MLS Playoffs 2012: Conference Semifinals PBP [Multiple R]

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by Ismitje, Nov 2, 2012.

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  1. profiled

    profiled Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 7, 2000
    slightly north of a mile high
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Statistically obviously nothing, but given Houston's track record of performance (5 conference final games in their 7 seasons of existence), a whole lot.

    I'd say on paper LA is probably more of the team getting hot, but given their performances over the past 4 seasons, and their obviously talent, i'd probably remove the "decent-team" qualifier from them.
     
  2. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    First-to-five always makes me think fondly of watching Mauricio Cienfuegos play. Always a joy, but him taking over at the tail end of one of those final games plus AET is worth remembering. 2001 on the way to MLS Cup, against Chicago in the semis:



    (Unless you are a Chicago fan, then it probably isn't worth remembering any more than Martinez's goal from last night is for me. Damn! Thought of it again.)
     
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  3. edwardgr

    edwardgr Moderator
    Staff Member

    Mar 6, 2006
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Because they are Houston with all those previous shiny stars, and you were Colorado with a, with a, with a ..... You were the Rapids :p. Sorry best I could do.
     
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  4. ThreeApples

    ThreeApples Member+

    Jul 28, 1999
    Smurf Village
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    We just had 3 out of 4 series decided by the away team getting the big win in the 2nd leg, and now the problem is that away teams are supposedly not motivated to attack?
     
  5. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's what I thought. ;)

    BTW, in 2009 Salt Lake was 9 points behind the SS.
    Houston was 3 in 2007 and 9 in 2006
    LA was 19 in 2005
    DC was 7 in 2004
    SJ was 2 in 2003 and 8 in 2001
    Chicago was 12 in 1998
    DC was 12 in 1996

    So you can certainly claim that Colorado was a half-decent team getting hot at the right time, considering they had the second highest gap between themselves and the Shield winners, but I don't see how you can rule Houston out of that same category this year. Heck LA's 12 would tie for 3rd biggest gap.
     
  6. troutseth

    troutseth Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Houston, TX
    So I will let you go back over previous years and determine the final week situation . . . but it was interesting this year. Going into the final weekend . . Houston could have finished as high as third in the East - tied for third in the West. Depending on Goals could have been fifth out of ten as opposed to ninth out of ten. Obviously, two teams just ahead of them won and they played their reserves in CO but I wouldn't say it is "only" getting hot in the playoffs.
     
  7. Mateofelipe

    Mateofelipe Member+

    Mar 10, 2001
    Spokane, WA
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's a good point if it happens. One difference is that 2012 Houston finished with seven more points than 2010 Colorado did, and they probably would have finished better if the didn't have one of those weird road show starts because of a late stadium opening.
     
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  8. GreatGonzo

    GreatGonzo Member+

    Jul 1, 1999
    MA
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    2012 Houston Dynamo: 53 pts / 34 games = 1.56 PPG
    2010 Colorado Rapids: 46 pts / 30 games = 1.53 PPG

    Not a huge difference there.
     
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  9. yellowbismark

    yellowbismark Member+

    Nov 7, 2000
    San Diego, CA
    Club:
    Club Tijuana
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes, everything about this post yes.

    First to 5 was pretty awful, but First to 4 combines the best thing from that format and the best from the current format.
     
  10. Golazo

    Golazo Member+

    Apr 15, 1999
    Decatur, GA USA
    One of my responsibilities as a father is to teach Golazocito (u-8... left-footed defender... I'm just sayin') that goalies are freaks and weirdos. To wit:
     
  11. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm not going to do every year but I know the Rapids would have moved from the 7th seed and the Eastern bracket to the 6th seed and the Western bracket in 2010 if they hadn't fumbled away a 2-0 lead in the final minutes of their final game. They had only 2 losses in their last 10 games (and 3 draws) including beating SS winner LA in LA 3-1 on the next to last week of the season.
     
  12. troutseth

    troutseth Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Houston, TX
    yeah my point was doing point spread between SS and a particular team does not tell the story of "good." Rather, the grouping of all the playoff teams will tell that story.

    KC and SJ certainly pulled away from the middle of the pack and Vancouver was trailing. The other 7 teams were separated by 5 points over 34 games.
     
  13. ChrisSSBB

    ChrisSSBB Member+

    Jun 22, 2005
    DE
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My thoughts as well although I also know nothing of Roy Miller's ability to hit a FK. The situation set up well for a left footed kick and you have to figure the keeper was focussing 100% on Henry. In the end, looked dumb.
     
  14. MRschizoid21

    MRschizoid21 Member

    Nov 5, 2004
    Brooklyn, NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's amazing.
     
  15. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well looking at 2010 that way, LA had 59, Salt Lake had 56, the other 8 playoff teams were between 46 and 51. So 8 teams separated by 5 points over 30 games.
     
  16. RafaLarios

    RafaLarios Member+

    Oct 2, 2009
    Medellín
    Club:
    Atletico Nacional
    Nat'l Team:
    Colombia
    So what about the Ballouchy curse?... SJ & NY are both out :(
     
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  17. RapidStorm

    RapidStorm Member+

    Jan 30, 2005
    Denver, CO
    This is not completely uncharted territory for the Curse - after all, it took RSL 2 years to win the Cup after trading Ballouchy. So maybe next year NY wins the Cup. The Curse moves in mysterious ways.
     
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  18. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Not really. This league is built on parity.
    All you need to do is get into the playoffs, and then anything can happen.

    RSL and Seattle were separated by one point.
    NYRB and DCU were separated by one point.
    So those weren't upsets at all really.

    Houston and LA both started slow, but have played really well down the stretch.

    As we all know, the playoffs (regardless of sport) always reward the team that's playing the best at that particular time..................not the best team over the course of the season.
     
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  19. edwardgr

    edwardgr Moderator
    Staff Member

    Mar 6, 2006
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My 2001 Mariners are everlasting proof of that. If the WS had been played in April - August I am pretty sure they could have won any seven games series in 3 games, they were that flippin fantastic.
     
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  20. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    And not only that, it's not even a statistically valid measure of "best team at a particular time". But there is no way to get a reasonably statistically valid sample size in a reasonably short period of time, especially in a real sport like soccer, that you can't play every day. So it is what it is.

    For now, as a fan of a fallen top seed, I'm left with taking some consolation in Bruce Arena's own admission that the Quakes are "really the champions in the league". :)

    I think it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t just take a minute to just congratulate San Jose on their year. They’re really the champions in the league.

    http://www.lagalaxy.com/blog/beat/2...-jose-arena-affirms-galaxy-best-team-mls-july
     
  21. Totoro

    Totoro Member+

    Dec 3, 2009
    Colorado
    The 2001 Mariners were 20-7 in regular season games in Sept and Oct.

    I think sometimes in the playoffs crazy stuff just happens, even to teams that were playing well immediately before the playoffs.
     
  22. edwardgr

    edwardgr Moderator
    Staff Member

    Mar 6, 2006
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not that the whole world was not but the team was noticibly different following 9/11 (8-1 before, 12-6 thereafter). The joy that they played with was just gone. Not really making excuses just saying that despite the good September/October record there was a difference in the team, that is why I chose August. But enough of that back to MLS.
     
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  23. profiled

    profiled Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 7, 2000
    slightly north of a mile high
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    It half worked at least.
     
  24. lkgf09

    lkgf09 Member

    Jun 7, 2004
    Brooklyn
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    RSL traded him in 07 and then won in 09. So there is still hope. At least that's what I want to believe.
     
  25. Ganapper

    Ganapper Member

    Apr 5, 2009
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Highest seed should get to decide who hosts first. They gotta ask the question "Would we rather make them travel here and then travel again on short notice, or do we want home field for the 2nd leg?"

    I think one of the reasons the 2nd leg doesn't work out for the higher seeds is that they end up having more travel time than the lower seed.
     
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