On a points-per game basis, the current playoff matchups are: So Dallas could possibly have the chance to not only knock out our H-town rivals in the first round, but could then face Chicago in a game to determine who plays MLS Cup? Holy shit. How epic would that be? Up the Hoops.
Here is a nice rhetorical question. Given that both players arrived about the same time, and both of their teams were way out of the playoff race when they got here. Which set of fans are happier with their DP? LA or Chicago? If you didn't see the goal Blanco scored yesterday, you missed something special.
Both goals he's scored for them have been spectacular. It sickens me how good his goals have been...and how people will point to his arrival rather than that of their new coach.
Unfair to compare a healthy player to an injured one. Reverse the situations and the outcomes would be very different.
There is a greater than zero chance that Chicago makes the playoffs as the 8 seed and would be placed in the West. But who knows how the other three positions would fall out - it could be any of the three Western teams in the 1, 2 or 3 spots. Dallas plays more teams with better records, has a lot of home games. Chivas has more home games. Houston has more teams with worse records.
FYP. I know not what course others may take, but I would prefer that FCD avoids another first round playoff loss, and that is what a matchup with Houston would entail. FCD has yet to prove that they can get a postive result at the Houston city dump. Houston, out of three games at PHP, has taken two points. That bodes ill for the Hoops. They key is to put off Houston until the Conferance Final. One game, for the MLS Cup, at Frisco. I still give Houston the edge, but beating Houston in a two game sereis is statring to look metaphysically impossible. Dead but dreaming, Scipio Diabolus, vox fatum. Contra. I am under her spell.
I'm not getting the same brackets you are, Bill. On a points per game basis, I get: East #1 DC vs #8 Chicago #3 NE vs #6 NY West #2 Chivas vs #7 KC #4 Dallas vs #5 Houston
Because it is based on conferences. Only the bottom seed(s) switch conferences, if necessary. So if you have FCD, Houston and Chivas in the West and NE, DC, KC, NY and Chicago from the East, the bottom team of the East would be the bottom seed in the West.
Not so sure that you're correct. Here're the relevant rules from mlsnet.com: http://ww2.mlsnet.com/about/league.jsp?section=regulations&content=playoffs So based on that info, it looks as though its based on conferences only for the top 2 teams in each conference.
Yeah well MLS changed the rules again. From http://web.mlsnet.com/standings/: -------------- PLAYOFFS DETAILS Playoff berths will be determined by points in the standings upon the completion of the regular season on Oct. 21; all 13 teams will have played 30 games. If two teams are tied on points, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head results, the second tiebreaker is goal differential, and the third is goals scored for the season. (Subsequent tiebreakers are available in the Fact and Record Book). The top two teams in each conference qualify and are seeded 1 & 2 in their respective four-team playoff conference brackets. The four MLS teams with the next most points, regardless of conference, receive “wildcard” berths. • The four wildcard teams will be seeded according to conference first. • If more than four teams qualify from one conference, those finishing lower than fourth in their conference will shift over to the other conference bracket. • A team switching conference brackets will be seeded below all other teams in its new conference playoff bracket. NOTE: The seeding procedure described above is correct. ------------- The East's 5th seed (8th overall) would move over to the West. And as you can see on the page, they added the bold red emphasis, not me.
Thanks for the clarification. One would think MLS would have an accurate description of their rules at their own website. But I guess that's a bit too much to ask for.