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When Major League Soccer first announced the new best-of-three playoff format, it was met with rampant criticism and hostility.
A year on, and many of the same complaints still ring true.
After their loss versus Atlanta, Jordi Alba spoke about the change and how it puts higher-seeded teams at a disadvantage.
“In my opinion, I am not the one who is going to [it] change now. This format seems a little unfair to me,” the 35-year-old told the media after the loss.
“It is clear that it has been done this way for many years, but if you ask me, if it were up to me, I would have to be the champion of one conference against the champion of the other, to make it as fair as possible, that’s how it is.”
Yes, Miami should have done a better job to close out the series, but Alba may have a point here.
Under the previous format, Miami would have had a bye into the semifinals as the number one seed in the East.
Had this format been in place in 2024, the Herons would have had extra rest, home-field advantage and a shorter route to the MLS Cup Final.
It remains to be seen if the league will go back to its roots, but if Apple TV has anything to say, the extra matches (which leads to more revenue) seem welcome.