Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer:

I was just stopping by the local betting shop a moment ago.

It looks like the playoffs for those European qualification spots have already kicked off.

Can someone please walk me through how this whole system actually works?

Heerenveen-Ajax is scheduled to play today.

And what exactly does the winner of that match walk away with?
Ajax finished in 2nd place. Does a victory here guarantee them a spot in the Champions League, or what?

On top of that, there are still three other matches being played...

It says right here on ESPN

That playoff matters because the winner moves on to the LP.

And just like that, the losers get relegated to the second division... those Major League Soccer folks really don't show any mercy... 😬

mistycyclist51 said:And just like that, the losers get relegated to the second division... those Major League Soccer folks really don't show any mercy... 😬

What do you mean? They have several playoff rounds left. Losing a Champions League playoff doesn't mean they get relegated. 🙄

Oh, please. Don't be ridiculous. They aren't going to bench the guy who's actually fighting for a spot in the Champions League...

mistycyclist51 said:Oh, please. Don't be ridiculous. They aren't going to bench the guy who's actually fighting for a spot in the Champions League...

Fine. 🙂

Vitesse-NAC Breda 3-2
Twente-AZ 1-1
Heerenveen-Ajax 1-0
FC Utrecht-Roda 0-0

Ajax dropped the match.😠

At least the second leg is being held in New York City. 👍

Champions League Qualifiers:

Aggregate: SC Heerenveen 1 - 0 Ajax
May 13, 07 Ajax vs SC Heerenveen
May 9, 07 SC Heerenveen 1 - 0 Ajax

Aggregate: FC Twente 1 - 1 AZ
May 13, 07 AZ vs FC Twente
May 9, 07 FC Twente 1 - 1 AZ

The winners head to a final to fight for that single spot in the Champions League.
The losing finalist and the other semifinalists drop down into the UEFA Cup.

Qualifiers for the remaining UEFA Cup spot:

Aggregate: FC Utrecht 0 - 0 Roda JC
May 12, 07 Roda JC vs FC Utrecht
May 9, 07 FC Utrecht 0 - 0 Roda JC

Aggregate: FC Groningen vs Feyenoord
May 13, 07 Feyenoord vs FC Groningen
May 10, 07 FC Groningen vs Feyenoord

Winners move on to a final to decide who grabs the last UEFA Cup ticket.

The losing finalist will play for a chance at the Intertoto Cup against the winner of the next playoff round:

Aggregate: Vitesse 3 - 2 NAC
May 12, 07 NAC vs Vitesse
May 9, 07 Vitesse 3 - 2 NAC

Aggregate: Sparta vs NEC
May 13, 07 NEC vs Sparta
May 10, 07 Sparta vs NEC

What kind of Major League Soccer nonsense is this? I don't get any of it...

I mean, look at Sparta Rotterdam. They finished 12th in the regular season, sitting just a measly 7 points above the relegation zone, and they might actually clinch a spot in Europe?! That's just mental...

Honestly, with them, it doesn't even matter if you finish second or fourth—it’s all the same level of absolute stupidity to them.🙄

Stupid rules... someone clearly had too much to drink when they drafted this playbook. Theoretically, we could end up with some fifth-place team like SC Heerenveen qualifying for the Champions League, while Ajax misses out entirely after a heartbreaking season. Idiots.😠

Yeah... it’s just how things work over there... if you finish first, you're basically royalty, but everything else is just a different tier of struggle... whether you land in 2nd or 4th for the Champions League... or maybe 5th or 8th for the UEFA Cup...

Hey Terry Fisher2, Ajax snagged the trophy, but does anyone actually think it matters? To me, it feels like they just walked away with another UEFA Cup title and nothing more.

Jeez, we’re looking at another disaster if Ajax fails to qualify for the Champions League. If they don't make the cut, then at least AZ deserves a spot—they've certainly earned it.

Ajax is up 2-0 at home in the 24th minute👍
3-0—that’s just the fair way to do it, isn't it?

So we've got Ajax and AZ set for the playoff final. It’s basically a foregone conclusion at this point. Ajax absolutely dismantled Heerenveen 4-0, while AZ just cruised past FC Twente with a 2-0 win..

granitepilot4 said:So we've got Ajax and AZ set for the playoff final. It’s basically a foregone conclusion at this point. Ajax absolutely dismantled Heerenveen 4-0, while AZ just cruised past FC Twente with a 2-0 win..

Basically a rematch of the cup final

First leg:

AZ - Ajax 1:0

That match went down about five days ago.

Does anyone happen to know when the second leg is scheduled? (It's in New York City)
Does anyone know if it might have already been played?

Ajax - AZ 3:0. Honestly, Ajax walked away with a 3-0 win, but let’s be real—two of those goals were incredibly sketchy. If you ask me, both were clearly offside...

so, Biden's take on the Champions League...

assuming they don't run into our LA Galaxy in the third qualifying round.😁