There's pretty much no scenario in which my wife will let me skip out on trick-or-treating with the kids short of an immediate family member being on their deathbed. If we host a knockout round playoff game, I hope we don't get stuck with the 31st because I won't be able to make it. I hope someone from the front office is reading this and passes it along the league office. It was an idiotic idea to schedule games that night (so probably Garber's idea), especially for teams that have trouble with attendance...it's not like we're Atlanta or Seattle. If we're on the road, at least I can catch most of it on the TV when we get back from trick-or-treating.
Really hoping we don't get the 31st, either. I've got 2 kids for trick or treating, and we host my parents every year because it's my Dad's birthday.
The good news is we are in the playoffs... the bad news is we can still finish anywhere between 3 and 6 Scenarios: 3rd Place Union Win, Crew Win, DC loss = HOST DCU Union Win, Crew Loss or Tie, DC Win or Tie = HOST CREW Union Win, Crew Loss, Impact Win = HOST IMPACT 4th Place Union Tie, DC Loss, Crew Loss = HOST DCU Union Tie, DC Loss, Crew Win = HOST CREW 5th Place Union Tie, DC Win = TRAVEL TO DCU Union Lose, DC Tie, Columbus Loss or Tie = TRAVEL TO DCU Union Lose, DC Loss, Columbus Win = TRAVEL TO CREW 6th Place Union Lose, DC Win or Tie, Columbus Win = TRAVEL TO NYC
Not sure I like all the scenarios with us playing DCU. We usually play well against them, but no one wants to be victim #1 of the team hitting the post season as the "hot hand."
Today's game aside, we are also one of the hottest teams in the league right now. I wouldn't want to face us in the playoffs either if I was another team. I'd also rather see Cbus or NYC than DC in the first round, but DC probably feels the same way about us. That's something I never thought I would post about the Union in late October!
No matter how hot they ever are, they fall apart in big games. (Open Cup Finals, Playoffs, end of season when still alive)
No matter how hot they ever are, they fall apart when they play teams that counterattack well or are better than them (Open Cup Finals, Playoffs, end of season when still alive)
It's almost like playing a predictable playstyle can be picked apart by good managers in important games.
Which is why, oddly enough, I feel like we match up better against Atlanta than some of the other teams.
Red Bulls play them same style, Atlanta plays the same style, Houston plays the same style, SKC plays the same way............they aren't getting out coached. Good teams dictate play in games. SKC doesn't worry about what the other team is doing, they go about their business and play the same way on the road as they do at home. Same with Atlanta (who btw, struggles against counter attacking teams....). Houston plays bunker and counter, all the time. You can have the best game plan in the world, and make amazing in game adjustments..........and sometimes all of that still doesn't matter because it's just not your day (USOC Final this year). Hell, the Union outplayed both Seattle and SKC in the other Open Cup Finals. One they lost in PK's, the other they lost b/c Seattle brought Dempsey and Martins OFF the bench, while the Union brought Pedro Ribiero........... The Union didn't get out coached yesterday that's for sure. They got Unkeled. Also, NY has a great defense. Let's not act like NY put the Union's defense under a lot of pressure yesterday.
I just get mad at all the articles that pop up whenever the Union start playing well for a month and claim the Union are for real/underrated/don't get enough hype or credit. Or when Twellman interviews Curtin and asks him why he isn't getting enought credit for building the Union this season (like he did on his ESPN+ show). The Union aren't 'proven' because they literally have never proven themselves. When they win when it matters, they prove it and deserve all the hype they will receive. In an era when people rip kids for receiving participation trophies, they sure love handing one out to the Union. Good job for being competent for the first time! Oh wow you almost one this time! I'm being overly harsh, but I'll be angsty (LInkin Park-style) until they win something that matters. This is just coming from a broken fan, not an actual critique on the team's play-style or set-up.
At what point can any season be considered a success if the team does not win a championship? 22 of the 23 teams in MLS will lose their final "meaningful" game of the season this year.
In the case of the Union, I would say winning their 1st playoff match would take a lot of heat off of them. If they don't, they will have had another mid-table finish (overall), another 1st round exit, and another USOC Finals loss. To me that signals that this season was no more/less special than the previous ones.
If the Union win their first playoff match and get blown out by NY or ATL in both games of the next round, still successful?
As Negadelphian as I can be, I would still consider it a successful season if they win the first match. It's an easily identifiable step forward.
Exceed expectations. Everyone thinks the Eastern final will be Atlanta-Red Bulls. Any team that displaces one of them will have done well. DC have done well to pull themselves into the playoffs from where they were.
Like others have said, winning one playoff game would be a good symbolic moment. Honestly I just want to end the year strongly for once. Whether it's losing a competitive playoff game and finding form and making a run, I don't think a strong finish once in nine years is too much to ask.
As others have said it would be progress if the team could win a playoff game. How about finishing 2nd or 3rd in the East? While I'm aware we did it in 2011 the fact remains that the Eastern Conference was pretty much a dumpster fire with the WORST playoff team in 2011 (Colorado) would have tied for 2nd in the East with 49 points. I would consider it a success if the Union didn't follow the same formula every. Single. Season. Start out shitty. Get hot at the middle part of the season. Crash and burn in the latter stages and either miss the playoffs or just barely limp in. I feel like the Union throw everything into the Open Cup (which I'm not complaining about) but when they fail to win it pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the season.
The real kicker here is if TFC hadn’t shit the bed this season we would have missed the playoffs all together.