General discussions here!

Some really good content already on the Apple TV MLS Season Pass.

Sounders about to play Egyptian side Al Ahly in the Club World Cup in Morocco.

🗣️ HERE WE GOOOOOO#ClubWC x #Sounders pic.twitter.com/hIjC0i58bK

— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) February 4, 2023

Hoping Apple has all their stuff together for opening day.

On a personal note we moved seats this year for Minnesota games. We're now second row on the first aisle up field from the camera's left bottom corner flag. Had been in the sun (opposite side) before and this gets us in shade. Can't wait for the first game!

Tough one for the Sounders, lost 1-0. Just didn't have the gas necessary to go hard for a full 90 against an in form and just generally pretty dang good side in Al Ahly. Schmetzer waiting forever to make more subs didnt help either, but it was great to see Joao Paolo back!

MLS season pass a good deal on Apple TV? Saw there would be no blackouts

Yeah no blackouts and it basically works anywhere in the world. So far it looks like they're doing good content outside of just games and will have replays up relatively quickly as well.

Teams are dropping new kits this week. Some interesting ones for sure.

Dallas with a Burns inspired one.

A nod to our origin, with an eye to our future.

— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) February 16, 2023

Houston's is clean, not too ground breaking.

☀️ El Sol ☀️@HoustonDynamo are ready to hold it down with a sun-inspired look.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 15, 2023

Austin with the dazzle camouflage. Maybe opponents won't know which way they're running!

Many voices » one kit to bring them together.@AustinFC's Las Voces kit has arrived.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 15, 2023

Seattle with the bold move of releasing an RSL shirt

Honoring a legend.@SoundersFC's Bruce Lee kit has arrived.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 15, 2023

LAFC embracing their smog.

New look for the reigning champs in 2023.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 16, 2023

The dream of the 90s is alive in Portland.

Plaid in Portland: It just feels right.

A new look for @TimbersFC.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 15, 2023

I like the subway tile on NY's

Bringing the boroughs together. 🚇@NYCFC's Interboro kit is here.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 15, 2023

Just in:

If you are a T-Mobile or Metro mobile phone service user who hasn’t bought MLS Season Pass yet, wait until next Tuesday and you’ll get it for free.

I did not know that was coming. pic.twitter.com/YnemRt4d4B

— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) February 16, 2023

Download the App T Mobile Tuesdays to get it

Is that Portland kit like their airport carpet that's famous (or infamous)?

More kits!

Chicago's confetti kit

For all Chicago.

Introducing @ChicagoFire's 2023 kit.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 16, 2023

RSL Beehive State Gold

Buzzin' about this one.@RealSaltLake's new kit is here.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 16, 2023

DC Cherry Blossoms. I like the idea, maybe not the execution.

Full bloom. 🌸

A brand-new look for @dcunited.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 16, 2023

Galaxy returning to their teal roots, or supporting Senegal??

💚💛❤️@LAGalaxy's newest kit has dropped.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 17, 2023

San Jose Earthquakes "Fault" kit. I like this one

The new @SJEarthquakes has landed. 🔵⚫

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 17, 2023

Minnesota's Miami Northern Lights kit

Shining bright. 🌌@MNUFC's new kit has arrived on the scene.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 18, 2023

Reaction is mixed on the Loons kit up here. Would have looked better if the bottom faded to black instead of white.

For the most part there's not really a bad shirt this year. Maybe a quibble here a tweak there, but by and large Adidas pulled their heads out of their tear ends this season. I don't necessarily love the Seattle Bruce Lee one, but it's apparently selling faster than the purple/black Jimi Hendrix shirt it's replacing, and when you account for Sounders internet fans losing their freaking minds over the new sponsor, that's saying something.

Is Providence a health network?

Zulily was a stupid sponsor

Nashville's Johnny Cash kit is pretty sweet too. Even if it is just mostly-black.

Pretty strong offering so far this season from the league. Of course I say this knowing all the white kits will probably look like plain tshirts.

Oh I hated Zulily and theres nothing wrong with Providence, its just Sounders internet being insane and angry because its catholic/christian and therefore inherently evil. Going back to Xbox would fix everything, but thats not happening.

jeffk said:

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Just in:

If you are a T-Mobile or Metro mobile phone service user who hasn’t bought MLS Season Pass yet, wait until next Tuesday and you’ll get it for free.

I did not know that was coming. pic.twitter.com/YnemRt4d4B

— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) February 16, 2023

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I just signed up for this. Had to have an apple account set up first and put the appletvplus app on my phone then went to tmobile tuesday and redeem the coupon copying it into the apple app, then could log into the app on the tv scroll over to mls and done.

So far i watched two minutes of a drone tour of Q2 and am pumped. Looks sharp.

New playoff format announced. I don't really like it, but I knew change was coming and it could have been worse (World Cup style).

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-announces-new-playoff-format-for-2023-season

#8 vs #9 play-in game in each conference

Round 1:
No byes
Best-of-3
Home-Away-Home for higher seed
#1 vs #8/9, #2 vs #7, ect.

After is single elimination, including the final.

Between Round 1 and Conference Semis is an international break to kill the momentum!

Best of three? Why?

It has to be an owners thing. All playoff teams get a home game and the third game keeps an advantage for the higher seeded team

it didnt work well in the past, it wont now

Get rid of the playoffs all together. Do it Euro style with some sort of FA cup thing during the season.

MLS just cannot leave well enough alone.

Apple wanted more games.

I actually don't hate it. Single elimination was just fine and probably the best way, but I get that Apple wants more playoff inventory. That said, Best of 3 is better than two legged ties. this gives an actual home field advantage to the higher seeds.

If you wanted games then pods of 1,3,6,8 then 2,4,5,7. Higher seed hosts all games. Then play a single elimination game for semis and finals. Maybe do something weird with most goals scores counting as half a point to encourage offense.

They floated a group stage a couple months ago and people rioted. I think it would be awesome, but getting balance with home games and junk would be hard. I'd think you could seed that so top seed plays all at home, bottom all on the road, etc, but I dunno.

heddleston said:

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They floated a group stage a couple months ago and people rioted. I think it would be awesome, but getting balance with home games and junk would be hard. I'd think you could seed that so top seed plays all at home, bottom all on the road, etc, but I dunno.

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Odd that there is a riot. Champion's league, Europa League & World Cup all use group stages. I don't think people fret about those formats there. Are American soccer fans really that isolated from world soccer?

All of those are very separate from the regular season. Plus I think the tournament with LMX is supposed to be this. Though MLS is one of the only leagues that does a playoff, because 'Merica!

Out in Left Field said:

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All of those are very separate from the regular season. Plus I think the tournament with LMX is supposed to be this. Though MLS is one of the only leagues that does a playoff, because 'Merica!

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See this is what I think MLS is not getting right. Make your playoff's special or make the community shield a huge trophy and then play a tournament maybe a few weeks later or to start the next season. Make a tournament and a regular season mean something.

Having playoffs at all is American enough for me. No need to do some sort of best-of series to stretch things out.

BUT if we are going to get weird, an idea I heard floated a while back that I liked was having a home and home series but the higher ranked team host the first match and the second match only take place if the first ends in a tie. I get why that's a logistical challenge, but I think it captures the right amount of chaos while still giving the higher-ranked team an advantage.

This new playoff format makes the MLS feel like they're trying to go to a format closer to the Denslow Cup.

It does feel pretty gimmicky. Though the fact that every playoff team will get a home game is a small silver lining.

I thought the regular single elimination bracket was fine, though I think reseeding needed to be done. You could even keep your 8v9 play-in game and eliminate the dreaded first seed bye.