2021 playoff push

Discussion in 'NWSL' started by SiberianThunderT, Sep 27, 2021.

  1. fire123

    fire123 Member+

    Jul 31, 2009
    It's a crazy season, with most teams having just 2 games left, only 2 teams are assured of play off spots.
     
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  2. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Alright, so with POR-RGN drawing and both HOU+NC losing, the Cascadia teams have both guaranteed home playoff games, though neither has guaranteed a first-round bye. And, with HOU+NC losing, ORL still has a path to a home playoff game despite having lost tonight! It's a long shot though - ORL loses the H2H against both WAS and HOU, and since those two play each other on the last matchday of the season, one of them is guaranteed to finish ahead of ORL, putting at least three team ahead of ORL.
     
  3. Klingo3034

    Klingo3034 Member+

    Dallas FC
    United States
    Oct 11, 2019
    Portland was robbed! Robbed!
     
  4. Smallchief

    Smallchief Member+

    Oct 27, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    Yes, Portland was robbed. I wanted the Reign to win, but that was a bad handball call on Angela Salem. She had her hands on her face when the ball hit her. I don't think that's a handball. So, Rapinoe makes the penalty kick. What else is new? Has she ever missed one?

    Both teams were sloppy. 37 shots between the two of them and only one goal from the field? I kept an eye on Sofia Huerta to see if she can play defense. She did pretty well. She's good with her feet, a high percentage passer, and fast enough to recover. Very relaxed and loose and she wins the ball most of the time.

    I would have liked to have seen Rapinoe and Huerta on the same side of the field. Rapinoe usually on the left can also play right forward and the combination of the two might have given the Reign an overload and some results.

    How can Houston be so good one week and so bad the next? To give KC its due, it's been playing good defense most of this year-- and the soccer gods finally allotted KC some goals.
     
    Klingo3034 and SiberianThunderT repped this.
  5. 59Amerinorsk

    59Amerinorsk Member

    Chicago Red Stars
    Norway
    Mar 31, 2017
    Perfect weather last night as CRS edged Orlando. It was a test of nerves for all fans. CRS scored in the first 10 minutes (nice goal by Watt). Actually, CRS should've added four more goals! Watt was tripped in the box and a penalty should've been awarded - the crowd was livid. Pugh had two point blank chances to add to the tally ; Rachel Hill too was one-on-one and sure to score. Other chances by CRS, too. The miss by Morgan at the spot was Karma - Leroux appeared to simply trip on the turf and not any contact with Casey Krueger but ORL was awarded a PK that Morgan missed! Justice! Crowd again livid!
    Just watch the replay rather than listen to my summary - LOL. P.S. credit due to Orlando goalie Harris on some great saves!
     
  6. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Interesting comment I saw on Twitter:

    DC is in 3rd *despite* having forfeited two games, making their current standing all the more impressive.

    Notably, those two forfeits were to the two current Shield contenders (yes, I know NJY is technically still able to get the Shield as well, but it's highly unlikely). If DC had instead won those two games, they'd be in first right now (39pts) with POR on 37pts and RGN on 36pts.

    In the waning days of WPS, the league handed down a 1pt deduction to magicJack for breaking league policies, which was viewed by many as nothing more than a slap on the wrist, as it was a long way from doing anything to the standings. NWSL's consequences for rule-breaking here, on the other hand, justifiably actually seem to have mattered quite a bit. Not that DC would have won those matches, but if they end the season within 6-9pts of a first-round bye, or even the Shield, the fact that they were denied the chance to even try getting those wins would clearly have made a difference. I'm glad that breaking league protocols gets that kind of punishment.
     
  7. fire123

    fire123 Member+

    Jul 31, 2009
    It was a clear PK on Salem. If you ask any referee, he/she will tell you.
    When my daughter played at 12, 13 yr old, they were taught that was not how you protect yourself because it will be called a penalty on you every time. You either have to head the ball or turn your back, keep your arms down and in.
     
  8. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Your second sentence is wrong. Check the referee forum.
     
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  9. fire123

    fire123 Member+

    Jul 31, 2009
    I suggest you go back to the referee forum, check opinions of the actual referees vs the typical fans. Just ask them who is who or if you have read that forum a while, you would have known who the referees are.
     
  10. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Just realizing I totally forgot to suss out all the different clinching scenarios for this weekend.... and two games are already in progress. X-D oops!

    Until NJY starts making up some games, though, hard to say anything - except that ORL can't lose today. They're currently down 1-2.
     
  11. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    After leading the league for the first month or two of the season, ORL are the third team eliminated from the playoffs.

    And, uh, don't look now, but...
    Remember in the preseason, when people said that the Spirit weren't Shield contenders but could be dangerous in the postseason? And how people usually say winning playoffs is all about peaking at the right time?
    The Spirit dispatched NC midweek and look poised to do the same to RGN right now. In fact, they haven't lost on the field (i.e. discounting the forfeits) since August 7th.
    (And, I'm not going to lie, but there is the creeping worry that the '21 Spirit will follow the same storyline as the '16 Flash)
     
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  12. Klingo3034

    Klingo3034 Member+

    Dallas FC
    United States
    Oct 11, 2019
    OL surprisingly lost to Spirit. But mistakes were having Balcer out of the game and not starting and Rapinoe starting.
     
  13. Klingo3034

    Klingo3034 Member+

    Dallas FC
    United States
    Oct 11, 2019
    This is where Portland could win the Shield in Sunday’s game.
     
  14. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    With the Thorns having clinched the Shield, it will be interesting to see how they approach the final game v North Carolina. I have not doubt the players they put on the field will try as hard as they can to win. But, who will they put on the field? At may depend in part on who the USWNT puts on the field, and for how long, against S Korea during the upcoming international break.
     
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  15. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    DC has qualified for the playoffs, but not yet a home game.

    POR has clinched the Shield, as mentioned above.

    No game for the rest of the season features two teams still in the hunt - every game has at least one team already eliminated or already qualified. With how tight the table is, and NJY with three to play, that means there are very, very few situations where a team completely has their own fate in their own hands. There are a few, though:
    --RGN can clinch a first-round bye with a draw
    --NC will be eliminated with a loss
    --KC will "clinch" the Wooden Spoon with a loss
    --NJY can clinch a playoff spot with 4pts and a home match with 6pts.
    --CHI can clinch a playoff spot with a draw. However, even with a win, they're not guaranteed a home match.

    I'm definitely torn going into the last week... I want these three things to happen:
    --HOU qualifies for the playoffs
    --DC passes RGN
    --POR doesn't pull ahead any further than they already are (i.e. NC gets at least a point)

    ...but obviously they can't all happen because NC getting points means HOU has to get at least that many - against DC, who can't pass RGN if they drop any. That HOU-POR result really, really sucked.
     
  16. Klingo3034

    Klingo3034 Member+

    Dallas FC
    United States
    Oct 11, 2019
    Probably just like last time when they put those players on the field while others were playing during the Olympics except for Sophia Smith who will also be playing with the USWNT.
     
  17. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Corrections here:
    --KC will "clinch" the Wooden Spoon with a loss *or* draw
    --NJY can clinch a playoff spot with *3pts* and a home match with 6pts.
     
  18. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Just noticed that SportsClubStats thinks CHI has already clinched... Not sure why. If there's a two-way tie on 35pts, CHI loses to NJY on H2H points and loses to either HOU or NC on total goal differential. A multi-team tie on 35pts sends NJY up top first if NJY is in the tie, and then CHI gets passed over by both HOU and NC otherwise.
     
  19. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    I am sorry that I am not following NWSL much, this season, so maybe I am not updated with all intricacies and calculations, but, having two games in hand to the other teams, including this evening's one vs Kansas City, couldn't NJ/NY Gotham City theoretically reach 41 points, thus a 2nd-place ahead of OL-Reign, if these last ones lose to Kansas City (Ok, not likely, but...).

    Also, I see there is no thread about the last NWSL match-day: if I have any observation about it, am I supposed to post them here? :cautious:
     
  20. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Correct! That's why no one has said that the RGN have clinched a first-round bye yet.

    Well we haven't been great about creating matchweek threads for the past month or so... And since the playoff race is crazy enough that every match has big playoff implications, I guess it wouldn't be bad posting in here... Might be better to start a generic in-game discussion thread though.
     
  21. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Then why did you write that?

    If I understand it correctly, a draw would be enough for RGN to stay ahead of DC, but a NJY team winning all of their matches would surpass them in the rankings by one point, wouldn't they? :cautious:

    Actually, I am not sure where exactly my observation would belong: it is inspired by last week's highlights, but in a way it's not about NWSL as much as it is about USWNT.
    What I do wonder, after watching the highlights of North Carolina Courage vs NJ/NY Gotham City from last week-end (here below for reference) is: why Lynn Williams has been brought to the Olympics Games while Midge Purce hasn't? If I compare their finishing skills, it looks like Purce is 1000 times better than Williams: Purce scored twice and was ready to exploit every little chance that she had (or that she created by herself); the level of Williams's finishing was atrouciously abysmal instead (she missed like... 3 o 4 sitters? not even able to put a shot on frame). It could be just one game, but actually, even just from the scarce NWSL footage that I've lately seen, it looks much more like a trend. Or is it me? :coffee:

     
  22. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Oh, hmm... IDK why I wrote that last time. Especially since right above it I mentioned NJY's games in hand. Oversight I guess.
     
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  23. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Sadly for KC, the draw tonight solidifies the Wooden Spoon for them. That said, they continue their respectable home form, undefeated at Legends Field since June, giving them something to build from next season.
     
  24. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    ...or you knew in advence the score of Kansas City-NJ/NY Gotham FC. :sneaky:

    :p
     
  25. Klingo3034

    Klingo3034 Member+

    Dallas FC
    United States
    Oct 11, 2019
    Kansas should be called Kansas City Chaos for what they have done.
     

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