Eleven games in, with 23 to go and we are sitting in 9th place, two points out of a playoff spot. We are averaging 1.0 PPG. The current trend is 41 (+3) pts for a playoff spot, our last result gives us 11 pts and a 1.0 PPG (-0.1). We need to average 1.3 PPG (+0.18) to get to 41. Next Three Games: - Three Wins - outstanding - Two wins - outstanding - One win, two ties - moving up - One win, one tie – keeping up - One win - losing ground - Three ties - losing ground http://www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/SanJose.html Chance of Playoffs: 16% (-6.1%) Wooden Spoon: 4.5% (+1.6%) à Colorado Rapids = 2 pts
This is true, but right now PPG is the measuring stick. We are second to last in our conference right now. https://www.mlssoccer.com/standings?sort=ppg We need to win a lot of games just to get into the conversation. I want to think that we’re on the right track, but I wouldn’t bet my car on it. I think we need to get to about 1.4 PPG to make the playoffs. It’s going to be a long haul. Go Quakes!! Go Quakesfans!! - Mark
Update. I was able to land a work-from-home contracting gig (my first ever!) so I have income but still no real "do nothing and listen to Audible books" time. So thank you for kind sentiment.
The thing about working from home is staying focused. Can’t let the dog or dirty dishes distract you. I might get a job driving a truck in the very near future! Ha!! I’ll let you know. Oh, and we’re still well out of the playoff hunt. We need a bunch more wins. Go Quakes!! Go Quakesfans!! - Mark
Get a new chair! You need to be comfortable and ergonomically safe! I’ve got a straightbacked wooden chair and a table for my desk and it fits just right! I can sit there and type for hours. Of course, I also like to sit in the comfy chair in the living room where the stereo is! Go Quakes!! Go Quakesfans!! GO WONDO!!! - Mark
Twelve games in, with 22 to go and we are sitting in 8th place, two points out of a playoff spot. We are averaging 1.17 (+0.17) PPG with the 7th place team at 1.33 The current trend is 46 (+5) pts for a playoff spot, our last result gives us 14 pts and a 1.17 PPG (+0.17). We need to average 1.45 PPG (+0.15) to get to 46. Next Three Games: - Three Wins - outstanding - Two wins - outstanding - One win, two ties - moving up - One win, one tie – losing up - One win - losing ground - Three ties - losing ground http://www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/SanJose.html Chance of Playoffs: 29% (+13%) Wooden Spoon: 1.9% (-2.66%) -- Colorado Rapids = 5 pts
Funny how lately I've been doing the math on making the playoffs. What a change. We have a brutal stretch of games coming up, with not a single game where we'll be favorites (maybe the odds makers will give us one on home-field advantage). If we win two of the next five, that would be good. If we go 2-2-2 in our next 6, I say we make the playoffs!
These guys say that we're at 28.9%, so almost 30% chance of making the playoffs. That's pretty decent. Way better than where we were last season. http://www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/SanJose.html Nevertheless, we are ... well wow! We're just below the cutoff line in eighth place. Of course, we're sitting on 1.17 PPG, and the next guys up (RSL) are at 1.33 PPG. Most years, the cutoff is about 1.4, maybe 1.44. We need to get to 48 or 49 points total. (Give or take.) We have 14 points, so we need 24 more, yeah? And we have 22 games to go. It's not insurmountable, but it will be tough. Still, this is an improvement over last season for sure. Go Quakes!! - Mark
Yes, thank you. I knew I was doing something wrong, just couldn't figure it out. (I was very tired when I wrote that.) Yeah, we need something like 1.54 or 1.6 PPG to make the playoffs. It's going to be tough. I think that we definitely need reinforcements. At least one more starting caliber CD and another backup forward. That's absolute minimum. If we're going to continue to play TT at right back (I still think this is a poor choice) then we need an actual #10. GO Quakes!! Go Quakesfans!! - Mark
If you throw out just the first three games (keep the LAFC loss, that is a loss no matter what) then we are 4-3-2, which is >1.5 ppg over the last nine games. We have a brutal stretch in front of us, so we aren't likely to keep 1.5 ppg over the next few games, but that means we'll have a lighter path later. It is possible! But I don't think it matters much. We aren't a top team at the moment, but we are a top-improvement team.
I should have said that we need to win at 1.54 or 1.6 PPG clip the rest of the way. I still think that 1.44 gets us in. It's going to be tough, and we probably won't make it. Still, we're doing much better than last year. We still need to sign some better players in the summer transfer window, and then we'll need to sign several better players in the off-season between 2020 and 2021. AND ... our record of futility will not be much improved by this season. Which pisses me off. It's just one more season thrown away. One more season of accepting that we won't be competitive. This is shit. Go Quakes!! - Mark
In half as many games played, we have exceeded our win total from last season (5 vs. 4). We now have a shiny road win to place on our mantle (gotta put something there, since there are no trophies). Starting this rash of hard games with a win is a good sign! But we have seven more games in a row versus good Western teams. Good news is that games versus MUFC, RSL, and Dallas are games versus the teams between us and the playoffs. If we win any two of those then I think we will be solidly in the playoffs.
Thirteen games in, with 21 to go and we are sitting in 8th place, one point out of a playoff spot. We are averaging 1.31 (+0.14) PPG with the 7th place team at 1.29 so we are trending above #7. The current trend is 44 (-2) pts for a playoff spot, our last result gives us 17 pts and a 1.31 PPG. We need to average 1.28 PPG (-0.17) to get to 44. Next Three Games: - Three Wins - outstanding - Two wins - outstanding - One win, two ties - moving up - One win, one tie – moving up - One win - losing ground - Three ties - losing ground http://www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/SanJose.html Chance of Playoffs: 33.5% (+4.5%) Wooden Spoon: 0.6% (-1.3%) -- Colorado Rapids = 8 pts
Arrrrrrrrgh!! We are in a playoff spot now. PPG is the only way to measure teams that have played different numbers of games. Look at it this way: https://www.mlssoccer.com/standings?sort=ppg We’re in the money! Of course, we have a stretch of tough games coming up, as @MtnGardener has pointed out. Still, doing way better than last season. Go Quakes!! - Mark
Though maybe I shouldn't have called DCU a "good Western team". We are in a playoff spot. We are playing well. We could easily have beaten Toronto 3-1, it could easily have been a draw, but I think the 2-1 win was a fair result. I am truly proud of where the Quakes are right now. MLS Power Rankings have them at 12th. I like the MLS Power Rankings because they do a good job of being power rankings rather than just "here are the standings with the teams adjusted by one or two spots for recent form". They are right that Portland is way better than their record (they are in 6th in the PR) and the Quakes are better than TFC and Dallas on recent form.
Fourteen games in, with 20 to go and we are sitting in 8th place on points, one point out of a playoff spot. We are in 7th place on PPG with 1.29 (-0.02) PPG with the 8th place team at 1.27 (RSL). The current trend is ~44 (0) pts for a playoff spot, our last result gives us 18 pts (+1). We need to average 1.3 PPG (+0.02) to get to 44. Last Three Games: 2W, 1T – 7 pts (2.33 PPG) - Outstanding Next Three Games: - Three Wins - outstanding - Two wins - outstanding - One win, two ties - moving up - One win, one tie – keeping up - One win - losing ground - Three ties - losing ground http://www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/SanJose.html Chance of Playoffs: 40.2% (+6.7%) Wooden Spoon: 0.8% (+0.2%) -- Cincinnati = 11 pts (0.73 PPG)
Oh, we’ve also won more games already than all of last season. ALL of last season. We’re doing better, but not great, I mean, were in the hunt for the last playoff spot, so not killing it. But that we are so much better than last season already shows just how shitty last season was. We suck less, but still not good. Go Quakes!! - Mark
We're currently 7th based on PPG, the last playoff spot means one game at the #2 team under the new playoff format: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/12/13/2019-mls-playoff-structure Anything can happen but that would probably not go well for us. Both Dallas and Minnesota can be caught if the Quakes keep playing well...