The coaching change seems to have made a big difference. This will give them some hope for next year. A part of me is happy for them. The last time I looked at their board it was like looking into a hospice.
So far our new coach has done what he has had to do to keep his interim job. If he gets us into the playoffs with a first round bye I say we give him the job.
It looks like DC got robbed of a goal - appeared to cross the line before clearance - and the ref did not go to VAR. Portland still in it, down a goal.
EASTERN CONFERENCE 1. NYCFC- 57PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 1 HOME - 3 AWAY 9/22 @ FC Dallas 9/25 vs Atlanta United 9/29 @ New England 10/6 @ Philadelphia 2. PHI - 52PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 1 HOME - 3 AWAY 9/22 @ NYRB 9/25 @ San Jose 9/29 @ Columbus 10/6 vs NYCFC 3. ATL - 48PTS - 29GP - 5GR - 2 HOME - 3 AWAY 9/18 @ FC Cincinnati 9/21 vs San Jose 9/25 @ NYCFC 9/29 @ Montreal 10/6 vs New England 4. TFC - 45PTS - 31GP - 5GR(3MLS) - 1 HOME - 2 AWAY 9/18 @ Montreal (CC) 9/21 @ LAFC 9/25 vs Montreal (CC) 9/29 @ Chicago 10/6 vs Columbus 5. DCU- 45PTS - 31GP - 3GR - 2 HOME - 1 AWAY 9/22 vs Seattle 9/29 @ NYRB 10/6 vs FC Cincinnati 6. NYRB - 41PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 2 HOME - 2 AWAY 9/18 @ Portland 9/22 vs Philadelphia 9/29 vs DC United 10/6 @ Montreal 7. NER - 40PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 2 HOME - 2 AWAY 9/21 vs RSL 9/25 @ Portland 9/29 vs NYCFC 10/6 @ Atlanta 8. MTL - 37PTS - 31GP - 5GR(3MLS) - 2 HOME - 1 AWAY 9/18 vs Toronto (CC) 9/21 @ LA Galaxy 9/25 @ Toronto (CC) 9/29 vs Atlanta 10/6 vs NYRB 9. CHI - 37PTS - 31GP - 3GR - 1 HOME - 2 AWAY 9/21 @ FC Cincinnati 9/29 vs Toronto 10/6 @ Orlando 10. ORL - 36PTS - 31GP - 3GR - 1 HOME - 2 AWAY 9/21 @ Houston 9/29 @ FC Cincinnati 10/6 vs Chicago 11. CLB - 31PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 1 HOME - 3 AWAY 9/14 @ Atlanta 9/21 @ Vancouver 9/29 vs Philadelphia 10/6 @ Toronto WESTERN CONFERENCE 1. LAFC - 64PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 3 HOME - 1 AWAY 9/21 vs Toronto 9/25 vs Houston 9/29 @ Minnesota 10/6 vs cRapids 2. SEA - 49PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 2 HOME - 2 AWAY 9/18 vs FC Dallas 9/22 @ DC United 9/29 @ San Jose 10/6 vs Minnesota 3. MINN - 48PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 2 HOME - 2 AWAY 9/22 @ Portland 9/25 vs Sporting KC 9/29 vs LAFC 10/6 @ Seattle 4. RSL - 46PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 2 HOME - 2 AWAY 9/21 @ New England 9/25 vs LA Galaxy 9/29 vs Houston 10/6 @ Vancouver 5. LAG - 45PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 2 HOME - 2 AWAY 9/21 vs Montreal 9/25 @ RSL 9/29 vs Vancouver 10/6 @ Houston 6. SJE - 44PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 2 HOME - 2 AWAY 9/21 @ Atlanta 9/25 vs Philadelphia 9/29 vs Seattle 10/6 @ Portland 7. POR - 43PTS - 29GP - 5GR - 4 HOME - 1 AWAY 9/18 vs NYRB 9/22 vs Minnesota 9/25 vs New England 9/29 @ Sporting KC 10/6 vs San Jose 8. FCD - 43PTS - 30GP - 4GR - 2 HOME - 2 AWAY 9/18 @ Seattle 9/22 vs NYCFC 9/29 @ cRapids 10/6 vs Sporting KC
We will end up 3-5 in the West. I think the final 1-7 order will be: 1. LAFC 2. SS 3-5. RSL, PTFC, LAG 6. MU 7. FCD SJE misses out.
With their remaining schedule, NYC had to make a big run to have a chance to be the 1 seed in the East. They did just that. Their remaining schedule is rough, but with a 5 point cushion on Philly (who also has a hell of a schedule) and a 9 point gap on ATL (with a 6 point game in the Bronx next week) its hard to not see the 1 seed in the East being NYC. TFC is making a late run and look pretty convincing doing it. It is likely too little too late to crack the top 3, but you never know with the schedules the way they are for those four teams. DC's win in Portland was massive. It set them up to challenge TFC for a hosting spot. I don't think they have enough games to jump ATL, though. We are big DC fans again this week as they take on the Sounders. The rest of the East is a giant mess. NYRB's have a brutal schedule of playoff or playoff contending teams. Same with the Revs. Montreal has to juggle Canadian Championship congestion that will take a toll - not to mention they're already at 31 games played and need to find a way to make up space. While this could easily all change in a week, I think the way things are now is pretty close to how they'll end in the East. It's hard to see anyone below the red line right now jumping in. LAFC is like a car with their check engine light on just keeping it in 2nd gear to get to the finish line. I don't get them. They should be blowing the MLS record for points out of the water yet are stalling their way to the finish line. There is no reason they shouldn't get full points through the rest of the season, but who knows with them right now. Seattle retained the 2 spot for another week - I didn't think that was goign to be possible at the end of the season. They have two games this week to snag points so they might go 3 in a row at the spot, but I think they'll struggle in both games. Our lost to Minnesota hurt, now we are in a weird spot of needing them to pick up points, given who they play, but not to max out. If they drew the rest of their games it would be the best scenario for us. Our next two games will dictate where we finish in the table. That 9/25 against the Galaxy, especially, is one where things can go really good or really bad. Who knows. The Galaxy took SKC to the woodshed last night and showed just how dangerous that group is once they get momentum. I expect they'll win at least two, if not three of their last four games. Again, that 9/25 game is massive for both clubs. I expect San Jose to struggle the next two games and then we can hope they are fighting for life against the PNW teams to finish the season. Portland's home stand has been a curse to them in a lot of ways. Twellman made a very good point during the game yesterday how uncomfortable that group looks when they have to dictate a game. In a lot of ways, it suits them better to finish in spots 5-7 and go on the road where they can play their countering style. They are a team we need to avoid in the playoffs, for sure. We need Dallas to play for their lives this Wednesday in Seattle. Taking points there would be unexpected and clog up the playoff picture, but it would keep Seattle within touching distance. 15's sure to be wrong predictions for the end of the week: East: NYC (58) ATL (54) PHI (53), DC (48) TFC (45), NYRB (42) CHI (40) MTL (37) ORL (36) CLB (35). West: LAFC (69) SEA (50) POR (49) LAG (48) MINN (48) RSL (47) FCD (45) SJ (44)
Crazy two matches tonight, at the end of regular time both results favor RSL. Portland down 1-0 and Seattle and Dallas tied 0-0. But wait 8 minutes stoppage in Portland and 9 minutes stoppage in Seattle.
Also: Seattle central defense will be weakened on the road in DC with the Arreaga red card. And NYRB got a PK in stoppage, so won 2-0. Pretty good night for us tonight.
San Jose with a third straight loss, in which the coach and two players (Espinoza and Wondo) were sent off (Wondo from the bench). They have Philly next followed by Seattle and Portland to end the season.
Yeah, I think this spells doom for SJE's playoff chances. OR, at least, this makes RSL's and Minnesota's chances of making the playoffs quite certain (Seattle's @50pts with 3 games left, so I'm going to just say they have clinched).
I still can't fathom why MLS hasn't adopted this. In other news, looking more and more clear that RSL will make playoffs. However, my guess is that its somewhere in spots 5-7. Thanks to FCD's traditional poor Sept/Oct performance, and PTFC's recent home swoon, I'm hoping its at least 6. Not hosting a home playoff game is a pretty quick way to get out of the playoffs with this new playoff format. Hope not, but that's my guess of what we'll see over the next month or so. Decent chance RSL beats Hou and Van, but LAG will be a huge challenge. Unless something unexpected occurs, I'm suspecting this will go down as another very mediocre year - with a mediocre season, a mediocre squad, and a below average foundation to the team. Without a significant change, this will likely be the foreseeable future of this club. Sincerely hope I'm wrong, but pretty sure I won't be.