New MLS playoff format ... a big swing and a miss!

Major League Soccer just can’t get this one right.

Seriously, is it that hard, guys?

I’ve been on the record that MLS made a big mistake by – out of nowhere! – deciding that eight teams just wasn’t enough. They needed to harken back to the bad old days when more than half the field were afforded post-season grace.

So now 10 of the 18 will make the playoffs.

Things were pretty unstable before when the format for the eight teams shifted mid-flight. (Two-game aggregate for the league quarterfinals, one-game winner-take-all for the league semifinals.)

Now, the format shifts TWICE during the proceedings. Here’s how it works according to today’s announcement.

• The top three finishers in each conference, based on regular season points (six automatic berths)
• The next best four clubs based on regular season points, irrespective of conference (four wild cards)
• The four wild cards will play single elimination games against each other, with higher seeds hosting (1 vs. 4; 2 vs. 3). These play-in games are part of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
• After the two play-in games conclude, the lowest remaining seed will face the Supporters’ Shield winner in the Conference Semifinals; the other will face the No. 1 seed in the opposite conference from the Supporters’ Shield winner.
• The four Conference Semifinals will be decided by two-game aggregate series, with each club hosting one game. The two Conference Championships will be single games hosted by the higher seed. MLS Cup will again be a single championship match hosted at a predetermined site to be announced at a later date.

What would have been better? Retaining an 8-team field, for starters. But since the horses are apparently out on that one, I’d just prefer they stick with two-leg series for the duration. Going back and forth is just … well … it’s just goofy.