'There's not really any say from any of us' - Nashville SC defender Dan Lovitz rips new MLS playoff format, saying league is focused on 'making money'

• Lovitz and Nashville clinch playoff spot
• Says players have no input on postseason format
• Makes point that league is focused on 'making money'

WHAT HAPPENED? After Nashville's 1-0 stoppage time loss to the New York Red Bulls Saturday, defender Dan Lovtiz spoke to media postgame about the new MLS playoff format. The 32-year-old is not thrilled with the amount of games the league is having playoff teams play, and argued that their focus is not on them, but making a financial gain.

WHAT THEY SAID: "The league gets to make up their mind, and there's not really any say from any of us or anyone really other than themselves in wanting to make money on the format. So that's their prerogative. And so be it," Lovitz said postgame. "It'll be interesting. We look at it as a challenge. Even if we were hosting the first round for the two games. It's an interesting test to have to play a game three times over in a short period of time against the same opponent. That's not really something MLS is seen in the past. So it's a new challenge, something that we're looking forward to I think the dynamic stays relatively the same with trying to win every game, especially in the postseason. Strategically, who knows how that actually plays out? I think we have to take it one game at a time, one at a time. I know that's where our heads are at."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: 2023 sees MLS debut this new playoff format, and it's just adding to the congestion of matches for players if we are being honest. The first round is a Best-of-3 format, and there are also Wildcard play-in matches, too. Hypothetically, if a Wildcard team were to make MLS Cup, there's a chance they would have had to play six matches to get there - which is more than we have ever seen in the league before.

Lovitz's claim about players having no say in the format could gain momentum over the next month, as players returning from the most recent international break were thrust into a Decision Day match just three-days after making it back to their respective club.

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WHAT NEXT FOR LOVITZ? The Nashville fullback and his team are set to play a best-of-3 series against Orlando City to start the playoffs, with Round One beginning on Monday, October 30