MLS IN CCL: Final CCL Groupstage Matchday (R) Aug 20,21,22

Yes. Interestingly, all three MLS teams have the tie-breakers versus their competition for the second berth.

Problem with Houston is that a tie of any score in the Pachuca/Arabe Unido gives both teams what they want (Pachuca the group win/Arabe going through). Houston needs not only to win, but to have Pachuca beat Arabe. The good news is that Pachuca lost on the road to the Panamanians and might go all out to get revenge -- Pachuca is through either way.

 

if Sarprisa wins then they are not, goals against -4

1 Cruz Azul 5g 11goals 13 p
2 Columbus 6 -4 8
3 Saprissa 5 -1 5
4 Puerto Rico Islanders

 

If Houston wins, each MLS team would have gone 1-1-1 on the road. Both DC and Houston were 2-1 at home and Columbus was 1-1-1. Given Columbus' group and the fact that they won in Saprissa, I think this pretty much kills the "MLS sucks in CCL" theory, but shows there is still progress to be made. Hopefully, this success pushes the CBA negotiations forward.

 

correct

 

If Saprissa wins then they'll have 8 points, just like Columbus. The first tiebreaker is points earned in games between the tied teams. Columbus took 4 from Saprissa while Saprissa took 1 from Columbus.

 

well that is weird, only in Concacaf

 

First tie-breaker is head to head. The crew beat saprissa and then tied them so they advance because they have more points in their head to head series.

 

I meant to add group stage in there. Thanks for keeping me honest.

I want to believe the USSF would re-think giving a spot to the MLS Cup runner-up, but I know they have already decided that for 2010-11 so it seems futile to even wish for. As for Toronto, that's those wacky Canadians, not MLS.

Slight threadjack, but does anyone else (besides El Jefe ) find it funny that in all these articles about MLS coaching vacancies, I don't recall seeing Colin Clark's name even though he took one team deep in the CCL, knocked off TFC this time and did a respectable job in a tough as shit group?

 

No, Head to Head points is how it should be decided. It makes the most sense.

 

Agreed. I wouldn't mind him being considered for New York.

 

Maybe it has to do with the talent he has in PR ... but whenever i see his club play his tactics are very defensive..... even by early MLS existence standards

 

quick glance at the soccernet schedule....SJB and Marathon play Thursday at 10PM..Irt would seem unfair first, not to the play the last games at the same time....but not only that....MArathon's staff has two whole days to work and prepare an offensive strategy -or counter- fully knowing what they need to do....Bless CONCACAF.....

 

And MLS.

 

I agree that he has done well with a USL squad but he is 2-5-5 (11 pts) in the group stage over the past 2 years which is on par with DC's 3-2-7 (11 pts) group stage record. They did do extremely well against Marathon (who finished top of their group last year) and in their home leg against Cruz Azul. I'm not taking anything away from what he has done, I'm just not sure if that 3 game run justifies saying he could work wonders on a MLS team.

 

According to this source http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/tie-breakers-for-football-teams-level-on-points.html

The UEFA Champions League and the ACL both use head to head as the first tie breaker in the group stage.

 

And the UEFA Champions League.......

"7.06 If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group
matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings (in
descending order):
a) higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the
teams in question;"

Edit: I keep getting beaten by someone by a minute with my info.

 

Agreed, but it all comes down to execution at the end, SJB may want to go out with a bang. The game has to be played first. (crossing fingers).

 

And for the record,

Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, MLS, and Poland use head to head points as the first tie breaker in league play as well.

Of course its yet another thing that MLS gets criticized for having that plenty of other countries have as well.

 

Don't let facts get in the way of a good story. MLS and CONCACAF do everything wrong, all the time.

 

So is it time to conclusively declare the Costa Rican league massively overrated?

--Saprissa hasn't made the quarterfinals in either year of the CCL. This year they managed just one win, two draws that were nearly losses, and three losses including two on their vaunted home carpet.

--All of their other participants have lost in the preliminary round. Herediano and Liberia lost matches 6-2 and 6-0 respectively this year.

Where are the people who thought this league deserved more spots at the expense of MLS?

 

Nope MLS had very poor showings the last few years...PLus, so far ONE MLS team is in for sure..... It would not be fair .......Give it 2-3 more years and, were this to continue, with MLS doing better and CR clubs struggling, THEN MLS fans could brag.....

 

MLS was doing better in the CCC as well.

The final two years of the CCC MLS had 4 semifinalists and Costa Rica had 1. (I just can't remember what happened before that)

During that period I believe MLS teams were 1-1 in knock out rounds with Costa Rican teams.

4 years is plenty of time to say one league is simply better than another league (although it doesn't predict future performances nor does it reveal who was better before those four years).

Costa Rica has some solid club sides from time to time, but its mostly Saprissa with a dash of Alajuelense (sp?) but over the last 4 years (maybe more) of Concacaf play MLS has been superior.

So MLS was doing better in the CCC and has done better in the CCL. Its just case closed.

 

Now granted, I annoy easily. But I can't believe these threads aren't packed with complaints about the TV production every time. It's maddening. (The production, not the lack of complaints.)

 

Or that FSC tape delays games till 2am instead of airing it tape delayed at 10pm. bastards