Home Field Advantage Just Isn't For MLS

Again I'm still loving how the English can freak out even when their team wins a game they're supposed to. They won in Chelsea of 2004/5 style with Frank Lampard scoring on a penalty in the 24th minute. Sure one call different and England tied the talent challenged Austria (matching them with neighbors Germany in that regard) for the second time in qualifying but they qualified.

But there was something good that came out of all of the commotion - another look at Peter Crouch (the world's favorite "baby giraffe") in action. And, of course, the flood of "he's got great touch for a big man" (though not in this match apparently). The Guardian decided they were sick of hearing that statement and searched the rest of the news for alternate phrasology.

My favorite comes from Michael Owen:

"He's fantastic on the ground but he's obviously really tall."

That man's got a future in sportscasting. Sign him up right now. :)

And while we're at it, perhaps he has an inside track on the seeding formula since apparently no one knows.

There were a lot of other international games this weekend but I did such a good job of ignoring the run-up and not giving my usual pithy predictions that I may as well continue the streak. Especially since I really don't want to mention the United States result.

Pulling all of those players out of MLS for nothing.

Though the good news is that with all of the outs is it sorted out the Eastern Conference playoff picture nearly perfectly. With New England missing key players they could only tie Kansas City but that was just enough to clinch the east. D.C. United, maybe missing players I couldn't tell, however lost to MetroStars meaning that they come in second as the Fire (with an experimental lineup) lost and come in third.

The only question now is 4th place with Kansas City and MetroStars tied.

But here's what I don't understand. So, apparently in contrast to both the rest of the footcer world and sports in the United States in general, the home pitch advantage means you start on the road in a two-legged playoff. Which is great for the Fire and all but I still don't get it.

With the Fire missing the playoffs the last two seasons, I hadn't noticed that. But what is MLS thinking making the reward for a better season record having to stress out about winning at home in the second leg if you lost on the road in the first?

In the end it's just another reason to wonder if MLS has lost their minds. But, hey the Fire are doing better than Fulham so I won't really gripe that much.