2019 Power Rankings

Probably both.

 

While we haven't faced any top teams yet, almost all of our matches have been against (what are currently, in the above power-ranking) top-half teams. It hasn't (and won't) help the Revs that most of the teams struggling the most, other than us (!), are in the west.

So far, we've played teams currently ranked: 7, 8, 9, 9, 12, 13 and 14 (and I think Atlanta is ranked too low, but that's another discussion).

Of course, when you can't win (or even tie!) home games against hardly anybody ...

 

There’s a chicken and egg problem too. How many of those teams are ranked high because they beat us? When you’re a league punching bag, you do make everyone you play look better.

 

True. Especially in the case of Columbus!

 

Anyone know whether there is any "strength of opponent" taken into account in these rankings?

(Sorry if this is me being lazy and not reading something that's easily available.)

If there was, then the other teams shouldn't get too much of a bump in any given week for beating the Revs, due to the Revs generally weak results so far.

 

There are some data-derived power rankings (I think that was the original idea), but I think most of the MLS rankings are just subjective.

 

That is a very charitable reading of last week’s result.

 

Alicia, please. There's no such word as grinded. What journalism school is responsible for this?

I think that's exactly what it was: we played solid defense, giving up very few good chances, won the possession battle, created a few chances, cashed in one. I'd call that grinding out a win.

The rest of her comment was all about if.

 

Wail, in the area I grew up in, they call a big, long sam-a-widge with cold cuts a "grinder" so maybe she got confused. I won't ask her if she wants a hamburg or a cheesburg, though...

 

Another Power Rankings article: https://mlsmultiplex.com/2019/04/23/mls-week-8-power-rankings-early-season-easter-eggs/

#17
The New England Revolution held on for the 1-0 win versus the New York Red Bulls. In the battle for an apathy trophy that few in the northeast care to fight over, New England found a way to bag three points. Brad Freidel was a big name hired based on his playing days. He is still arguing with refs like a player and has spent most of his time of tyranny shedding attacking talent. Playing musical chairs with his keepers has kept the intra-team competitions tense. That could breed the type of hard culture that grinds out 1-0 wins, or it could deplete what’s left of the club’s (fans and players) morale while only occasionally earning a point or three.

 

BAM!!!

 

Tough but unfortunately quite accurate.

 

Not your quote, but from the Power Rankings article. The italics shows an analysis that is very misleading (lazy??): The two teams that are 5 points ahead of us in the last playoff spots both have TWO games in hand. AND the two teams 3 and 4 points ahead of us have a game in hand.