I made this thread in past seasons to track where we are in points in a couple of different perspectives. First, the perspective of a "fair" result given the flow of the game. For example: If RSL is obviously dominating a game but doesn't take their chances and draws, that would be -2 in the field. This also takes into account officiating decisions and the like that impact a game in a disproportionate way. Second is a pure tracking of how RSL is performing at home vs on the road. This tracks under the assumption that every home game should be 3 points and every road game is an expected loss. If you pull that off in a season you should make the playoffs fairly comfortably at 51 points. So, here goes: Game 1: RSL at HOU Flow of Game Tracker: 0 (0 Total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: +1 (+1 Total 2019) Recap - RSL got a draw at Houston that was a fair result in the flow of the game
Game 2: RSL v VAN Result: 1-0 Win Flow of Game Tracker: +2 (+2 Total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: 0 (+1 Total 2019) Recap - RSL got the benefit of a questionable pk call to get the only goal in the game. Otherwise, this looked a deserved draw.
Fair enough Game 2: RSL v VAN Result: 1-0 Win Flow of Game Tracker: 0 (0 Total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: 0 (+1 Total 2019) Recap - RSL got the benefit of a questionable pk call but was the better team in the game and deserved the full 3 points.
Game 3: RSL at DCU Result: 5-0 Loss Flow of Game Tracker: 0 (+2 Total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: 0 (+1 Total 2019) Recap - Got the shit kicked out of us by a better side on the road. Move along
Game 4: RSL at LAFC Result: 2-1 Loss Flow of the Game Tracker: -1 (-1 Total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: 0 (+1 Total 2019) Recap: Despite the stat sheet, RSL deserved a point in this one and had it yanked from them in the dying moments. Game 5: RSL v FCD Result: 4-2 Loss Flow of the Game Tracker: 0 (-1 total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: -3 (-2 Total 2019) Recap: Got bossed on our home field in less than a minute and it never looked really close after that Game 6: RSL at SEA Result: 1-0 Loss Flow of the Game Tracker: -1 (-2 Total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: 0 (-2 Total 2019) Recap: A nervy first half turned into a second half of promise from the side that should have resulted in a 1-1 draw if not for the post
Game 7: RSL vs ORL Result: 2-1 Win Flow of the Game Tracker: +2 (0 Total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: 0 (-2 Total 2019) Recap: Orlando played essentially down 3 players for a lot of the game by sitting Dwyer, Nani, and Rosell. They only subbed in two of those players and deserved more than one goal, IMO. I say we stole 2 points here because we were not dominant and our first goal was comical in how we got it. Also, the more I look at the stats in this one, the more sad I get.
Nail on head. After watching what happened after Dom and Nani were subbed in I think that RSL definitely stole points here. I'm even more confident that RSL will do what they seem obliged to do next week and that is lose to expansion teams.
8 games in is still pretty early in the season, but we're starting to get a glimpse about who some teams across the league really are. 10 points (3-4-1) after 8 games is not a great start, but there are some signs that are positive. First of all, the 4 losses came with an overall 12-3 goal count, but 7 of those goals came after RSL picked up a red card. Second, those 4 losses came against 4 of the top 5 teams in the league (as of this moment). RSL's 3 wins (Orl, Van, Cincy) are far from impressive. Orlando is a middle of the pack club, and Vancouver and Cincy have clearly earned their positions in the bottom 3rd of the standings. So RSL does not yet have what would be considered a quality win. However, the 1-1 draw to open the season was against a club that now appears to be very strong. Finally, although it was against a sub-par defensive squad, in Cincinnati RSL started to show the ability to combine in the attack in ways that have been tantalizingly inconsistent over the last couple of years. If this squad can do that on a more regular basis, they will have a shot to be among the top tier teams in the league over the remainder of this season. However, that is a very big "if". To me, that is what this season hinges on. Without that, I think we're seeing a team that is a solid club that will likely hover near the playoff cutoff line similar to the last few seasons.
Game 8: RSL at FCC Result: 3-0 Win Flow of the Game Tracker: 0 (0 Total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: +3 (+1 Total 2019) Recap: Utter domination by RSL in this one. Always the better side and took the full 3 points deservedly so. That was different but a welcome surprise.
Game 9: RSL at LAG Result: 1-2 Loss Flow of the Game Tracker: 0 (0 Total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: 0 (+1 Total 2019) Recap: I had a hard time with the flow of the game tracker in this one. In a sense, RSL put in a pretty good performance and maybe deserved a point for their work. However, LA took their chances and, for some decent stretches of the game, simply were the better side. It's a loss but not one that felt too much in favor of LA.
Game 10: RSL v POR Result: 1-2 Loss Flow of the Game Tracker: 0 (0 Total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: -3 (-2 Total 2019) Recap: Portland was more lethal with their chances and looked, in my opinion, like the better side. This one was tight, but I think the result was fair. Game 11: RSL @ cRp Result: 3-2 Win Flow of the Game Tracker: 0 (0 Total 2019) Home/Away Tracker: +3 (+1 Total 2019) Recap: cRapids are bad. We're slightly less bad
A penalty given upon VAR review. A red card changed to yellow after going to VAR. And a goal called back following VAR confirmation. And ALL three go in RSL's favor?! That feels like 3 points stolen on the road by the Claret and Cobalt.
VAR's purpose is not to affect the flow of the game but to make sure the call is right. Using it as an argument for why a team should/nt have gotten points is faulty. If anything, it helps to alleviate that problem.
Game 12: RSL v TFC Result: 3-0 Win Flow of the Game Tracker: 0 (0 Total for 2019) Home/Away Tracker: 0 (+1 Total for 2019) Recap: Dominated for a majority of the game and won handily Game 13: RSL v ATL Result: 2-1 Win Flow of the Game Tracker: 0 (0 Total for 2019) Home/Away Tracker: 0 (+1 Total for 2019) Recap: Won on pretty much the last kick of the game, but would have felt hard done had we not got all 3 points, IMO. Game 14: RSL at MTL Result: 1-2 Loss Flow of the Game Tracker: 0 (0 Total for 2019) Home/Away Tracker: 0 (+1 Total for 2019) Recap: Lesser side in the game and the final scoreline showed it. Still had a chance to steal a point, but couldn't pull it off. Game 15: RSL at NYRB Result: 0-4 Loss Flow of the Game Tracker: 0 (0 Total for 2019) Home/Away Tracker: 0 (+1 Total for 2019) Recap: Woof