I don't think its as impossible as you think, just need a smart front office. Whether we have one remains to be seen.
You continue to overlook the restrictions of this league. We have a limited number of players on the roster. We have a very limited and limiting salary cap. (We have to abide by that cap whilst frigging el-lay does not, but that's another argument.) One knock I do put on our front office is that they should have taken a chance on a Latin American striker before the season started. It should have been painfully clear that there were no quality strikers within MLS that would be available to us. So you're assuming that we can sign a good striker for under $250K and a playmaker for DP money. And that we can squeeze those moves into the narrow transfer window. IF we have one or two guys lined up now, say Fonseca. Then we can pull the trigger right away. But it might not be so easy. Also, attacking midfielders are in short supply world wide. We'll be lucky to find one we can afford. Or are you thinking one striker and one organizing defender? goooooo quaaaaaaakes!!!!! - Mark
True...the playoff format is veeeerrry forgiving--especially for bottom-rung teams. It's one of the things I actually hate most about American sports (yes, I am an American--not knocking "your" games, U.S. Americans.) NBA, NFL, NHL...they all allow teams that either barely have winning records or, in many recent instances, are slightly below .500 but are still among the best 8, 10, 16 out of a league of 30. Half of the teams make the playoffs??!!?? Ridiculous! That sort of format also allows for the "hot" team at the end of the season to go deep in playoffs--rather frequently winning it all. (Hockey teams with a hot goalie are the strongest support to my premise, here...irrefutable.) While that provides hope for fans of mediocre teams, keeps squads playing hard throughout the schedule because there are fewer "meaningless" games and pumps many more dollars into the league's pockets, it's a sham...it's stupid...it makes for great, "dramatic" post-season cinderella stories but crowns lucky champions. Why play regular seasons? This is why I have SO much more respect for footie leagues overseas who play a single table and whoever is atop the heap at the end of regulation is your supreme ruler for the year. For me, personally...if the Quakes make the playoffs, that's as good as winning the Cup to me THIS year. Anything they might do beyond that is a dream sequence. To bring my longwinded diatribe to its conclusion...with the right transfers, all those home games and getting really hot in, say, late August and running the table...we could go deep in the playoffs. Maybe even shock the world and raise the Cup.....................................................................................................................................................but I wouldn't count on it.
I'm not assuming anything at all at this point. I just said it's not impossible. It is looking highly improbable though because the FO does not seem to have much of a desire to sign players. I'd say 2009 is likely to be a rebuilding year too. But with 3 quality players we could still contend for a final playoff place this season. It's going to be dead hard cos only two playoffs spots are guaranteed from the west as I understand it. The east seems to have the better teams this season on average. To make the playoffs we'll need to be third in the west at least. If that was going to happen we'd need new players in house by our next home game at the latest, but I don't think the FO has the commitment to make it happen.