OK, every team in the league has played 26 games, after last night's Chicago at Colorado tie. Four games to go in the regular season, at which point the race for the Supporter's Shield ends, with the award going to the team with the best regular season record. Earthquakes are at 49 points; Fire at 44 have the only halfway realistic chance at passing that, while Rapids at 39 can't be mathematically eliminated yet. Fire's maximum possible, if they take 12 points from their last 4 games, is 56; we need 8 points to lock them out (similarly, vs Colorado, 3 more points for us locks them out, oh, and btw, wins the Division for us.) If Chicago fails to win all the rest of their games, we'll need even less. After three years as the best team in the league, I think the EQs will have earned the Supporter's Shield within another few weeks. That's one piece of hardware we'll all be proud of. DougO
I hope we win it on the 18th, might as well win two trophies on Victoria Street this year. It would be a nice way to inagurate the stadium.
Barring a spectacular collapse in which we basically lose all remaining matches and the Rapids win all remaining matches, we're gonna take the Western Conference and have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. I'd say the Western Conference title is a done deal. I also think it'll be difficult for the Fire to make up five points in four matches. However, they do play three of their remaining four at home. The Quakes have two home and two away games left. Strength of opponents is fairly similar. As for who our first-round competition will be, it's looking like it could be the Gals. Though currently tied on points with the Wiz, the Gals only have one home game left to three for the Wiz. Plus, the Gals play the Quakes twice and the Fire once. Much tougher schedule. If you thought the MetroStars playing DC United three times in a week was odd, just think that we could be playing the Gals four straight matches! They could be our only opposition for about a month.