To cap this off it would be really nice if SKC beats or ties RSL today. Our playoff chances based on outcome: SKC win: 29.9% SKC draw: 26.3% SKC loss: 15.2%
Jonathan's action map (green are completed passes, blue are interceptions and red are incomplete passes or lost dribbles): Now Seb's (purple is a clearance): As a point of reference here is Kitchen's last home game (vs LAFC): And finally returning to last night's game here is what VAN faced with JDS and Lletget combined:
Don’t tell the players but the RSL tie also means we are now favorites to make playoffs if we win 2 out of next 3: Record, Prob Playoffs 3-0-0 100% 2-1-0 87% 2-0-1 68%
I don't know. We only go through with 2 wins if RSL goes 1-1-1. That would put us both on 50 points and 14 wins, so unless we get blown out in our one loss, we would have the second tie-breaker (goal differential). But banking on RSL going 1-1-1 is a big IF..... On the other hand, if RSL wins both games vs. Portland, that means Portland can only finish with a maximum of 51 points, and we'd probably have the tie-breaker if we finish 2-0-1. So I think we need 2 wins and 1 tie. And believe it or not, because RSL and Portland have to share 6 of their remaining points, we actually go through no matter what if we win the 3 remaining games. If Portland wins both games: Portland MP - 57 RSL MP - 49 If Portland wins one and ties one: Portland MP - 55 RSL MP - 50 If both games are ties: Portland MP - 53 RSL MP - 51 If RSL wins one and ties one: Portland MP - 52 RSL MP - 53 If RSL wins both games: Portland MP - 51 RSL MP - 55 So if we can win out (a BIG IF), 53 gets us in. 50 or 51 requires things to go our way. The odds are still against us. The one good thing we have going for us is RSL doesn't play the final weekend - so we will know before we play that final home game vs. Houston if we have a chance, and what we will need.
I’m pretty sure your post and mine are saying exactly that same thing. Your posts gives the possible point totals, mine gives the ~probility of them happening.
I am back from my vacation and we managed to win 2 games without me watching. I really want to watch again, but I feel like we will lose if I do...
Will Ibra play on Minnesota's crappy field turf (the game after this weekend's)? That might be the key to the post season for us.
I think he will travel for sure. Will he start or sub in? That might depend on how we do in SKC and how other games go.... But they said that when we needed to get results that he would play on turf... and that time is now. Of course, he is on yellow peril so he needs to get through the SKC game without a booking or else it is decided for us...
I'm no physicist, but I feel like if you watch the game tape delayed then you won't impact the outcome of the game. ... Unless somehow the soccer gods know that you are going to watch, and therefore the outcome of the game is predetermined. Hmm. But if it is predetermined, then the soccer gods already know what you are going to do, so what you do doesn't matter. I feel like there may be something to this free will vs. determinism debate. I'm sure a couple of hundred big soccer posts and we will have it all figured out.
So as for this weekend's game, what do we do with the Rolf suspension? This has been the Galaxy's big problem the last two years, what to do when the starting RB (Rogers/Rolf) is injured/suspended? We've never come up with a decent answer. Things we've tried that we shouldn't do again: a) switch to a 3-5-2 b) play Romney or Steres as a right back and break up the pairing in the center c) play Ciani or Svevlik To me the only option is to start Shannon Williams as the right back this week. We signed him for a reason right? I'd rather he play there and we leave everything else unchanged. What does everyone else think?
I wonder if Skjelvik can play RB. Possibly Skjelvik will come in for Steres, who will be moved to RB. I think under Sigi, this would be the move, but with Dom, not sure.
I'd rather they keep the Romney/Steres pairing and hope that Sheanon Williams is healthy enough to play RB. If not, then maybe put Sjkeljvik out wide. But switching to a 3-man back line seems imprudent.
Does anyone know if Williams is okay to play? He didn't even make the bench last week, but this is exacly what he was brought in for - a league vet who could step in on short notice to play on the road in a crucial game. So my first option would be playing Williams. If, and this is desperation if, we have to play Skeljvikkj, I'd put him at right back and keep the rest of the backline intact to create the fewest disruptions possible.
Wasn't fullback Skjelvik's first position as a pro? Transfermarkt has LB as a secondary position. Has Cole played RB for us at all?
damn, i didn't even notice that Williams failed to make the bench last game. I hate the right back position the last two seasons...
No Cole at right back. Part of the reason our defense has been better is that Cole hasn't had to play much defense. But rb is definitely a conundrum. Assuming Williams isn't healthy enough to start Dom probably moves Romney to rb and pairs Steres and Skjiouk in the middle. Cole on the left as usual. I guess I should appreciate Rolf more. Yes he gets beaten regularly but his return allowed the Steres-Romney cb pairing which has been such a success for us recently.
I think that goes the defensive coach handbook. You don't mess with your CB pairing. You are right to leave Cole on the left. That makes three players unchanged. You put someone, anyone at RB, preferably a defender, so that only choice may be jSkelvick.
I hope you had a nice time. Now please go back to wherever you were until Christmas. Alternatively, 11 of we BigSoccer Galaxy regulars should stand equally-spaced around the StubHub Center, wearing our opponents uniform. We know from recent experiments that the laws of physics will prevent Ciani, Kitchen and Skjarwarsepisodenine from coming within a mile of us and therefore the venue.