columbus Blue Jacket gear?! This is an extension of the gear availability argument, but it irks me so much that it demanded its own bullet point. Airports are representations to the world of what a city thinks of itself. Port Columbus does admirably in the food and beverage category (CBC, Charley’s, MoJoe), but fails in the red zone: zero pro sports gear is available. It’s completely expected that Ohio State has its own shop, but it’s confounding that we don’t think enough of our pro franchises to promote them to the 6.2 million passengers that visit CMH each year. No, the ancient images on the baggage claim wall don’t count.

o Be involved in youth soccer. With Crew Juniors, hundreds if not thousands of kids are now growing up in central Ohio wearing Crew colors and going to matches. In addition to being straight-up fun to wear the same kit as your on-field heroes, it is brilliant for fan-base building. If you are a skilled former player, consider coaching or refereeing. It’s fun and very rewarding. Pay it forward.

o Game On ColumbUS: How about cross-ticket package promotions with the Blue Jackets and Clippers? Crew – CBJ ticket packages for the fall or spring, Crew – Clipper Packages for the spring. In the immediate future, you’ve potentially got a home Crew playoff match at 4pm & a home Blue Jacket game at 6:30pm on 10/30; why not provide a discount and/or transportation for super fans who want to make it a double? And by the way, what’s next? What’s on the status report? I’m not saying that people aren’t working on it, just that I don’t know what’s happening behind that great slogan and I’m interested to find out. Will the Crew, Blue Jackets & Clippers be joining forces to get a stadium for The Crew downtown? Sharing digital media advert space & costs? Carpooling?

The great thing about ideas is that they’re free. Everyone reading this article could tweet @ColumbusCrew, @GameOnColumbUS or even @MichaelBColeman and share their brain wealth. In the interest of your attention span, I’ll table Step 4: Getting Crew-ative on Game Day to next week. Thanks for spending your time & battery life reading me this week.