2010 W-League Countdown to the Playoffs

After a few long months, we've reached the business end of the season with just a few weeks left before the playoffs. In general, most of the playoff teams look to have been decided, but the seedings are far from certain. Complicating matters is the regular season champion race, with a handful of teams still racing for that bye into the semi-finals.

Regular Season Champion Standings:

Ottawa - 90.5
Washington - 90.5
Hudson Valley - 87.5
Buffalo - 81.0
Vancouver - 81.0
Atlanta - 79.2
New Jersey Wildcats- 76.2
Chicago - 74.1

With every team having dropped points, the first tiebreaker comes down to % of points earned, thanks to the unbalanced schedule. Ottawa and Washington are currently tied at the top. No clue what happens if the teams finish tied by that criteria.

Note: In the following, the first number is current points, the second number in brackets is the possible maximum points if that team wins all their remaining matches.

Central Conference

Great Lakes Division

19(34) - Ottawa (R)
13(31) - Laval (1)
12(27) - Toronto (2)
11(23) - Quebec City (3)
-
3(18) - Hamilton
1(19) - Rochester

Unsurprisingly, Ottawa is running away with the division and look good bets to win the regular season title as well. That could be problematic as this appalling division somehow gets three playoff spots as is, and an Ottawa regular season crown would mean the fourth placed team gets in as well. The race behind the Fury is wide open, with Laval best positioned at the moment.

Midwest Division

20(29) - Chicago (1)
17(32) - Buffalo (2)
-
7(22) - Kalamazoo
5(14) - London [ELIMINATED UNLESS BUFFALO/CHICAGO WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
4(22) - Cleveland

This division's pretty much done and dusted unless Chicago or Buffalo can make up serious ground and win the regular season title. Buffalo hosts Chicago on July 10 to likely decide the division and possibly avoid Ottawa in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

19(25) - Atlanta (1)
11(20) - Charlotte (2)
-
10(19) - Tampa Bay
8(14) - Hampton Roads
3(12) - Northern Virginia

Atlanta just needs one point in their final two games against Charlotte to win the division title. Charlotte carries a slim lead over Tampa for the final playoff spot, but those two matches against Atlanta could curtail their playoff hopes.

Northeast Division

21(33) - Hudson Valley (1)
19(34) - Washington (2)
-
16(31) - New Jersey Wildcats
15(24) - Long Island
12(18) - New Jersey Rangers [ELIMINATED UNLESS HV/WSH WIN REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
3(15) - New York [ELIMINATED]
0(12) - North Jersey [ELIMINATED]

Hudson Valley and Washington are both in the running for the regular season title but both also have to face a deceptively strong New Jersey Wildcats team that is still in with a chance to pip one to a playoff spot. It'd be a shame if one of the trio don't make it in and four teams from Great Lakes Division do.

Western Conference

17(26) - Vancouver (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
9(24) - Colorado Rush (2)
-
9(15) - Pali
8(14) - Seattle
7(16) - Colorado Force
1(16) - Santa Clarita

The Whitecaps are the first team of twelve to clinch a spot in the W-League playoffs, although they'll need a little help to grab the regular season title. The Colorado Rush control their own destiny. Seven points in their final five matches will see them qualify for the playoffs.

I wouldn't call it the tiebreaker - that's how the standings are determined among teams in different divisions since they play a different number of games.

The USL rules for this and other matters are here. Once you remove the tiebreakers that can't apply to teams that neither play each other nor have common opponents, it seems to boil down to the following:

Ottawa is currently two ahead of Washington on goal differential, but they've also played one more match. In any case, unless one or the other doesn't win out, that's what it will probably come down to.

Thanks for doing the summary. It will be interesting to see how it plays out, in particular the regular season championship as well as the battle for the second playoff spot in the Western Conference.

W-League press release:

W-League Enters Final Stretch
Playoff Contenders Begin to Emerge

(I think the OP did a better job on the whole. Somehow this article manages to avoid any mention of the Freedom Futures, who after tonight's 3-0 win are tied with the Ottawa Fury for first place on points percentage and ahead of them by one in goal differential.)

Updated Through 07/02/10

Regular Season Champion Standings:

Washington - 91.6
Ottawa - 90.5
Hudson Valley - 87.5
Buffalo - 81.0
Vancouver - 81.0
Atlanta - 79.2
Chicago - 76.6
New Jersey - 76.2

Central Conference

Great Lakes Division

19(34) - Ottawa (1)
16(31) - Laval (2)
15(27) - Toronto (3)
-
11(23) - Quebec City
3(15) - Hamilton
1(16) - Rochester

Midwest Division

23(29) - Chicago (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
17(32) - Buffalo (2)
-
10(22) - Kalamazoo
5(11) - London [ELIMINATED UNLESS CHI/BUF WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
4(19) - Cleveland

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

19(25) - Atlanta (1)
11(20) - Charlotte (2)
-
10(19) - Tampa Bay
8(14) - Hampton Roads
3(12) - Northern Virginia

Northeast Division

22(34) - Washington (R)
21(33) - Hudson Valley (1)
16(31) - New Jersey Wildcats (2)
-
15(24) - Long Island
12(15) - New Jersey Rangers [ELIMINATED]
3(15) - New York [ELIMINATED]
0(12) - North Jersey [ELIMINATED]

Western Conference

17(26) - Vancouver (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
9(24) - Colorado Rush (2)
-
9(15) - Pali
8(14) - Seattle
7(16) - Colorado Force
1(16) - Santa Clarita

Ottawa loses to Toronto, crippling their regular season title hopes. Still waiting for the Freedom Futures-NY Magic score to update the full standings.

What a wild weekend. The New York Magic stun the Freedom Futures off a pair of goals from W-League Golden Boot contender Rashidah Sherman to throw things into disarray.

Updated Through 07/04/10

Regular Season Champion Standings:

Hudson Valley - 87.5
Washington - 81.5
Buffalo - 81.0
Atlanta - 79.2
Ottawa - 79.2
Chicago - 76.6
New Jersey - 76.2
Vancouver - 75.0

Central Conference

Great Lakes Division

19(31) - Ottawa (1)
18(27) - Toronto (2)
16(28) - Laval (3)
-
14(23) - Quebec City
3(15) - Hamilton [ELIMINATED UNLESS OTT WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
1(16) - Rochester

Midwest Division

23(29) - Chicago (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
17(32) - Buffalo (2)
-
10(22) - Kalamazoo
7(19) - Cleveland
5(8) - London [ELIMINATED]

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

19(25) - Atlanta (1)
14(20) - Charlotte (2)
-
10(19) - Tampa Bay
8(14) - Hampton Roads
3(9) - Northern Virginia [ELIMINATED]

Northeast Division

22(31) - Washington (1)
21(33) - Hudson Valley (R)
16(31) - New Jersey Wildcats (2)
-
15(24) - Long Island
12(15) - New Jersey Rangers [ELIMINATED]
6(15) - New York [ELIMINATED]
0(12) - North Jersey [ELIMINATED]

Note: Washington is ahead on points right now, but Hudson Valley has the highest % of points earned, meaning they are the regular season leaders at the moment.

Western Conference

18(24) - Vancouver (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
10(22) - Colorado Rush (2)
-
9(15) - Pali
8(14) - Seattle
7(13) - Colorado Force
4(16) - Santa Clarita

Mini-Update with the Pali-Santa Clarita Result:

Western Conference

18(24) - Vancouver (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
10(22) - Colorado Rush (2)
-
9(12) - Pali
8(14) - Seattle
7(13) - Colorado Force
7(16) - Santa Clarita

Colorado Rush is missing Huster and Foxhoven to the U.S. U-23s and Pali is missing Fowlkes and Press.

Another mini-update through 07/07/10

Regular Season Champion Standings

Hudson Valley - 88.8
Washington - 81.5
Buffalo - 81.0
Atlanta - 79.2
Ottawa - 79.2
Chicago - 76.6
Vancouver - 75.0

Great Lakes Division

19(31) - Ottawa (1)
18(27) - Toronto (2)
16(28) - Laval (3)
-
14(23) - Quebec City
4(16) - Rochester
3(12) - Hamilton [ELIMINATED]

Northeast Division

24(33) - Hudson Valley (R)
22(31) - Washington (1)
16(28) - New Jersey Wildcats (2)
-
15(24) - Long Island
12(15) - New Jersey Rangers [ELIMINATED]
6(15) - New York [ELIMINATED]
0(12) - North Jersey [ELIMINATED]

sub!

Big matchup on Saturday at the Soccerplex: Futures can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the New Jersey Wildcats, while they're at risk of missing the playoffs entirely with a loss.

Mini-Update Through 07/08/10

Regular Season Standings

Hudson Valley - 88.8
Washington - 81.5
Buffalo - 81.0
Atlanta - 79.2
Ottawa - 79.2
Vancouver - 77.7
Chicago - 76.6

Northeast Division

24(33) - Hudson Valley (R)
22(31) - Washington (1)
19(28) - New Jersey Wildcats (2)
-
15(24) - Long Island
12(15) - New Jersey Rangers [ELIMINATED]
6(15) - New York [ELIMINATED]
0(9) - North Jersey [ELIMINATED]

Western Conference

21(24) - Vancouver (1) [CLINCHED DIVISION TITLE]
11(20) - Colorado Rush (2)
-
9(12) - Pali
8(14) - Seattle
8(11) - Colorado Force
7(13) - Santa Clarita

Mini-Update Through 07/09/10

Regular Season Standings

Hudson Valley - 88.8
Buffalo - 83.3
Washington - 81.5
Atlanta - 79.2
Ottawa - 79.2
Vancouver - 77.7
Chicago - 76.6

Great Lakes Division

21(27) - Toronto (1)
19(31) - Ottawa (2)
16(25) - Laval (3)
-
14(23) - Quebec City
4(16) - Rochester
3(12) - Hamilton [ELIMINATED]

Midwest Division

23(29) - Chicago (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
20(32) - Buffalo (2) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
-
10(19) - Kalamazoo [ELIMINATED UNLESS CHI/BUF WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
7(19) - Cleveland [ELIMINATED UNLESS CHI/BUF WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
5(8) - London [ELIMINATED]

07/11/10 Update

One week left, seven of twelve playoff teams have been determined.

Regular Season Standings

Hudson Valley - 90.0
Buffalo - 85.2
Washington - 84.8
Vancouver - 77.7
Ottawa - 76.6

Central Conference

Great Lakes Division

23(29) - Ottawa (1)
21(24) - Toronto (2)
17(23) - Laval (3)
-
17(23) - Quebec City
4(16) - Rochester [ELIMINATED]
3(9) - Hamilton [ELIMINATED]

Midwest Division

26 - Chicago (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
23(32) - Buffalo (2) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
-
13(19) - Kalamazoo [ELIMINATED UNLESS BUF WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
7(19) - Cleveland [ELIMINATED UNLESS BUF WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
5 - London [ELIMINATED]

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

19(22) - Atlanta (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
17(20) - Charlotte (2) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
-
13(16) - Tampa Bay [ELIMINATED]
8(11) - Hampton Roads [ELIMINATED]
6(9) - Northern Virginia [ELIMINATED]

Northeast Division

28(31) - Washington (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
27(33) - Hudson Valley (R) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
19(25) - New Jersey Wildcats (2) [ELIMINATED UNLESS HUD/WSH WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
-
18(24) - Long Island [ELIMINATED UNLESS HUD/WSH WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
12 - New Jersey Rangers [ELIMINATED]
6(12) - New York [ELIMINATED]
0(9) - North Jersey [ELIMINATED]

Western Conference

21(24) - Vancouver (1) [CLINCHED DIVISION TITLE]
11(20) - Colorado Rush (2)
-
11(14) - Seattle
9(12) - Pali
8(11) - Colorado Force
7(10) - Santa Clarita [ELIMINATED]

Okay, the Colorado Rush can beat the Seattle Sounders and the Pali Blues and split with the conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps, but they can't get past their in-state rivals, the Colorado Force, who drew them in their first match and beat them last night.

The Western Conference standings, as a result, are a delightful muddle. Every team except Vancouver has two wins. The Rush have an advantage because they still have two matches left, while the Force are done, and everyone else has just one game to go. A win in either of their last two matches, and the Rush are in. They play the last-place Santa Clarita Blue Heat on Thursday night, which is a game they really need to win to avoid having to beat or draw a frustrated Pali Blues team on their turf on Saturday.

The Blues, meanwhile, can finish anywhere between second and last. So they're not out of the playoffs just yet, though they need the 2-1-5 Rush to stumble against the 2-6-1 Blue Heat to keep the opportunity open.

Another update from the W-League:

W-League Teams Vie For Top Spot

Which means that they are basically eliminated. Cleveland plays Buffalo twice. Two Cleve wins would tie them with Kalamazoo (and Cleve-K'zoo play in the last match of the season), but the two Cleve wins would mean that Buffalo would not finish first overall.

K'zoo holds the tie-breaker over Cleveland, with two wins head-to-head, with one to play. So for Cleve to overtake K'zoo, they need at least four points versus Buffalo, which would eliminate Buff from first overall.

Now, interestingly, the K'zoo LOSS to Buffalo yesterday, means that they are still in the playoff hunt. If K'zoo had won, or tied, then Bufallo probably would not get first, so K'zoo would be out. With the loss, K'zoo remains in the hunt.

Well, if we're going to nitpick about teams with almost no chance, I think the Colorado Force should have the notation "[ELIMINATED UNLESS VAN WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]". Since the Rush (11 points) and the Blues (9 points) play each other, one team will finish with at least 12 points, while the Force can't get more than 11 and therefore can't finish any higher than third.

(It wouldn't surprise me if there were several other quirks like these based on exactly who's playing whom in the final few matches, but I don't think any of them are going to play into the final standings.)

Update Through July 12

Regular Season Standings

Hudson Valley - 90.0
Buffalo - 86.6
Washington - 84.8
Vancouver - 77.7
Ottawa - 76.6

Midwest Division

26(32) - Buffalo (1) [CLINCHED DIVISION TITLE]
26 - Chicago (2) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
-
13(16) - Kalamazoo [ELIMINATED UNLESS R]
7(19) - Cleveland [ELIMINATED UNLESS R]
5 - London [ELIMINATED]

Western Conference

21(24) - Vancouver (1) [CLINCHED DIVISION TITLE]
11(17) - Colorado Rush (2)
-
11(14) - Seattle
11 - Colorado Force
9(12) - Pali
7(10) - Santa Clarita [ELIMINATED]

Update Through July 14

Regular Season Standings

Hudson Valley - 90.0
Buffalo - 87.8
Washington - 84.8
Vancouver - 77.7

Great Lakes Division

24(27) - Ottawa (1) [CLINCHED DIVISION TITLE]
21(24) - Toronto (2)
18(21) - Laval (3)
-
17(23) - Quebec City
7(16) - Rochester [ELIMINATED]
3(6) - Hamilton [ELIMINATED]

Midwest Division

29(32) - Buffalo (1) [CLINCHED DIVISION TITLE]
26 - Chicago (2) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
-
13(16) - Kalamazoo [ELIMINATED UNLESS BUF WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
7(16) - Cleveland [ELIMINATED UNLESS BUF WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
5 - London [ELIMINATED]

Northeast Division

30(33) - Hudson Valley (R) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
28(31) - Washington (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
21(24) - Long Island (2) [ELIMINATED UNLESS HV/WSH WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
-
19(22) - New Jersey Wildcats [ELIMINATED UNLESS HV/WSH WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
12 - New Jersey Rangers [ELIMINATED]
6(12) - New York [ELIMINATED]
0(6) - North Jersey [ELIMINATED]

The Colorado Rush faced three relatively weak teams needing either one win or three draws to clinch a playoff spot, but all they got were a loss and two draws. As a result, they'll play the Pali Blues tomorrow needing a win to clinch a playoff spot or a draw to stay in the running.

From the Pali side, the Blues have to win to stay in the playoff hunt. Neither team has much practice winning lately: the Rush haven't won since downing the Sounders on July 1, five matches ago. The Blues won their first two matches, the latter on June 10, but have no wins since then.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Sounders play the conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps needing a draw or a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

So far as I can tell, the possibilities are as follows:

Rush defeat Blues - Rush are in the playoffs.
Sounders defeat Whitecaps, Rush tie/lose to Blues - Sounders in playoffs.
Rush tie Blues, Sounders don't win - Rush in playoffs.
Blues win, Sounders don't - Blues in playoffs with three wins to the others' two.

How's this for a bizarre playoff scenario in the Northeast Division?

30(33) - Hudson Valley (R) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
28(31) - Washington (1) [CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT]
21(24) - Long Island (2) [ELIMINATED UNLESS HV/WSH WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]
-
19(22) - New Jersey Wildcats [ELIMINATED UNLESS HV/WSH WINS REGULAR SEASON TITLE]

Hudson Valley plays Long Island in their final regular season game. However, in all likelihood, the only way Long Island makes it into the playoffs is if they lose to Hudson Valley, thereby opening up a third playoff spot for that division with HV winning the regular season title. If Hudson Valley drops points, they'll likely be beaten to the regular season crown by Buffalo, meaning no third playoff spot for the Northeast division. So essentially, Long Island needs to lose to Hudson Valley and hope New Jersey doesn't beat the New York Magic.

That is funny. Win and you are out. lose and you may get in! lol!

Happy to report that my beloved Silverbacks finally ended the Curse of Ozimek and beat Charlotte on their own turf to win the division. It'll be interesting to see who winds up hosting, as the USL has liked Atlanta in the past, even if opposing teams haven't enjoyed baking in the heat on carpet.

Unbelievable. Pali beats Rush 4-0 and Seattle draws with Vancouver, meaning Pali SHOULD make the playoffs in a three-way tiebreaker on league wins. Crazy.