Official Every MLS Match Except DCU vs Burn PRE Match / Playoff Race Thread

[Knave]

I thought this thread would be a good idea.

And I had a question ...

What has to happen for the MetroStars not to make the playoffs?

Watch out for the flaming trolls

[Cweedchop]

Originally posted by Knave

What has to happen for the MetroStars not to make the playoffs?



A United win, a Revs win and a Chicago loss...


Anything less than this scenario seals their fate..

[Knave]

Team W L T Pts GF GA @
--------------------------------------------
Los Angeles 15 9 3 48 43 33 SJ
San Jose 14 10 3 45 45 34 LA
Colorado 13 11 3 42 42 47 KC
Dallas 11 9 7 40 40 40 DC
Columbus 11 11 5 38 43 41 CH
New England 11 14 2 35 46 49 NJ
MetroStars 11 14 2 35 41 44 NE
Kansas City 9 10 8 35 36 44 CO
--------------------------------------------
Chicago 10 13 4 34 41 37 CB
D.C. United 9 13 5 32 28 36 DA


Is that right?

If so I don't understand the Chicago loss. Obviously the Metros must lose and remain at 35 points so why isn't it detrimental to them if Chicago wins and goes up to 37 points?

[Bambule GK]

There are 2 excellent threads tracking the background for the final weekend:

Halamadrid's Standings table:
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=13876

and El Jefe's Playoff situation:
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=13695

NY @ NE
C'bus @ CHI
KC @ COL
DAL @ DC


I don't have all the tie-breaks. If someone has them (they are listed in Hala's thread), that would be helpful.

Intriguing to me is the motivation of each our potential knock-out teams' opponent.

Clearly, NE will go all out against NY... There's no scenario that has them clinching without at least a draw, and no one likes to play for that (US vs. Costa Rica anyone?)

Columbus. Hmmm. Heated rivalry. They playing for #2 seed, which is pretty important. Chicago hasn't been that great at home... But this is for all the bat guano.

Colorado. Tough call. These guys are pretty much set. The only thing they need to ensure is first round homefield, which they can do with a tie (given some scenarios). I dunno. They ARE at home, which is definitely a bonus -- hopefully they don't mail this one in...

Dallas. See, I think this is where we have it good. This is a team still reeling from a period that saw them play 4 games in 10 days (or something like that). They are basically playing for the #4 seed... yawn. To me, this is a team trying not to get hurt and play themselves back into form for the playoff run.

[morenolsen]

I don't think that El Jefe knows head to head is the first tiebreaker.

[Jeff]

Any KC points, a NE win, and any Chicago points is a scenario knocking the Metros out.

Rapids/Wizards effect on DC's playoff chances: unique. Colorado and Dallas will meet in the first round, the only question is where. A DCU win Thursday clinches fourth for the Rapids. My personal opinion is that even in this scenario, the Rapids will not mail it in on Friday (last reg. season home match, pride, KC a bit of a rival). However, a friendly, respectful warning to you all: They are the most schtizophrenic team in MLS. Until Sat. there was a two month or so pattern of excellent match followed by atrocious match. Two good ones in a row, I hope for a third. Other than one time vs. LA, the Raps have been fairly solid at home all season.

That being said, Vamos United on Thursday for many reasons.

[ElJefe]

Originally posted by morenolsen
I don't think that El Jefe knows head to head is the first tiebreaker.
Actually, I do.

I even know that goal differential is the second tiebreaker, and that total goals scored is the third.

[Bambule GK]

Originally posted by ElJefe

Actually, I do.

I even know that goal differential is the second tiebreaker, and that total goals scored is the third.

D,

I was wondering if you'd see that post. :D

Seriously, for what it's worth, any scuttle-bootay on how the Burn are taking this game? I just don't see the motivation for them to come up here go and balls-out.


Then again, a loose team versus a team playing for everything... tough call.

[ElJefe]

Originally posted by Bambule GK
Seriously, for what it's worth, any scuttle-bootay on how the Burn are taking this game? I just don't see the motivation for them to come up here go and balls-out.
If they don't win, they don't get home-field advantage in the first round.

There's their motivation.

[ursula]

Taking a step back, kudos to the MLS poo-bahs for having various home-and-home series at the end of the season.

[entropy]

My head hurts after reading this. I'm going to bed now.

http://www.dcunited.com/index.cfm?section=main&cont_id=129629

[Bambule GK]

Originally posted by ElJefe

If they don't win, they don't get home-field advantage in the first round.

There's their motivation.

Hmmm... Good motivation then. Thanks... My head was spinning trying to look at all the permutations, but it's pretty simple in the end.

[Bambule GK]

Originally posted by entropy
My head hurts after reading this. I'm going to bed now.

http://www.dcunited.com/index.cfm?section=main&cont_id=129629

Ya know what, that's actually VERY helpful. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out how we advanced in a 3-way tie with KC-NY-DC... Apparently it's the best points-per-game average among those tied... which means we beat both KC and NY.

Clears that up... I was putting my faith in El Jefe, which is a precarious mental position upon which to rest.

:D

[ursula]

Just to boost this back to the top, Richard Mulrooney's ankle break deals a huge blow to the e-Quakes 1) winning the supporter's shield and 2) winning MLS Cup. Couldn't have come at a worse time. I figure that when we played them in SJ, Yallop's moving Mulrooney out of d-mid to right back allowed us to have as much dominance in midfield as we did thus allowing us to get what looks like a possibly huge one point tie; a point that still no other team has been able to get in Spartan. The door is open for LA, though, of course, they will fold somewhere in the playoffs as per usual.

[Knave]

I just saw that MLS changed the card carry over rules. Here are the old regulations.

Card Carry-Overs

Suspensions for red card and yellow cards for regular season games will carry over to playoff games. However, point accumulations from yellow cards begin anew in the playoffs. Players accumulating 11 points during the playoffs shall be suspended one game and fined (for specific information regarding yellow and red card carry-overs, please read the exceprt from the MLS Operations Manual). Any suspension for a red card or an accumulation of points during playoff games that would otherwise be served after the team's last league season game will carry over to the first game of the next league season
http://www.mlsnet.com/about/regulations/

Here are the new ones.
Slightly different disciplinary rules also kick in upon the start of the MLS Cup Playoffs on Wednesday, Sept. 25. Any suspensions for yellow card points earned in a player's last regular season game will not carry over into the Playoffs or into the 2003 season. However, all red card suspension will carry over into the postseason.
http://www.mlsnet.com/content/02/weekly0917.html

I'm not sure if I like this change. Perhaps it will open things up for players in the last match of the season so they don't hold back for fear of missing a playoff game but, of course, that's not always a good thing.

[John_Harkes_6]

Good news (for DcU) - An MRI taken yesterday confirmed a subluxation (partial dislocation) to Fire forward Ante Razov's right shoulder. Razov is listed as day-to-day.