Los Angeles, Seattle, and Salt Lake are still realistically in the hunt for the Supporters Shield. Here is what the standings look like right now between these three teams: Code: GP Pts W D L GF GA GD Los Angeles 29 [b]58[/b] 16 10 3 43 22 21 Seattle 29 [b]51[/b] 14 9 6 46 31 15 Salt Lake 27 [b]48[/b] 14 6 7 38 22 16 Here is what the remaining schedule looks like for these three teams: Code: Week 30: New York - [color=red]Real Salt Lake[/color] [color=gray](Wednesday, Sept 21)[/color] DC United - [color=red]Real Salt Lake[/color] [color=gray](Saturday, Sept 24)[/color] Columbus - [color=blue]Los Angeles[/color] [color=gray](Saturday, Sept 24)[/color] Vancouver - [color=green]Seattle[/color] [color=gray](Saturday, Sept 24)[/color] Week 31: [color=red]Real Salt Lake[/color] - Chicago [color=gray](Wednesday, Sept 28)[/color] New England - [color=green]Seattle[/color] [color=gray](Saturday, Oct 1)[/color] [color=blue]Los Angeles[/color] - [color=red]Real Salt Lake[/color] [color=gray](Saturday, Oct 1)[/color] Week 32: New York - [color=blue]Los Angeles[/color] [color=gray](Tuesday, Oct 4)[/color] Vancouver - [color=red]Real Salt Lake[/color] [color=gray](Thursday, Oct 6)[/color] [color=green]Seattle[/color] - Philadelphia [color=gray](Saturday, Oct 8)[/color] Week 33: Colorado - [color=red]Real Salt Lake[/color] [color=gray](Friday, Oct 14)[/color] [color=green]Seattle[/color] - San Jose [color=gray](Saturday, Oct 15)[/color] [color=blue]Los Angeles[/color] - Chivas USA [color=gray](Sunday, Oct 16)[/color] Week 34: [color=red]Real Salt Lake[/color] - Portland [color=gray](Saturday, Oct 22)[/color] Chivas USA - [color=green]Seattle[/color] [color=gray](Saturday, Oct 22)[/color] Houston - [color=blue]Los Angeles[/color] [color=gray](Sunday, Oct 23)[/color]
Yeah... Sounders need to make up 7 points and I'm not seeing where that happens.. I would not be surprised if the Sounders pick up 12-15 points in the remaining games, but the only trip up I see for LA is RSL. Of course, with a 7 point cushion Arena might start resting some of his players, so maybe they lose a few points. RSL has 5 of 7 games on the road and they haven't had as much success there as they have at home. I could see them dropping points and not taking full advantage of their games in hand. At this point I'm thinking the Sounders are looking pretty good for second with a very, very slim chance at SS.
They struggled because of constant mass injuries, but yes, it is a roll, coupled with the two home wins lately. Four in a row is a roll. Everyone acknowledges that. They're also getting players back (Wingert and Morales traveled with the team today).
Since the remaining 5 weeks of games have already been decided in your imagination, I guess it's time for NFL and baseball for you. See you next year.
Just my opinion, then I'll butt out, but I believe it'll be either Seattle or RSL that wins the Supporter's Shield.
Los Angeles plays away at Columbus next week. Columbus is in a tight race in the "Eastern Conference" for a top seed in the Mock-Intelligent-Fans-With-An-Idiotic-Format playoffs. An LA loss would be best, but even a draw helps the Sounders here. The next game is at home against RSL. This is not a definite win for LA, and again even a draw is an opportunity for the Sounders to gain more ground. Following that, Los Angeles plays away at New York who are fighting just to make the playoffs. So the next three weeks will not be a cakewalk for LA. I see some opportunity for the Sounders. Even if the Sounders don't catch LA by the end of these three weeks, they could still get themselves within realistic reach (3 points or less) to make the remaining 2 weeks of games interesting.
Actually no, RSL is very much alive IF they convert their 2 games in hand into 6 points. Then they're behind LA by 1 point AND they have a game against LA coming up that could decide it. That same scenario can drop us into 3rd place, costing us home field advantage against either RSL or LA, and making a trip to the finals extremely tough.
If they convert their 2 games in hand, they're still behind by 4 points; RSL is currently 10 points behind LA with 2 games in hand.
This season has already been a 'personal best' for the Sounders in terms of points. The Supporters Shield is just going to have to wait another year to be lifted in the Emerald City.
Yeah.. We just ran into the buzzsaw that is LA Galaxy this year. Most other years getting 50+ points would have been enough for SS.
Kind of reminds me of the year the Sonics (RIP ) finally broke through into the Finals and had to face the greatest Basketball team in the history of the NBA. Not only do Seattle sports teams usually suck, our timing its pathetic too!
I would watch more NFL and baseball, but the Hawks and Mariners suck... At least we still have a semi-decent Husky team this year, right? My opinion is that you are delusional. LA - 58 pts RSL - 48 pts 48 + 6 (2 game in hand wins) = 54, 4 points behind LA Defeating LA in LA = 57 points, 1 point behind LA Even if everything goes right for RSL, they still have to make up ground. Outside of RSL, LA doesn't have that tough of a schedule, and RSL has more road games left. They have lost more on the road than they've won this year. Knocking us into third place only changes the home/away order of the first round of the playoffs. You don't really get a home field advantage in a home and home series. I don't see much difference between second and third place. And in case you haven't noticed trip to the finals is already extremely tough. Let's say 1. LA 2. SEA 3. RSL We have to play RSL in a home and home series in the first round, and if we win that we have to play LA in LA. That is the toughest road possible.
This coming week LA play away at Columbus. The week after that they play RSL at home. Then the following week they play away at New York. Why do you discount the games against Columbus and New York? Both are fighting for playoff spots, and those are away games. LA doesn't have to lose those games to drop points. Draws mean dropping 2 points. Additionally, LA is having a more difficult time in the CCL than the Sounders. They might be forced to play more starters in tomorrow's game against Alajuelense, a tough team who is playing at home, than they would like to, and so the team may be tired and/or banged up for Saturday's road trip to Columbus. They also have to think about Morelia the following week. Another reason why winning the Supporters Shield is so important. Not only is it a trophy and a bye to the CCL group stage (and imo the highest honor for this particular season because of the league-wide balanced schedule), but winning it makes the road to MLS Cup easier. You can consider the Supporters Shield race to be part of playoffs.
LA is in top form at the moment, and Columbus and New York aren't (although New York's win at Dallas is impressive, maybe they are starting to wake up). I hope I'm wrong and LA has a meltdown, but I just don't see it. I would LOVE the supporters shield and it gives us an easy first round and home field for the 'conference finals'. I would never condone losing intentionally, and I think we should strive to win every remaining match, but I'd almost rather be in 4th place than 2nd or 3rd the way the system is set up, as far as easiest road to the finals go.
The thought process is that it is much easier to pull ahead in the second game if you are at home than it is if you're away. Generally the way that it works is that the away team bunkers in the first game and hopes for a draw or a one point loss, and then they go all out in the 2nd game. Clearly that has issues as the 1 point loss means they have to get a 2 point victory in order to pull out the win prior to PKs, but if you can make it out with a draw, then you're styling.
Because NY and Columbus suck. But also because the Galaxy have to average 1.00 PPG for the rest of the season for the Sounders to catch them. LA doesn't care about non-MLS games. If they can't get out of group stages using the line-up they have now then they aren't going to lose any sleep over it. Good point, but most likely not feasible this season with the Galaxy on a roll like they are. They'd have to have a collapse of epic proportions not to end the season ahead of the Sounders.
Columbus is on a bad streak right now and who started the trend? Anyway, they lost just one point against the Union, so I think this is an improvement over their loss against us. Anyway, I bet, they don't want to be on a 4-game losing steak especially if the East's playoff spot is on the line. Alajuelense is pretty good, isn't it? Would they root for going for the SS (which puts them in a better chance of winning even if they lose) rather than play better on Group A? Anybody knows their lineup? and so is us and RSL. But RSL would be better once Morales is back. On other news, we don't have Rosales.
Columbus might not want to lose, but they are playing the Galaxy this week... The Galaxy have lost 3 games all season. More likely to get a draw than a win, IMHO. Of course, doesn't stop the Galaxy from losing (gotta play the games, etc), but the odds are definitely in favor of the Galaxy not losing. Alajuelense is very good when compared against other non-Mexican teams. If you had to pick a group of death, it would be Group A. Regardless of who gets bounced of Morelia, Galaxy, or Alajuelense, that team probably would have made it into the knockout rounds in any other group. Morales is rumored to be back starting this week, so it's only a matter of time before they work him back into the starting line-up. On the Rosales front, the plus side is that the only challenging team that we have left is the Union and we'll be at home for that. So hopefully we should be able to get wins against Vancouver, New England, Chivas, and San Jose without Rosales.