The playoff situation, September 19 [R]

It just got a little clearer tonight, after Dallas' thrilling win.

[size=+1]LOS ANGELES[/size]

#1 seed: Win or tie at San Jose.

#3 seed: Lose at San Jose.

[size=+1]COLUMBUS[/size]

#2 seed:

• Win or draw at Chicago.
  
• Lose at Chicago, and the MetroStars either draw at New England or win at New England but don't make up the five-goal difference in their and Columbus' goal differentials.

#6 seed:

• Lose at Chicago, and the MetroStars win at New England and make up the five-goal differerence in their and Columbus' goal differentials.
  
• Lose at Chicago, and New England wins vs. the MetroStars.

[size=+1]SAN JOSE[/size]

#1 seed: Win vs. LA.

#3 seed:

• Tie vs. LA.
  
• Lose vs. LA and Colorado doesn't make up the 16-goal difference in their and San Jose's goal differentials.

#4 seed: Lose vs. LA and Colorado makes up the 16-goal difference in their and San Jose's goal differentials.

[size=+1]DALLAS[/size]

#4 seed: Colorado draws or loses vs. Kansas City.

#5 seed: Colorado wins vs. Kansas City.

[size=+1]COLORADO[/size]

#3 seed: Win vs. Kansas City, San Jose loses vs. LA and loses the 16-goal difference in their and Colorado's goal differentials.

#4 seed:

• Win vs. Kansas City and San Jose draws vs. LA
  
• Win vs. Kansas City and San Jose loses vs. LA and doesn't lose the 16-goal difference in their and Colorado's goal differentials.

#5 seed: Draw or lose vs. Kansas City.

[size=+1]METROSTARS[/size]

#2 seed: Win at New England, Columbus loses at Chicago and loses the five-goal advantage in goal differential over the MetroStars.

#6 seed:

• Win at New England, Columbus wins or draws at Chicago.
  
• Draw at New England, Kansas City draws or loses at Colorado, and Chicago draws or loses vs. Columbus.

#7 seed:

• Draw at New England, Kansas City wins at Colorado, and Chicago draws or loses vs. Columbus.
  
• Draw at New England, Kansas City draws or loses at Colorado, and Chicago wins vs. Columbus
  
• Lose at New England, Kansas City loses at Colorado, Chicago loses vs. Columbus.

#8 seed:

• Draw at New England, Kansas City wins at Colorado, and Chicago wins vs. Columbus.
  
• Lose at New England, Kansas City wins or draws at Colorado, and Chicago loses vs. Columbus.
  
• Lose at New England, Kansas City loses at Colorado, and Chicago wins or draws vs. Columbus.

Out of playoffs: Lose at New England, Kansas City wins or draws at Colorado, and Chicago wins or draws vs. Columbus.

[size=+1]KANSAS CITY[/size]

#6 seed: Win at Colorado and MetroStars draw or lose at New England.

#7 seed:

• Win at Colorado and MetroStars win at New England.
  
• Draw at Colorado and Chicago draws or loses vs. Columbus.
  
• Lose at Colorado, MetroStars win at New England, and Chicago draws or loses vs. Columbus.

#8 seed:

• Draw at Colorado and Chicago wins vs. Columbus.
  
• Lose at Colorado, MetroStars win at New England, and Chicago wins vs. Columbus
  
• Lose at Colorado, MetroStars draw or lose at New England, and Chicago loses vs. Columbus.

Out of playoffs: Lose at Colorado, MetroStars lose or draw at New England, Chicago wins or draws vs. Columbus.

[size=+1]NEW ENGLAND[/size]

#2 seed: Win vs. the MetroStars and Columbus loses at Chicago.

#6 seed: Win vs. the MetroStars, Columbus draws or wins at Chicago, Kansas City draws or loses at Colorado.

#7 seed:

• Win vs. the MetroStars, Columbus draws or wins at Chicago, Kansas City wins at Colorado.
  
• Draw vs. the MetroStars, Chicago draws or loses vs. Columbus, Kansas City loses at Colorado.

#8 seed:

• Draw vs. the MetroStars, Chicago wins vs. Columbus, and Kansas City loses at Colorado.
  
• Draw vs. the MetroStars, Chicago draws or loses vs. Columbus, and Kansas City wins or draws at Colorado.
  
• Lose vs. the MetroStars and Chicago loses vs. Columbus.

Out of playoffs:

• Draw vs. the MetroStars, Chicago wins vs. Columbus, Kansas City wins or draws at Colorado.
  
• Lose vs. the MetroStars and Chicago wins or draws vs. Columbus.

[size=+1]CHICAGO[/size]

#6 seed: Win vs. Columbus, MetroStars draw at New England, and Kansas City draws or loses at Colorado.

#7 seed:

• Win vs. Columbus, MetroStars win or lose at New England, and Kansas City draws or loses at Colorado.
  
• Win vs. Columbus, MetroStars draw at New England, and Kansas City wins at Colorado.
  
• Draw vs. Columbus, MetroStars lose at New England, and Kansas City loses at Colorado.

#8 seed:

• Win vs. Columbus, MetroStars win or lose at New England, and Kansas City wins at Colorado.
  
• Draw vs. Columbus, MetroStars draw at New England, and Kansas City loses at Colorado.
  
• Draw vs. Columbus, MetroStars lose at New England, and Kansas City wins or draws at Colorado.
  
• Draw vs. Columbus and MetroStars win at New England.

Out of playoffs:

• Draw vs. Columbus, MetroStars draw at New England, Kansas City wins or draws at Colorado.
  
• Lose vs. Columbus

[size=+1]DC UNITED[/size]

Out of playoffs

 

At this point, teams are in control of their own destiny for the following things:

• A win or a draw at San Jose clinches the Supporters Shield for LA.
  
• A win vs. LA clinches the Supporters Shield for San Jose.
  
• A win or a draw at Chicago clinches the Eastern Conference title for Columbus.
  
• A win vs. Kansas City clinches home-field advantage for Colorado in their first-round series against Dallas.
  
• A win or a draw at New England clinches a playoff spot for the MetroStars.
  
• A win or a draw at Colorado clinches a playoff spot for Kansas City.
  
• A win vs. the MetroStars clinches a playoff spot for New England.
  
• A win vs. Columbus clinches a playoff spot for Chicago.

In other words, everyone's still got something to play for.

 

Yup.

The worst case scenario at that point for the MetroStars is that they lose to New England and Chicago draws or beats Columbus. In case of a Chicago win, they finish #7 with 37 points, Metros finish #8 with 35 points, and KC finishes #9 with 35 points, because Metros owns the head-to-head, 1-0-1. In case of a Chicago draw, all three teams finish with 35 points. Chicago wins the head-to-head with a record of 4-2 and finishes #7. Metros win the two-way head-to-head with KC and finish #8.

 

Whaddya know, I forgot that scenario for the MetroStars.