WINNER: Major League Soccer 2011 — FC Dallas

[reptile]

Is that real life soccer or something that we can actually win?

[flexmaster33]

For the CC tourney, you'll get a General Achievement medal for taking the Supporters Shield

[reptile]

Wow sweet, i better stop this loosing streak then lol

[flexmaster33]

Field maps are updated...with more games recently gone final I've been able to fill in some spots on the main bracket (seek the link under the standings image). However, the seeding for the four wildcard spots remains up in the air depending in final week results.

Also of note...Columbus and Chivas USA are tied for the last wildcard spot...if it remains deadlocked, the Crew would advance based on getting a win and a tie over Chivas in head-to-head matches during the regular season.

[flexmaster33]

All right...we're still waiting for final week matches to officially go final, but I've got enough to shape the bracket together.

Columbus wins the head-to-head tiebreaker over Chivas USA to gain the last wildcard spot (based on getting a win and a tie over Chivas during the regular season).

Salt Lake got the #2 seed over San Jose in the West for the same reason.

I'll be sending out some of the playoff maps now.

[reptile]

i see we are #1 in the bracket, does that mean we won the supporters shield for sure then?

[flexmaster33]

Yes, KC has clinched the Supporters Shield and will face the lowest-seeded wildcard survivor in the first round.

[fairman]

One GA medals for us ...

[reptile]

One GA medals for us ...

yeehaw, lets win this thing too!

[flexmaster33]

LA has clinched a win in the wildcard round and has been moved into the main draw to face FC Dallas. I've started goalie maps for leg one of the active first-round matches and will be sending out individual maps later today.

[flexmaster33]

Also all regular-season matches are complete, so the final regular season standings are up.

[reptile]

Are these matchups supposed to be the home matchups for the lower seeded team?

[fairman]

it's a home an away game.
Don't worry

[flexmaster33]

yes, the first leg in this round is played at the lower seed, and the series finishes with a 2nd leg on the higher seed's home field.

[flexmaster33]

The wildcard matches have been decided with Seattle and LA advancing...I'll post the final field maps once we get a couple of the final games finished up. Also, updated the field maps for the first round and am sending out goalie maps for leg 2 right now.

[reptile]

So they are like halves then? first away half, then home half

[flexmaster33]

that's a good way to describe it reptile...something silly that MLS does...one of those soccer things that I don't get either, but that's how they do it in real MLS, so we'll follow suit here.

[flexmaster33]

Brackets are updated along with playoff field maps...sending out the leg #2 1 vs. 1 maps in a moment.

Note on the bracket, if the score is white (that's after leg #1)...once it turns yellow that's a final score.

[flexmaster33]

Bracket is updated, and the San Jose @ FC Dallas semifinal match has been sent.

[flexmaster33]

First round matches are nearing a finish...in fact #3 San Jose vs. #1 FC Dallas is underway in the semifinals. Field maps and brackets are updated. Kansas City has clinched a spot in the other semifinal, although it's first-round match isn't officially complete quite yet.

[flexmaster33]

bracket updated with Kansas City officially moving on with an 8-1 first-round win over Seattle.

[flexmaster33]

Philadelphia and New York are heading into a shootout tied 3-3 in their first-round match. The winner of the nine-kick shootout advances to play Kansas City in the semis.

In other action, FC Dallas has moved into the MLS Cup match with a 3-0 win over San Jose.

[reptile]

This Dallas team just wont go away!! lol. i guess we need to think about other things before looking ahead or there wont be a need to

[mr. CD]

Philadelphia and New York are heading into a shootout tied 3-3 in their first-round match. The winner of the nine-kick shootout advances to play Kansas City in the semis.

In other action, FC Dallas has moved into the MLS Cup match with a 3-0 win over San Jose.

Just noticed the rules for the semi-finals, which aren't really fair in my opinion. It's not possible to win while playing on the other's homemaps. No team that got this far will lose on their homemaps. And why is this just the semi-finals?
Not raging over losing this, just think that if you make another tournament like this, you might look into this a bit.
(And yes, I should have read better earlier and notice this, my apologies)

~CD

Edit:
Anyway, congrats to Dallas on making it to the finals. Don't think we'd manage to get back from here, but we could at least have made it less of a humiliation.

[flexmaster33]

That's the silly way the MLS runs it's playoffs, I don't really get it either, but wanted to replicate how they do it in real life.

I'm all for earning homefield advantage...that's what the regular season is for. What I don't get is the aggregate scoring format in the quarterfinals...that makes my head spin.