Playoff Possibilities This Year [R]?

[SoccerEsq]

New York Times headline this weekend: MetroStars Could Slide Out of Playoffs


With six games remaining, the MetroStars have a 6-point lead for the last playoff spot.

Three of the games are against D.C. United, one of the teams the MetroStars will have to edge for a spot in the playoffs. Two of the games against United are at Giants Stadium, where the MetroStars are 3-7-2, the worst home record in the league.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/18/sports/soccer/18SOCC.html (registration needed, but it's free)

[andylovesoccer]

Nice to see that the hometown paper is standing behind their team. Even nicer to see the Donkeys home field record is only just a little bit better than our road record.

[shawn12011]

Here are the standings after yesterday:

Playoff Table

Team GP W L T Pts GF GA

SJ 22 12 7 3 39 36 22
CHI 23 10 9 4 34 38 29
DAL 22 10 5 7 37 34 29
LA 22 11 8 3 36 35 30
CLB 24 10 10 4 34 38 37
COL 23 10 10 3 33 33 41
KC 24 8 8 8 32 32 39
MET 22 9 11 2 29 36 37
DC 22 6 11 5 23 21 29
NE 22 7 14 1 22 36 46


* of note Columbus, Colorado and KC have played more games than NY/NJ, DC and NE so seeds 5,6,7 are not out of reach

[ursula]

It just all depends on what we do.

We do well- meaning we get at least 7 points from the metros (2W's & 1T) and we are in. We do really well and we catch KC for the 7th seed. (We have 2 games in hand as compared to the Wizards and of their four games I can well imagine them getting only three points the rest of the way, maybe less.) Colorado will be really really hard to catch though if they play like that did on saturday vs the Gals everyone but NE will catch them.


But we have to keep scoring goals. We have to start getting wins. No letup.

[Topo]

I thought this thread was talking about DC United playoff possibilities.

I was going to request that the mods remove it to a more appropriate forum as it seemed somewhat off topic.

Since it's about NYNJ playoff possibilities, I guess it is soccer-related, rather than fantasy.

[shawn12011]

Originally posted by Topo
I thought this thread was talking about DC United playoff possibilities.

I was going to request that the mods remove it to a more appropriate forum as it seemed somewhat off topic.

Since it's about NYNJ playoff possibilities, I guess it is soccer-related, rather than fantasy.

"Always with the negative waves Morarity, always the negative waves................."

[bofahey]

Originally posted by ursula
We do well- meaning we get at least 7 points from the metros (2W's & 1T) and we are in.

Most likely, if we get 7 points from the Mutts, we are in; if we do not, we are out.

Aside from the three games between the two teams, these are remaining schedules for both teams:

DC: SJ, @NE, Dal
NJ: @LA, @Dal, @NE

If we only get one win and two draws against NY/NJ (or two wins and a loss), we would need to make up four points on them out of these three games, which might be tough.

(By the way, is goal differential the first tie-breaker, or does head-to-head play count? I'm assuming goal differential to be the tie-breaker in my analysis... otherwise we would only need to make up three points.)

[shawn12011]

Originally posted by bofahey


Most likely, if we get 7 points from the Mutts, we are in; if we do not, we are out.

Aside from the three games between the two teams, these are remaining schedules for both teams:

DC: SJ, @NE, Dal
NJ: @LA, @Dal, @NE

If we only get one win and two draws against NY/NJ (or two wins and a loss), we would need to make up four points on them out of these three games, which might be tough.

(By the way, is goal differential the first tie-breaker, or does head-to-head play count? I'm assuming goal differential to be the tie-breaker in my analysis... otherwise we would only need to make up three points.)

In MLS it is probably stadium size or the weighted lottery, which always goes in favor of NY/NJ. :mad:

[ursula]

Originally posted by bofahey

(By the way, is goal differential the first tie-breaker, or does head-to-head play count? I'm assuming goal differential to be the tie-breaker in my analysis... otherwise we would only need to make up three points.)


Head to head is the first tie breaker. Goal differential is second. This seems to be to our advantage as if we beat the team we need to beat than our job gets much easier. There is a nice weekly thread by Hala Madrid to get updates:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8476

[79United]

IMHO, if DC can play like they did against SJ for the remainder of the season, they will squeeze in by the finest of margins.

TS>

[Begbie]

Barra Brava supports United on its late and risky run towards the playoffs. Just beat the Metros that's all we ask.

[Lanky134]

4 of our remaining 6 games are against the two teams whose records sandwich ours. Of a possible 18 points, I'm guessing we'll need to take 12 of those, 10 if we wind up taking all 9 against the Rotmasters. 12 points will give us 35 on the year, and, even if the Rots win their other 3 games (home to Dallas, away to LA and NE - dropping points against the Western teams is likely), then we qualify on head-to-head.

The New England game will be the key. Momentum going into the home-and-home series against the Scum will be much needed, not to mention it will allow us to drop points against Dallas.

If we beat SJ next week, everything looks rosier...

Dave

[shawn12011]

Jeff Bradley breaks it down even more here:


http://www.mlsnet.com/content/02/spot0816bradley.html

[ursula]

...And Jeff Bradley makes the mistake of saying United plays away to the Burn on the last game. Small point but if this thing comes down to the end I'd much rather the Burn visit RFK.

[shawn12011]

As they are. In a rare Thursday night game.