We discuss the highs of the European title races and the excitement of teams trying to avoid the drop. Despite the incredible excitement across all of the leagues in Europe, American journalists want to change the way the leagues are structured to Americanize the leagues to the detriment of the fans.

We also address US-based journalists who want American soccer to stick with the playoff system even though it makes the regular season rather meaningless. Is that the American way? We don’t think so. We believe that the American way is to be innovative and to make things better, not to stagnate with a system that doesn’t work.

Chris and Kartik also debate how entertaining (or not) this Premier League season was.

Last but not least, we debate what the American way is when determining a champion. We look at examples from baseball, college football, and the NFL. What is the main reason why MLS insists on having playoffs to declare a champion? We answer that question.

Playoffs in American soccer: Why they don’t work

Launched in 2006, the World Soccer Talk Podcast is the longest-running podcast on the planet. Every week, we share the latest news about watching soccer on television and streaming, in addition to discussing what we like and dislike and featuring your questions and feedback in our Listener Mailbag segment. Christopher Harris and Kartik Krishnaiyer host the show.

Send in your questions, comments, and feedback via e-mail to web@worldsoccertalk.com, via Twitter (@worldsoccertalk), or via Facebook. We’ll read them out on-air in the next episode. Or call our voicemail line and leave a message at 561-247-4625.

Courtesy of World Soccer Talk, download a complimentary copy of The Ultimate Soccer TV And Streaming Guide, which details where to watch all of the leagues from around the world on US TV & streaming.

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Photo: IMAGO.
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