Ok, folks. We all know where the Fire and the teams below us stand. If the Fire get any result Thursday, we're in. If we don't, we could be looking at: 6. COL - 43pts, followed by 5 teams ties with 42: FIRE, NE, DC, FCD, and TFC Who can beat us on the tie-breakers???
MLS Tie Breakers Not sure who has the best head-to-head win/loss record among the potential 42's, but here is the current goal differential: Fire +4 TFC -4 NE -5 DC -1 ------- FCD +4
Our head-to-head record against DC, NE, TFC and FCD is 2-3-4 or 10 points. Head-to-head record: DC 3-2-4 = 13 pts FCD 3-3-2 = 11 pts Fire 2-3-4 = 10 pts NE 2-2-4 = 10 pts TFC 2-2-4 = 10 pts
If teams were tied at 42 pts after the last games: in a 4 way tie between CHI/DC/NE/TFC, TFC would win in a 3 way tie between CHI/DC/NE, DC would win in a 3 way tie between CHI/DC/TFC, DC would win in a 3 way tie between CHI/NE/TFC, CHI would win in a 2 way tie between CHI/DC, DC would win in a 2 way tie between CHI/NE, CHI would win in a 2 way tie between CHI/TFC, CHI would win
yeah, I just did the math, too. Basically, if we lose and dc wins, we're out if both Dallas and Colorado win as well? So, if we can't manage to get a freakin point - 1 FREAKIN POINT - on Thursday, we need to hope that DC loses, because even if Dallas and Colorado and all the other Eastern teams win, we would still have the final spot, right? Cuz we would be the required second team in the East? Seems to me, the key, besides getting the point(s) on Thursday is: DC must not win. My advice for the FIRE can be summed up by the following (and it isn't reserved just for Thursday's match): "GET THE FUKCING POINT, WILL YOU!!!???!!!"
In the 5-way tie we'd be out, I think: 1st we need to determine 2nd place in the east. Dallas not eligible, so tally head-to-head result for the 4 Eastern teams against each other in 2009 regular season games (Rule 1) then calculate points pe rgame for each (rule 8). Toronto wins 2nd in eastern conference with 1.5 pts/game vs Chicago, DC, & NE. Then we have to break the tie among Chicago, DC, NE, and FCD for the last slot, and DC wins this with 1.7 pts/game vs Chicago, NE, and FCD DC and Dallas would beat us in one v one head to head (DC on win/loss, FCD on goal difference) if I'm reading the rules right, and so a Fire loss combined with wins by DC, Colorado, and Dallas, and non-wins by NE and Toronto would put us out. If DC doesn't win, the Fire will take 2nd in the East whatever the other results are (we beat NE 1 v 1 on goal difference, and Toronto on win/loss. In a 3-way tie with these 2, we also have the best pts/game with 6 pts from 4 matches). this is based on an reasonable guess at what those MLS tie-breaker rules mean. feel free to check my math.
If there was a 5 team tie with 42pts we wouldn't make the playoffs. FC Dallas and DC United would be teams #7 and #8. Code: FC Dallas 3-3-2-11pts DC United 2-2-4-10pts FIRE 2-2-4-10pts Toronto FC 2-2-4-10pts New England 2-2-4-10pts FC Dallas would be team #7 with 11 points in the tiebreaker and DC United would be team #8 with more goals scored. Eastern Division #1 Columbus, #2 DC United Western Division #1 CD Chivas, #2 Los Angeles, #3 Houston, #4 Seattle, #5 Colorado and # 6 FC Dallas Playoffs: Eastern Division #1 Columbus vs. # 4 FC Dallas #2 DC United vs #3 Colorado Western Division #1 CD Chivas vs #4 Seattle FC #2 Los Angeles vs #3 Houston Of course CD Chivas, Los Angeles, Houston, and Seattle FC they could all be the #1 seed in the west.
DC is actually 3-2-4 with 13 points againts us, FCD, TFC and NE. We gave them 2 of those wins, Dallas gave them the third. We have also lost 3 times to this lot, not 2.
Yeah, I meant to preface that post with, "Not that it makes any difference". Code: TEAM CHI DAL DC NE TOR Total POINTS Fire --- 1-1-0 0-2-1 0-0-2 1-0-1 2-3-4 10 FCD 1-1-0 --- 0-1-1 1-1-0 1-0-1 3-3-2 11 DCU 2-0-1 1-0-1 --- 0-1-1 0-1-1 3-2-4 13 NE 0-0-2 1-1-0 1-0-1 --- 0-1-1 2-2-4 10 TFC 0-1-1 0-1-1 1-0-1 1-0-1 --- 2-2-4 10
The monkey-wrench in these gears is that somebody from the East HAS to finish 2nd. Obviously, Chivas, Houston, LA, and Seattle will make up the West bracket, which leaves something like this for the east: 1. Columbus 2. Chicago or DC 3 & 4 - Any two of the following: Fire, Rapids, FCD, DCU, TFC, Revs, RSL I'm pretty sure DC HAS to win for us to even worry.
First we have to resole the 4 way tie for 2nd in the East between Chicago Fire, D.C. United, New England Revolution, and Toronto FC --- Code: GP W D L PTS F A +/- Toronto FC 6 2 3 1 9 11 9 2 D.C. United 7 2 3 2 9 9 10 -1 Chicago Fire 7 1 4 2 7 7 7 0 New England Revolution 6 1 4 1 7 6 7 -1 Toronto would claim 2nd. It would then come down to a 4 way tie for the last wildcard spot between Chicago Fire, D.C. United, F*C* Dallas, and New England Revolution. It would look like --- Code: GP W D L PTS F A +/- D.C. United 7 3 3 1 12 10 8 2 New England Revolution 6 2 3 1 9 6 5 1 FC Dallas 6 2 1 3 7 9 9 0 Chicago Fire 7 1 3 3 6 6 9 -3 D.C. United would claim the last wildcard spot. BOTTOM LINE IS GET A POINT THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE ABOVE SCENARIOS
The fact that this thread even exists with the roster we have just proves Denis should be gone after this season.
1.If that's the case then DC United would be #2 in the east, the second tie breaker is total goals scored. DC United (41) Toronto FC (37), so that would put Toronto FC in the wildcard tiebreaker. 2.If Colorado wins against Real Salt Lake then FC Dallas would get the last playoff spot. IF Colorado ties or loses than FC Dallas get #7 seed and we get #8 seed. But like you said just get one point against the goats and were in.
Can't look at goal differential based on the clubs we may be tied with at 42. We have to look at the goal differential for the entire season.
Week #32 games CD Chivas at FIRE DC United at Kansas City FC Dallas at Seattle FC New England at Columbus Toronto FC at New York So if everybody is tied at 42 pts, DC United would get the 2nd seed in the east. Unless DC United wins by only goal (E) and Toronto FC wins by more than 5 goals (+1) So that would put CHI,NE,TFC, and FCD in the wildcard tiebreaker. Code: GP W D L PTS FC Dallas 6 3 1 2 10 CHICAGO 6 2 3 1 9 Toronto FC 6 1 3 2 6 New England 6 1 3 2 6 So if Colorado wins at Real Salt Lake they get the #7 seed and FC Dallas gets the #8 seed. So let's hope that we could at the very least could get a tie at home on Thursday.
I'm pretty sure in the case of the 4-way tie Toronto gets 2nd in the east - goal difference won't come into it because Toronto will have played 1 fewer game against the tied teams:
If you enjoyed this one, check out my new thread: "Who do you want the Fire to face in the 1st round?"