MLS Conferences and Schedule news

[SoccerPrime]

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20061111&content_id=78396&vkey=mlscup2006&fext=.jsp

The MLS Board of Governors also announced the following:

• The 2007 MLS season will feature a 30-game regular season. Each week, one of the 13 MLS clubs will have a "bye."

• The Eastern & Western Conference alignment will be maintained with Toronto FC joining the Eastern Conference. The 2007 conference alignment:

Eastern Conference
Chicago Fire
Columbus Crew
D.C. United
Kansas City Wizards
New England Revolution
Red Bull New York
Toronto FC


Western Conference
Chivas USA
Colorado Rapids
FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo
Los Angeles Galaxy
Real Salt Lake

• Each club will play each other team twice (home and away) for 24 games per team.
- The remaining six games are played between teams from the same conference. (3 home and 3 away)
- For the Western Conference, one extra intra-conference game is played, with preference given to rivalries.
- For example, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA will play each other four times, as will Real Salt Lake/Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas/Houston Dynamo.

• The MLS Cup Playoffs will continue under the same format used in 2006 pertaining to number of games. Each Conference Semifinal Series will consist of two games. The Eastern and Western Conference Championships will consist of one game and MLS Cup will be a one-game final.
• Eight teams will qualify for the playoffs.
• The top two teams in each conference, plus four "wild cards" with the most points after 30 games, regardless of conference, will qualify.

• The 12th MLS regular season concludes on Sunday, October 21, with the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs commencing on the weekend of November 10-11.

• MLS Cup 2007 will take place Sunday, November 18 (site TBA at a later date).

• The 2007 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game will take place July 18 or 19 (site TBA at a later date).

In addition, the MLS Board of Governors approved an initiative that will ensure 100 percent of MLS matches will be broadcast live on television for the 2007 season, the first time in the League's history where all games will be televised.

The 2007 Master MLS Schedule is slated to be announced early next year, while dates and venues for teams' 2007 MLS Spring Training plans will be released in the near future. Major League Soccer's 2007 SuperDraft takes place on Friday, January 12, 2007, in conjunction with the NSCAA convention in Indianapolis, IN.

Major League Soccer's championship match, MLS Cup 2006, features the Eastern Conference Champions New England Revolution playing the Western Conference Champions Houston Dynamo for the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy on Sunday, November 12, 2006. The game will be televised live to a national audience on ABC Sports (3:30 p.m. ET) while ESPN International will televise it in 96 countries via ESPN Dos, ESPN Atlantic and ESPN Pac-Rim networks.

[Aerick]

Cool news. Thanks for sharing.

I especially like the wildcard setup and the televised games announcement.

[prk166]

I was surprised to see them trim the schedule for the regular season to 30 games. The MLS has had a better time of selling tickets for regular season games than playoff games. I figured if anything they'd change the playoffs to have the first round be a one-off game.

[beaveman]

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

• The 12th MLS regular season concludes on Sunday, October 21, with the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs commencing on the weekend of November 10-11.

There has to be something wrong here. Shouldn't it say that the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs END on the weekend of November 10-11?