Play-offs are best way to end season

Paul Pabst

• Last Updated: November 04. 2009 7:14PM UAE / November 4. 2009 3:14PM GMT

I was watching an interview with Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber a few days ago and the commentators were grilling him about the play-off format.

They repeatedly prodded Garber about his league’s way of deciding a champion and asked why he did not use the “single table” format that England’s Premier League and many other leagues use.

Garber stuck to his belief that his way was the right way.

“I’m just not quite getting it,” Garber said about comments against a play-off format.

“The Columbus Crew would have won 10 days before the end of the season. They would have been celebrating the championship at a game where they lost.

“I understand the heritage and tradition that people enjoy with a single table. But somebody would have to explain to me how that would be better than what we have now, because I’m not getting it.”

What I find fascinating is that MLS seems to borrow everything and anything from European football clubs.

From names like Real Salt Lake, to the scarves that Seattle Sounders fans hold above their heads to player like David Beckham and Freddie Ljungberg, MLS tries to take the best of leagues in England, Italy, Spain and elsewhere as it tries to grow the sport in America.

If this is the game plan, why does Garber not use the table format instead of a play-off system?

As a flat out lover of all things European, as far as football is concerned, I agree that MLS has a better system.

What bothers me about the Premier League and the like is that the last few matches of the year rarely have meaning as far as deciding the champion.

If Manchester United are five points clear of Chelsea on the final weekend, the United match becomes a coronation.

Look at this season, Chelsea finish the season versus Wigan while United face Stoke City. Even if the two giants are within three points of each other, they are not playing each other for the title.

This is fundamentally wrong.

Could you imagine if the Premier League ended the season with a four-team play-off?

Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United would battle in late May for the title, instead of limping to a finish.

You may argue that whoever finishes the season top of the table has already proved that they deserve the championship, but from a fan standpoint, this is the way to make a great sport have a great finish.

I want to see John Terry trying to stop Wayne Rooney, not Rooney scoring against an inferior Stoke squad.

While many European football fans will argue for the tradition of the single table system, they can just look at the World Cup or European Champions League.

If you live and die with these two great football championships, you cannot truly believe in the single table system.

If a World Cup ended with Italy pounding Wales in a table format instead of facing France for the title, you would not be entertained.

If MLS did try to emulate European leagues by incorporating the single table system, it would fail miserably.

American sports have regular seasons that build towards a play-off at the end of the campaign.

This is our tradition. The champion of any sports has to take the title on the field, court or pitch against a top-flight opponent that battled to a final play-off spot.

Exhibition matches should take place before a season starts, not at the end.

Rarely will I side with MLS over Serie A or the Bundesliga, but in this case, we have the better way to decide a champion…on the pitch…not on a table.



ppabst@thenational.ae