Sounders FC – Soccer Playoff Tie

[jamminj]

I love sports, watch just about anything. I guess I just don’t get soccer. I attempted to get behind Sounders FC this year, went to a ‘match’? this year. Watched a few games on tv. But a playoff game ‘TIE’???, while there were some ‘moments’… to end in a 0-0 leaves me kind of, ehhhh.

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Is this a norm for soccer matches?? Does this leave the fans somewhat satisfied, its not a loss, but….

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I don’t know.

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[nathanm5000]

Ties are extremely frustrating to the fan, but luckily [for me] the intensity of the game makes for good sports entertainment. It’s doubly frustrating because the Sounders had quite a few ties this season — wins are always better, losses are obviously worse. In the regular season a tie counts for 1 point in the standings, a win 3 points, and a loss zero points. I searched online and couldn’t find any reasoning behind why ties are allowed. I suspect they were allowed to keep the length of games down. I know the NHL only recently stopped allowing games to come to a draw, opting for shootouts in regular season games.

I wasn’t sure how the playoff system worked in MLS, but my understanding is the first round is based on the cumulative score of two games; therefore, one game can end in a tie if the other game ends in a win for one of the teams. In the case of tonight, game 1 ended in a tie, so game 2 will need to be played to conclusion (if they are tied after regulation I believe they will play two 15 minute halves, then go to a shootout if necessary). The tie tonight puts Houston at an advantage for next week’s game, which will be on their home turf (it’s a theoretical advantage, the Sounders actually play really well on the road).

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[beachdrivegirl]

nathan- you understand correctly. it is a cumulative score of the two games. so even if the sounders would have won tonight it would not have really been a win.

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[dawsonct]

Jamminj, other sports have unlimited substitutions or, in baseball’s case, the player who exerts the most energy, the pitcher, is replaceable any time they tire. I love baseball, but as long as I wasn’t pitching, I could play all day. Soccer players expend a LOT more energy than just about any other team sport athlete. A player on the field will run between 5 and 9 miles per game, often sprinting and quickly changing directions.

http://www.soccerperformance.org/playertypes/physdemandsprosoccer.htm

The MLS, and in W.C. competition, allows for three subs during the game, and the players can not return to play. At the top levels it is a very physically taxing sport and goals are so precious a score can’t be depended on in a set amount of time. I hate to see them do much to alter the game in the extra time, but maybe both teams could be required to replace their goalkeepers with field players. I would rather see that change on the FIFA level, they don’t look too kindly on individual leagues getting too creative with the rules.

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