We have even records head-to-head with RSL, COL and DCU, so the next tie-breaker is goal differential which currently is negative for the Revs so a win would seem to be necessary as a tie would leave us odd man out in the 4-way tie at 40 points.
nope. from the Revs: Here are the overall playoff standings entering Sunday’s final two games: 1. CLB - 49 ^ 2. LA - 48 ^ 3. SEA - 47 ^ 4. HOU - 45 ^* 5. CHV - 45 ^* 5. CHI - 45 ^ 7. COL - 40 7. RSL - 40 7. DC - 40 NE - 39* TFC - 39 FCD - 39 KC - 33 NYRB - 22 ^ clinched spot in 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs * one match still to be played Should the Revs win, our point total would jump to 42 and we’d hold the No. 7 overall - No. 3 in the East - playoff spot. So, “win and we’re in.” Should the Revs tie, it gets a bit more complicated as four teams would then be tied at 40 points. The staff at Goal.com broke out all the possible scenarios earlier this week, and - as you can see below - if we draw, we’d take the second mini-pool and advance as the No. 8 overall seed - and still No. 3 in the East. (Courtesy of Goal.com) Four-Way tie of Colorado, Real Salt Lake, DC United and New England Occurs if RSL beat Colorado; DC and NE draw; and Dallas and Toronto lose. RSL: 3-2-2 = 11/7 = 1.57 pts/gm NE: 2-1-3 = 9/6 = 1.5 pts/gm COL: 2-2-3 = 9/7 = 1.28 pts/gm DC: 1-3-2 = 5/6 = .83 pts/gm Then… NE, Colorado, DC NE: 1-0-3 = 6 pts COL: 1-1-2 = 5 pts DC: 1-2-1 = 4 pts New England becomes #3 seed in East; RSL becomes #4 seed in East. So, a draw is all we need. Should we draw and advance to the playoffs for an eighth-straight season, we’d play the arch-rival Chicago Fire in the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series, hosting Game 1 and then traveling to Toyota Park for Game 2. Exact dates and times for all of the MLS Cup Playoff matches will be announced later Sunday night or on Monday. (Note: if the results stay as is - meaning NE loses tomorrow - the final two teams in the playoffs would be Colorado and RSL based on winning a mini-group and tie-breakers against D.C. Regardless of outcome, D.C. United’s season is officially over.)
I'm like in complete shock that all results pretty much went our way. My brain was hurting trying to figure out who's in and who's not. The rest is up to the guys tomorrow. The fact we can get in with a tie is huge.
After 10/24 games: Code: [b]Standings[/b] Pos. Team Div. W D L Pld. GF GA GD Pts 1 yCLB East 13 10 6 29 41 30 11 49 2 yLA West 12 12 6 30 36 31 5 48 3 xSEA West 12 11 7 30 38 29 9 47 4 xHOU West 12 9 8 29 36 27 9 45 5 xCHI East 11 12 7 30 39 34 5 45 6 xCHV West 13 6 10 29 32 28 4 45 7 xRSL West 11 7 12 30 43 35 8 40 8 COL West 10 10 10 30 42 38 4 40 9 DC East 9 13 8 30 43 44 -1 40 10 DAL West 11 6 13 30 50 47 3 39 11 TOR East 10 9 11 30 37 46 -9 39 [B][COLOR="Navy"]12 NE East 10 9 10 29 32 37 -5 39[/COLOR][/B] 13 KC East 8 9 13 30 33 42 -9 33 14 SJ West 7 9 14 30 36 50 -14 30 15 NY East 5 6 19 30 27 47 -20 21 x = Clinched playoff berth y = Clinched home field for Conf. Champ. Code: [b]Points-per-game[/b] Rank Team GP Pts PPG 1 yCLB 29 49 1.690 2 yLA 30 48 1.600 3 xSEA 30 47 1.567 4 xHOU 29 45 1.552 5 xCHV 29 45 1.552 6 xCHI 30 45 1.500 [B][COLOR="Navy"]7 NE 29 39 1.345[/COLOR][/B] 8 xRSL 30 40 1.333 9 COL 30 40 1.333 10 DC 30 40 1.333 11 DAL 30 39 1.300 12 TOR 30 39 1.300 13 KC 30 33 1.100 14 SJ 30 30 1.000 15 NY 30 21 0.700 x = Clinched playoff berth y = Clinched home field for Conf. Champ. Code: [b]Playoff matchups[/b] [b]East[/b] (1) CLB vs. (4) RSL* (2) CHI vs. [B][COLOR="Navy"](3) NE[/COLOR][/B] [b]West[/b] (1) LA vs. (4) CHV (2) SEA vs. (3) HOU [i]*using Points-Per-Game, then tiebreakers[/i]
I feel like the results have gone our way all season, but every time we move one step forward we take two steps backwards.
OK, now that I see the "mimi-pool" concept and factor in the COL-RSL match today I see how the Revs can get in with a draw tomorrow. I can hardly wait for the scintillating 0-0 match tomorrow
yea this is the mini pool if NER ties Code: (W/T/L) RSL : 3-2-2 = 11 pts NE : 2-3-1 = 9 pts COL : 2-3-2 = 9 pts DC : 1-2-3 = 5 pts RSL TAKES 7th, Drop RSL, and repeat (W/T/L) NE : 1-3-0 = 6 pts COL : 1-2-1 = 5 pts DC : 1-1-2 = 4 pts NE takes 8th RRRRREV IT UP
I just got back from the RSL game. I dig their stadium. The atmosphere was pretty good. I think a little bit bigger would be ideal. I can't believe that everything went our way. The NY 5-0 is mindboggling. I hope we don't come out like we are playing for the tie tomorrow.
As for playoff match ups, if we advance, then we are guaranteed the 3rd seed in the east cause the team from the west that moves over must take the 4th seed, right? So we are guaranteed to play Shitcago again? I like the playoff system with wild cards, but this conference champion thing must go. It should just be 1v8, 2v7, 3,5, and 4v5 as listed in the single table format seen here. Especially since now we have teams moving over, crowning a east/west team the west/est champion (like NY last year) makes no sence. RRRREV IT UP
How sad is it that the #1 team in the league, Columbus, only has 3 more wins than the current #12 team in the league? That just isn't right.
There are no good teams in MLS, there are no bad teams either. There's just random results based upon low quality performances. Why don't they just flip a coin?
People bitch and moan that the regular season games mean nothing. The tightness of this years table shows clearly that a non-hand ball in the box call, a unwarranted Red card, a fluke own goal, etc etc etc in any single game can change a teams end of season standings and eventually chance to make the playoffs. That's tight competition. That's exciting stuff. In MLS there aren't any real haves or have nots--- mostly just a bunch of wannabe's fighting to be top dog. I think that level of tight competition is great for the game. Don't let how poorly the Revs played this year color your perspective about how all the other teams played and the quality of matches played this year. I've enjoyed a bunch of non-rev MLS matches and I watched some damn good soccer matches last night.
Here's what I heard from your first paragraph: They could put 24 monkeys on each roster. Over thirty games the good teams don't stand out. It all comes down to random processes and human error (refs, own goals). I still maintain that MLS could achieve this with semi-pro or even volunteer players. Yes it is tight competition but it's also wannabe professional soccer. Here's what I get from your second paragraph: Out of thirty weeks of football you get a sprinkling of good matches and only one weekend where most of the matches are exciting.
Man, are you a 'glass half empty' kind of person! Parity means things are close between any playoff quality teams. That is as it should be. At the highest level the difference between the best and even the also rans (remember they are all at the highest level) is quite small. Hence, their final standings differences are not expected to be that great. You are quite right that if you get a bunch of equally talented high quality players in a league of teams that their separation from each other at the end of the season will look the same as a bunch of equally talented middling level quality players on group of teams (in a separate league) from each other. So...I'm not really sure what your point is, except you aren't happy with the level of play in MLS. The fact the playoff teams are all relatively close at the end of the year is actually a good thing - something every single league around the world would actually love to have. It has NOTHING to do with the quality of the players in the league - it actually is independent of that.
I'm wondering which is the correct diagnosis for the disease this post best demonstrates: Opticalrectitis or Opticalanalopathy. Actually I think both would be correct.
It could easily be 4 after the game tonight. Let's not count our chickens. Columbus might not take too many risks, but they don't want to end their season by dropping points at home for 2 matches in a row. Second, I don't see a problem with a league where there are an elite group of teams that are 8-10 points ahead of a middle class which are all about equal, then a few weak stragglers 8-10 points behind that. I think it's great that although there *are* unquestionably good and bad teams in the league (CMB/HOU/LA vs NYRB/SJ/KC) that it's not to the grotesque proporations of England or Italy. I mean, I don't see why we need to have juggernauts. Of course, I don't see why CEO's make thousands of times the income as regular employees, either--seems like the same logic.
That's just great. My desire to actually have MLS play a modicum of the sport known as football is sarcastically flipped off with "diagnosis" of disease. Gee Doc, I guess if I want to get better all I have to do is take that that placebo MLS is offering me in place of real football.
So we agree. You can get to parity and it, "has NOTHING to do with the quality of players in the league." Congratulations MLS, you've met you goal with substandard play. Yes, I'm not happy with the level of play in MLS and a tight playoff race on the last week of the season is a poor consolation prize.
I absolutely disagree with you. MLS is real football and the top league in the USA. You act like a Eurosnob that watches too much EPL. You make MLS out to be a crap league and it's not---even if that's the way you see it. It's a lot better than when it started and not as good as it will be over the next 5 years.
It's actually worse than it was 3 years ago. At best -level. With the expansion that is coming up, better 5 years from now seems to depend on the bargaining agreement, future caps and roster sizes. There must be a snobbery term for "Whatever MLS tries to feed me, I will not only take it, I will call it good."