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23 OCTOBER Sung to the tune of the song in The Wizard of Oz after Dorothy's house lands on the wicked witch:
Ding-dong, the shootout's dead!
Which shootout?
The CrapShootout!
Ding-dong, the CrapShootout is dead!
Details from the recent meeting of the A-League Executive Committee (which includes Sounders co-owner Neil Farnsworth) are reported in a Michael Lewis column. In addition to unanimously voting out the CrapShootout, the committee decided:
2-match playoff series! If the teams split the two matches, most total goals wins. If tied in goals, the higher seed advances. Seattle Pitch is very pleased!
Six teams from each of the two conferences will qualify for the playoffs, down from eight this season.
The standard 3-1-0 point system will still not be used (Seattle Pitch recommends the 3-1-0). No mention was made of the fate of the Bogus Point for three goals (we hope it goes away, as it unnecessarily complicates the tables).
If tied after 90 minutes, a pair of 10-minute extra-time periods will be played, with the golden-goal rule in effect.
The column has a great quote from A-League Commissioner Francisco Marcos: "It's pure soccer, no gimmicks. We'll see if the purists are right. If they are, great. If not, we'll go back to American gimmicks." Kudos to the A-League for banning the CrapShootout before MLS did!