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One of the more distressing euphemisms of soccer is “the good result,” a win, but more often a tie on the road. A point is a point, whether it be a 3-3 or 0-0 game. In Major League Soccer, where two coaches have already lost their jobs this season and making the playoffs is crucial, caution is accepted as the best strategy, especially on the road.

With the M.L.S. season not yet at the midway point — its all-star game against Manchester United coming on July 27 — the 18 teams have combined for 20 scoreless draws, already a league record. The tally ticked over once more late Monday night when the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders played the latest barren 90 minutes.

The raw numbers are shocking: over all, there have been 64 draws in 158 league games (41 percent of all games) in 2011. In the entire 2010 season there were 58 ties in 240 games (24.1 percent); and in 2009 there were 69 draws in 225 games (30.7 percent), according to the league.



In Europe’s top five leagues this past season, deadlocks broke down like this: England, 29 percent; France, 34; Germany, 21; Italy, 26; and Spain 21, according to soccerstats.com.

But the raft of scoreless games in M.L.S. is of real concern in a league still striving for wider acceptance, both domestically and internationally.

Recently, before his Red Bulls team departed on a four-game road trip minus a handful of starters because of injury and international callups, Coach Hans Backe was candid in his expectations: four draws would be fine (well, 3 of 4 was close enough). Since late April, the Red Bulls have a ludicrous 2-2-8 record in league play, still good enough for second place. But take a look at the standings in the Eastern Conference and you will see that struggling Chicago, with a league-leading 12 draws and a league-low two wins, is only 9 points behind first-place Philadelphia. Parity becomes parody.

The Red Bulls and the Fire are the only two teams, at present, with double-digit draws. But other clubs are not far behind: Toronto and Los Angeles each have nine; four other teams have eight.

When it comes to scoreless games, fasten your seatbelts. Twenty of the 64 draws in league play — 31 percent of all draws (11.6 percent of all games) — have been bereft of goals. By comparison, in 2010 19 (the previous record) of the 58 draws were 0-0 games (7.7 percent of all games) and in 2009, 13 of 69 draws were 0-0 (5.8 percent of all games).

The frequency of 0-0 ties compared to the top five European leagues (for the entire 2010-11 season): M.L.S, 20 (one every 7.9 games); France, 44 (one every 8.6 games); Italy, 34 (one every 11.2 games); Spain, 27 (one every 14.1 games); England, 23 (one every 16.5 games); and Germany, 14 (one every 21.9 games).

Is there a remedy?

In recent years, M.L.S. has made great strides while stressing its “authenticity.” But could it be time to consider something different? Something that will explode the myth of the good result and encourage teams to go for goals with more purpose?

For soccer fans of a certain age, the point system in the North American Soccer League might provide a framework for M.L.S. to tweak the current points system. To encourage offense, the N.A.S.L. awarded 6 points for a win, 0 for a loss (there were no ties because of the league’s novel shootout scheme). It got interesting with bonus points: 1 additional point for each goal scored, up to a maximum of three. So winning a game with three goals scored yielded 9 points.

Or perhaps a modification: 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, 1 point for each goal scored up to 3; or leave the current scheme largely in tack but award no points for ties.

If the N.H.L. can massage its points system, why not M.L.S.? Do you think the overabundance of 0-0 ties in M.L.S. this season is because of coaching strategy or a lack of skilled players capable of scoring frequently?