OK, so we won't win the East, but I want to talk CCL. Chicago 56 points +5GD Seattle 56 +19 Salt Lake 56 +11 If all 3 win, then we are not in a good spot for hand me down CCL spots. Obviously if the FIRE make the MLS Cup then there is no need for hand me down spots. But I am rooting for Vancouver @RSL this Saturday and LA Galaxy vs Seattle on Sunday just in case we get screwed by a ref and we do not make the Final. Because I can’t wait until Joe Public and Tauro FC come to Toyota Park
As much as I want to see the Fire in CCL, I don't think we have the depth for it (not many MLS teams do). Doesn't mean we can't go out and get some more talent though.
Not sure who we'd rather have in the first round of the playoffs, NY or DC (assuming of course that we finish in the top 3). NY is pretty cold right now, but I haven't been at all impressed by DC's late run . . . rather than getting hot at the right time, they're getting lucky at the right time. Same outcome, yes, but a run of good luck has no real bearing on upcoming games. Remember that the first tiebreaker is goals scored. We're only 1 behind RSL there, so we could potentially win by 3, they win by 1, and we finish above them in the standings. Not likely, so we want Seattle and RSL to lose or tie, but catching RSL is possible even if they win.
Despite our recent slide, its worth remembering we are 6-5-4 (W-L-D) against the teams in the playoffs, including 5-3-2 against teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs By comparison, Sporting is 8-3-5 including only 4-3-4 against the teams in the East. DC is 5-8-3 5-5-1 against the East NYRB is 5-6-6 4-5-3 against the East Houston is 7-6-4 4-4-4 against the East Only the Chicago-DC game could change these records. In a minileague table of East 1-5, it would be Team Points GP 1. FIRE 17 10 2. DCU 16 11 3. SKC 16 11 4. NY 16 12 5. HOU 16 12 So a win tonight, and Chicago can assert themselves as the best of the best of the East, despite what the overall numbers say.
OK, looking at things with a positive view. We probably do not have to worry about bad weather in November.
Screw everyone's lack of optimism. I'd be happy to bet any of you on the outcome Wednesday for as much as you want. We're going to be heavy favorites to win Wednesday.
I wish I'd bet you each of our last five games. The extra beer money would've come in handy for my tailgating.
What kind of response is that? If you're so confident, bet him now. He made no claim for the last few.
We're definitely the favorite given Houston's road record this year . . . I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I know it's pretty bad. A win would throw us into the middle of the ridiculously unpredictable eastern conference playoffs. The west seems much clearer to me (San Jose or LA . . . whichever wins their series once Vancouver is done with). In the east, I can see any of the four remaining teams after the play-in game (even if it's Houston, but I think they're unlikely to beat us in a 1-off game on the road) having a reasonable chance. Right now, I'd rank it KC, NY, Fire, DC, Houston in terms of probability of making the final. And since this is the optimism thread, I'll point out that we would host the final against Seattle, LA, or Vancouver.
A realistic one not blinded by stupid, uncritical homerism or phony "whistling past the graveyard" so-called "optimism". Oh come on, when have you seen him predict anything but great victories for us? This is the guy who tried to excuse our recent run of underwhleming performances by claiming that playing well consistently is not important in the play-offs. I'm hoping for a repeat of our 3-1 win from last month but if we're going to get it, we'll have to start playing a lot better than we have been lately.
From 3rd place over all and in the #1 spot for the CCL hand me down, to 6th overall, if only Flaco or Oduro score in the chance the had. Oh wll the past is the past, now we need a run to the MLS Cup Final.
I posted we'd lose the last game against NYRB. Silly me. I also think our team is going to do worse next year than this year. We're pretty old and we're looking at losing some guys. Which makes it all the more important to do well this year.