Now that we've clinched the playoffs...

By now, I've come around to agree with this - Primary focus is the SS, and do as well as possible in the CS through the Chivas Round

Speaking of them, what are the substitution limitation in the CS games - I'm assuming its only 3 - In the SuperLiga games it was 4 subs, but that might have been to help the coaches in preseason and/or middle of summer

 

Gang, I posted this on the LAG forum some time ago--when you're a bad team than you pick your best shot b/c you figure that the combination of the gods being against you and your lack of talent mean you only have so many good plays in your collective bodies so you have to use them wisely. Thus, LAG's decision to go for the gusto in the SuperLiga came back to bite them. They didn't win (though they overachieved against Pachuca) and that effort helped crash out their season (Becks never got healthy and that contributed to his vulnerability to a knee injury, their players were tried and overextended for regular season play). As a result, LAG can say that they won the SuperLiga semis match and um....that's it for achievements this season.

But we are not the LAG. We made one "pick your best shot" move and that was to send our reserves to Harrisburg for the USOC match. And frankly, that's a good developmental decision anyway--give your youth and reserves a road match that matters and assess them playing as a unit, not bringing in a LeRoux to play as a sub with starters he rarely plays with. Good teams don't say "we're going to concede the League title and just play for the FA Cup this year" or "I know we qualified for Europe but frankly we're just going to go for our league cup and blowoff the Champions League."

I'm not foolish enough to argue our guys don't get hurt or don't get tired. But if we were paranoid about being injury, we'd bench Perkins and Emilio until the playoffs started.

I want homefield advantage in the playoffs. Put it this way: I want our boys to play 4 playoff matches with 3 of them at RFK. In that scenario I like our odds. How do we achieve that? First, we win the East. And that doesn't happen if we half-step against a group of teams (Chicago, KC, Columbus we play 4 times in our last 5 games) who will be in the playoff hunt and taking those matches seriously. Second, we go into the playoffs on a roll. Winning our last couple of matches would be nice. Running the table would be even better. I'd like chivas to be in a situation where with 2-3 matches to go, they ease up on the gas b/c they can't win the SS and they've won the Western #1 seed.

Yeah, it will be tough. Yep, our schedule is congested. But that's why it makes these achievements so meaningful. If we can get results with this situation, it will mean alot.

 

troof.

 

This is a great point. If we can wrap up the SS with about 2 games to go, that gives us two league games where our main guys can take off and rest for the playoffs.

 

But I want to be picky.

I want LA to have the worst possible season from here on out and let DC earn their way to the SS. I don't think either team is likely to win all the remaining games. I say let the best team win it. DC is in control of their destiny here.

 

So long as we don't lose a single point from here on out. No losses, no draws. Otherwise, we rely on Chivas (and possibly other teams) to drop points too.

 

Exactly. As long as Chivas keeps pace, there's no margin for error.

 

To me, any game that brings DC A: more respect, and B: one step closer to another trophy, is worth it.

Do we even have any banners for the '98 CCC or InterAmerican Cup?

 

Not a single one.

I would venture this is because the team views MLS (playoff) Championship is the most important goal of each season.

To which, I completely agree.

Everything else is icing on the cake, and should be treated as such. Obviously, attempt to win all competitions, but risk no one in the process.

See: Jaime Moreno and his lingering thigh injury...

 

That's exactly my point. They have to want it and earn it. They are in control. Chivas only earned 1 point on one of their games they had in hand so that puts DC squarely in the drivers seat.

 

we are leading in the race for supporter's shield. to not go ahead and go for it would be a poor decision. and it seems our team thinks this way too. good.

sudamericana is an appealing tournament. go for that too. we are playing well, strike when the iron is hot. if we win the SS and get past chivas then it is, in my little opinion, the playoffs and MLS cup which are the icing.

 

So, the MLS Cup shouldn't be the #1 goal of DCU?

 

It should be the # 1 goal 6 weeks from now.

Our short term goal has to be that home game against Chivas coming up. That has to be a priority. If we tie or win, then all our focus should go to the away trip. Sandwiched in between we have a TFC game which should be a guaranteed 3 points.

The only thing that stands between us and Chivas is an away game in Chicago this weekend. I think we've done a good job positioning ourselves for the SS, and we can afford to sacrifice 2 points on the road if necessary.

 

:::::::: Debating if I should repeat an old football cliche....ESPECIALLY in MLS where there is ABSOLUTELY no such thing as a guaranteed 3 points.....nah....never mind..

We did get our ass whipped by both RSL and the Galaxy this year, right? :::::::::::::::

 

I don't care that much about the Supporter's Shield. I care more than anything about winning MLS Cup at home. The best way to get a good start on that is to have home field advantage for the playoffs. So I really care more about staying ahead of New England than staying ahead of Chivas USA or Houston. We could win the Supporters Shield as a byproduct of playing well in the stretch run to prepare for the playoffs.

Personally, I'd rather eliminate Chivas de Guadalajara in Copa Sudamericana (THAT would earn us some rep throughout this hemisphere) and not win the Supporter's Shield than the other way around. But winning MLS Cup has to be #1 and winning the Supporter's Shield gets us the most advantageous playoff scenario.

 

You have some fairly contradictory threads running through your post. Winning the SS and MLS Cup both put us in international tournaments that win us prestige. The SS is the easier target to hit, since the playoffs can be a bit of a crapshoot. Yet you say you don't care about the SS?

 

Oh I know.. they are doing great! So, how about whatever they have been doing works. So keep them doing the same thing.

 

I meant to vote for #2. Keep rotating to keep fresh for playoffs. My vote ended up for #4. So #4 should have 4 votes, not 5, with the vote I just intended to cast.

 

Way to ruin the scientific validity of the poll!

 

I don't care that much about it. It's nice to win every available trophy but the Supporter's Shield, by itself, has only recently had any importance due to it now guaranteeing a berth in Int'l competition. But previously it seemed a bit contrived to award a trophy to the best regular season team when every team's real focus was on winning MLS Cup.

I do care quite a bit about getting into Concacaf's Champions Cup but the best way in is to win MLS Cup. And since MLS Cup is at RFK, it's more important than ever.

Based upon the team's performance and current form, I'd be disappointed if we won the Supporter's Shield and nothing else.

 

Don't change a damn thing. It's been working great! Keep rotating. Having our top squad for Copa Sudamerica wouldn't be a bad thing. Give them a higher level of competition leading into the playoffs.

 

I like the Supporters Shield and I would like United to win it as much as anyone on this board. But you cant make that your #1 priority. Your #1 priority has to be the MLS cup even though it is six weeks away. If United makes the SS their #1 priority and press hard for it, the team might crash out yet again in the playoffs and you guys would complain about how we can't get up to play in these big games. So I say we keep rotating players even during the CopaSA to make sure we keep fresh for the playoffs and start hitting our stride at the right time.(even if that time is now)That being said I somewhat agree with Super White Boy and it may be a good idea to start better players in CopaSA

 

I'm confused, why must the MLS Cup be top priority? Does it provide any more benefits than the Supporter's Shield?

Obviously I'd like to win it, but wouldn't the safest shot to be gun for the Supporters Shield and secure the berth, than fight for the MLS Cup in which one game can cost us the whole thing?

 

Depends what you're going for. The league measures its champions by the number of MLS Cups they have won. Hence, at least for the moment, it should be our highest priority.

In time we may move to a system where the SS (the award for the best team over the year) becomes the league championship and the MLS Cup becomes the prize of the knockout competition. Part of that is the increasing rewards of winning the SS. However we're not there now.