Sounders Advance To Group Stage Of 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League
It seems the answer is finally known. Seattle skips the preliminary round and goes directly to the group stage. Two less games should help with fixture congestion a bit while also making it easier to actually make the knockouts again.
6 months ago
Dave Clark
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Even more importantly
It guarantees that we get to the group stage. We were close to being eliminated in the preliminary round both in 2010 and 2011.
even more important than making group stage is ... making group stage?
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Nov 21, 2011 7:57 AM PST up reply actions
The article says:
“while also making it easier to actually make the knockouts again.” (emphasis mine)
After the link notes that they qualify for the Group Stage
I figured making the group stage was understood. Words are getting expensive!
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Maybe I was reading too much into what you wrote
But it seemed like there was an assumption that the Sounders would have been in the group stage regardless, even if they had to go through the preliminary round. That seems to be the underlying assumption in a lot of commentary on this. Everywhere where I see people talking about this they talk about avoiding 2 matches, not about guaranteeing 6.
Let this officially be known, from here on, as:
The Only Good Thing To Come From The Galaxy Winning The MLS Cup
by fiftyone on Nov 20, 2011 11:52 PM PST via mobile reply actions 7 recs
GREAT News....
I pulled for LA the whole way just on the hope that this would be true (and I despise Houston).
The only question now is – With the wacky “no balance, less travel” schedule AND this huge chunk of mileage…how will they become elite flyers next year? :-)
Seriously, what a relief.
Silver Lining
If the Galaxy have to win I’m glad there’s an upside for the Sounders. Avoiding a trip to Panama in the middle of summer is a huge win. Does this also mean we should be seeded into an “easier” group?
While not intentionaly and "easier group"
We would be up against a non-mexican champion (Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, or Panama), and two winners from the preliminary round (most likely a Mexican runner up and one other).
Could be easier, but remember that this year LA got a direct group bid and they were in the so called group of death. It is pretty much a toss up. Two less games though is a big help next year.
2013-2014 CCL Qualification
I posted this in the Schedual thread but since it is more of a CCL topic i will put it here:
Since the SS becomes so diluted by this new schedualing, should they still get a Group Stage CCL bid?
What if both the group stage bids went to MLS cup finalists? (Both conference champs), Should the re-structured Open cup get a group stage bid.
My vote is this:
Group stage: West and East Conference champs
Prelim stage: Open Cup Winner, SS winner
What do you think?
Also, How should the tiebreaking (if one team gets 2 spots) be handled?
I would either like to see it...
stay the way it is with SS and MLS Cup to group play, Open Cup and MLS-Cup Loser to play-ins…OR…better yet, MLS-Cup Loser is not a bid…that goes to either the non-SS regular season conference winner or (best) to the 2nd best over all record. I want the strongest teams possible in CCL without completely removing the dream from the others…they can still play in by winning the MLS Cup or winning the Open Cup.
That further reduces the meaning of the regular season
So I’m not a fan.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
The meaning of the regular season was diluted by the new schedual.
Now that everyone plays different scheduals just asigning spots based on regular season is not very balanced/fair.
I agree
Even the conference schedule is weirdly balanced with alternating 2 homes and an away game. We’ll have to see how they try to balance it, but the SS looks less and less like a measure of the league’s best team.
I would have much preferred a balanced conference schedule and more non-conference games.
The SAH Links Guy
Winning the AL/NL pennant used to be a really big deal
Given the new schedule, I think that MLS should basically have a split SS, with an East SS and a West SS. Call them something different if you like, but you get the idea. Both the East and West SS winners go straight to the group stage, just like Apertura/Clausura winners from Mexico go straight to the group stage. USOC and MLS Cup winners get the prelim spots.
I dont see how the league chamion, MLS Cup winner, would not get a group stage bid.
I just dont think that would ever happen.
It probably won't
But I think it would make a lot of sense to treat the knockout tournament winners on the same footing and the conference winners on the same footing. Comparing a record from the East to a record from the West makes no sense. (Not that it stops other leagues from comparing records between teams with vastly different schedules.)
I think instead
the Higher seeded team of the East and West SS winners, should get the group stage slot, and the lower should get a play-in.
expansion draft
when do we see the protected list ?
by alexyepz on Nov 21, 2011 8:28 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Off-topic
But earliest at 2 pm Pacific. That is the time MLS has promised to release them, but in previous years they have missed this deadline by 2-3 hours.
yes...and those misses have been largely due to...
wheeling and dealing, last second trades, etc. Expect some action today. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Sounders roster change by end of business today. It could be similar to last year with Pete Vagenas getting moved right after the list was released, but before the expansion draft.
I'm just hoping it gets released before i go to bed.
(im 8 hours ahead of seattle in england)
by Sandra_R on Nov 21, 2011 9:44 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm 99% sure the list will be delayed
But we’ll be getting transfer and trade rumors trickling in throughout the day. It should be one of the more exciting days for the league of the entire off-season.
The SAH Links Guy
The transfers should happen before the lists are submitted to the MLS
And the deadline is in 25 minutes. Of course announcements can come a bit later.
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