With Ottawa tying and Atlanta losing on Friday, for the first time since I've been following the W-League (which admittedly has only been since 2005), the regular-season champion will not have a perfect record. The current frontrunners are Ottawa and Hudson Valley as the only teams with no losses and a single tie, though Hudson Valley has yet to play the Freedom at the Soccerplex. The expected powerhouses FC Indiana and Pali Blues have two and three ties, respectively, and so are out of the running for the moment. But the season isn't over yet!
Good question! It's actually really complicated because each of the league's three conferences has its own playoff structure, and there are changes from year to year. You can read about last year's structure here - scroll down to the "Playoffs" section and then to the W-League part at the end, which is longer than the text for all the other USL leagues combined. If they go with last year's model, it boils down to a four-team elimination championship, with each conference champion coming through the playoff structure while the regular-season champion gets an automatic berth. So winning the regular season is a big deal since it saves having to play up to three matches against playoff-caliber teams to get to the championship weekend.
See below....I never realized the regular season championship part. That changes A LOT that I hadn't even thought of. Looking at this from my biased perspective, I have been trying to figure out how much of a financial burden the Eastern Conference Playoffs are going to be for some teams. Tampa and Atlanta are coming out of the Atlantic (maybe Charlotte) and it looks pretty clear that Hudson Valley and Washington are coming out of the Northeast. Now, one of those teams has to host the Conference Playoffs (unless one can be the regular season champ comes out of the conference). That team pays for food and hotel for all teams, but you are still talking MAJOR travel. Imagine if Washington or Hudson Valley needs to go to Tampa or Atlanta? Vice a versa? Thousands of dollars just for a bus. Right now, Quickstrike is in first overall in the league based on point percentage (25 pts. from 9 games, Chicago has 25 pts. from 10 games). This should be very interesting. From the USL Media Guide: W-League: Eleven W-League teams will qualify for the postseason tournament in 2009 with the league’s Regular Season Champion (based on point percentage) receiving a bye to the league semifinals. The remaining teams will compete in three conference tournaments in playoff week one July 24-26 to determine the other three league semifinalists for the weekend of July 31-August 1 at two locations. The regular season champion will face the lowest remaining overall seed unless they have played during the season, which would result in a pairing with the next lowest seed. The championship game will be August 7-8, and will air on Fox Soccer Channel. Central Conference Playoffs: The playoffs begin with a midweek divisional playoff game between the second and third-seeded teams in the Great Lakes Division. The divisional playoff winner will join the Great Lakes top seed and the top two teams from the Midwest Division at the conference tournament (top seed has first right to host or host determined by bid). The divisional top seeds face the lower seed from the opposite division in the conference semifinals. Eastern Conference Playoffs: The top two teams each from the Atlantic and Northeast Divisions will meet at the conference tournament (top seed has first right to host or host determined by bid). The divisional top seeds face thelower seed from the opposite division in the conference semifinals. Western Conference Playoffs: The top two teams meet in a conference championship match.
Not sure what you were looking at, but at the moment Chicago has 28 points from 11 games, but with a loss and a tie already I don't think they're in the running - well, at least they're no better than fourth in the overall standings, behind Atlanta, Ottawa, and Hudson Valley. At the moment it seems to be between Ottawa (7-0-1, 22 points in 8 games) and Hudson Valley (8-0-1, 25 points in 9 games). And the Freedom have a chance to do something about Hudson Valley. I'm not sure there are any teams in Ottawa's division who can still give them a game of it, particularly since just about all of their remaining games are at home. I've never seen the Freedom host a playoff match, so I'd like to see that happen - didn't realize they had to pay for the visitors, though! I guess they're expected to recoup the money from ticket sales.
Okay, I got anal. Here are the top eight teams listed in order of points earned/max. possible points earned: Code: Team - points earned - max. possible points earned - earned/max. Hudson Valley 25 27 0.92592592592593 Ottawa 22 24 0.91666666666667 Washington 24 27 0.88888888888889 Atlanta 24 27 0.88888888888889 Chicago 28 33 0.84848484848485 FC Indiana 20 24 0.83333333333333 Pali 21 27 0.77777777777778 Tampa Bay 20 27 0.74074074074074 As I think I noted elsewhere, if Ottawa fails to win one of their remaining games (which is pretty unlikely), while the Freedom win all of theirs (including the Quickstrike Lady Blues rematch) and come out ahead in whatever tiebreaker would decide their standing relative to Atlanta, the Freedom will be the regular season champion.
I was looking at the standings on the USL site...it obviously hadn't been updated with Chicago's most recent win. Thanks for doing those percentages - they are pretty telling of where things are (big difference between first and eighth). The Buffalo Flash could be able to give Ottawa a run for its money. July 18 they play in Ottawa. Then there is the July 16 match between HV and Washington. Those could be the two defining matches for the regular season champ, assuming everything else falls into place for all of the teams. I am wondering if this says something about the West. Only team in that top eight is Pali, and they are pretty far down. Seattle is the only really argument, but they see to only be able to pull off draws.
This year's playoff structure is what Cobi posted from the media guide: http://www.uslsoccer.com/recentnews/294507.html
The Western Conference actually seems to be halfway competitive this year, which is great considering that last year Pali was able to win the division easily with a perfect record and get a bye into the championship weekend. This year they're going to have to earn it! Looks as if London, Ontario, gave Ottawa a run for their money, losing 3-2. Buffalo lost 1-0 at home to the Fury, so, as you suggest, they might have a chance.
uh what? Pali's got 24 points. not bad, with 2 games (BOTH HOME!!) left to go... i love that Pali won over Ventura County yesterday (Sunday) and love the 4-0 score. Now I want to know who scored those four goals. USLsoccer.com = fail, at least this season.
It's just that at the same point last year they had 30 points and were cruising to the regular-season championship. They're certainly one of the best teams in the W-League, but they're not dominating the way they did in 2008. Not being in a position to witness the matches, I don't know if it's that they've come down or the other teams have come up (probably some of both).
While that teddy bear toss was certainly a glorious site, the Pali Blues fans put in a noteworthy performance outside of the realm of flying plush toys. Their supporters group -- the Tony Danza Army -- gave the Fusion absolute fits on the afternoon, especially their head coach and GM Ranbir Shergill, who looked like he might give up the sport he was so upset by their incessant chanting. Their relentless blend of full-bodied singing and scathing wit was unbelievable, and, in my humble opinion, makes The Stadium By The Sea the toughest place to play in the W-League by far...and I've seen a lot of stadiums over the years. To be honest, anybody going in there better be packing extra tissues and a blankee after seeing what these boys can do this weekend. I wouldn't bank on Ranbir or the Fusion ever going back. Expect a forfeit next year.
From what I have heard, the West Coast rules in the W-League, but for what its worth, Tampa Bay and Atlanta look like they are headed towards the postseason. http://www.againsttherunofplay.com/2009/07/tampa-bay-hellenic-at-richmond-kickers.html
Actually, the W-League is mostly an east coast league, with 9 or 10 teams out of 37 east of the Mississippi. Out of the 14 champions, 3 have come from the west coast, thanks to the strength of just two teams, the Vancouver Whitecaps (2004 and 2006) and the Pali Blues (2008). (The WPSL, on the other hand, is mostly west coast teams.) Eleven teams make the playoffs, two from each division, plus the regular-season champion. Likely candidates at this point: Central - Great Lakes: Ottawa, plus Quebec City and/or Buffalo Central - Midwest: Chicago and FC Indiana have all but clinched Eastern - Atlantic: Atlanta and Tampa Bay Eastern - Northeast: Hudson Valley and Washington Western: Pali is in, with Seattle, Vancouver, and Real Colorado all having a chance at the #2 spot Whatever division hosts the regular-season champion gets a third team in the playoffs. Ottawa is the front-runner now, which is why I list that division the way I do, but Hudson Valley, Atlanta, and Washington are not far behind.
Some shocking changes in the race for the regular-season championship. Atlanta tied on Friday and Ottawa lost today, dropping them down in the standings: Code: Team - Points earned - Max. points - Max./earned Hudson Valley 28 30 0.93333333333333 Washington 30 33 0.90909090909091 FC Indiana 26 30 0.86666666666667 Ottawa 28 33 0.84848484848485 Chicago 28 33 0.84848484848485 Atlanta 25 30 0.83333333333333 Pali 27 33 0.81818181818182 Tampa Bay 27 36 0.75 This makes Thursday's Freedom-Lady Blues match hugely significant: at stake is not only first place in the Northeast Division but the regular-season championship. So far as the playoffs in general are concerned: Quebec City, Ottawa, Buffalo, and Laval are all still in the running in the Great Lakes Division. Note that unlike any of the other divisions, three teams make the playoffs here rather than two. Chicago and FC Indiana have clinched playoff spots out of the Midwest Division, though either one could win the division. FC Indiana is next in line for the regular-season championship should Washington and Hudson Valley both slip in their last few games. That would let Minnesota in as well. Tampa Bay and Atlanta have clinched playoff spots out of the Atlantic Division. Tampa Bay's regular season is over, while Atlanta needs either one win or two ties in order to take the division. Hudson Valley and Washington have clinched playoff spots out of the Northeast Division. If one of them is regular-season champion (as seems likely), then that opens the door for Boston, Long Island, or New Jersey to slip into the playoffs, depending on which team finishes third. Pali has clinched first place in the Western Conference. Second place is still up for grabs among Seattle, Vancouver, or Real Colorado.
Call me biased (I won't deny it), but this schedule is a bit of BS. The regular season championship comes down to this game that is being crammed into the end of the season because no game can be scheduled after July 19. Really unfortunate. But, all excuses will have to be put aside for both squads. Ottawa did the whole Northeast quite a favor today.
Yeah, if the Freedom win, there's going to be a sort of asterisk next to the result. It's unfortunate, but I don't know what else could be done. Schedule the game after the 19th, and you don't know who's hosting the Eastern Conference playoffs until the game is over. For what it's worth, Washington has to win in order to have a shot at the championship; all Hudson Valley has to do is tie.
Official writeup from the league here. I believe they're wrong about Ottawa being behind only Washington and Hudson Valley in point percentage potential - FC Indiana is also ahead of Ottawa. EDIT: I pointed this out to them, and they've corrected the press release. I've also suggested that they mention that Minnesota still has a shot (though only if both Washington and Hudson Valley falter enough to give FC Indiana the regular-season championship), but so far that hasn't been added.
The sentence about Minnesota in the latest version of the press release is actually mine. I suggested it, and they inserted it exactly as I wrote it. Meanwhile, congratulations to the Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues, who held off a determined Freedom attack for 90 minutes after a game the previous night and a six-hour bus ride the same day to hold them to a 0-0 tie and hang on to first place in both the Northeast Division and the entire W-League. (I'll put a full game report in the Freedom W-League thread when I get the chance.) Regular season standings now look like this: Code: Team Pts. earned Max poss. Earned/max. Hudson Valley 35 39 0.8974358974359 FC Indiana 29 33 0.87878787878788 Washington 31 36 0.86111111111111 Ottawa 31 36 0.86111111111111 Chicago 28 33 0.84848484848485 Atlanta 25 30 0.83333333333333 Pali 27 33 0.81818181818182 Tampa Bay 27 36 0.75 The Freedom drop to the #3 seed behind the only two undefeated teams in the league. As things stand now, they would beat out Ottawa based on goal differential. If both they and Hudson Valley win out, the Freedom would host the Eastern Conference playoffs as the Conference champion.
Huge result for HV. A win over NY Magic and National Final Four here we come! Freedom put in a bid to host then? I know the playoff system is a bid, with first pick going to best record (which would be Washington if it works out). How happy is Boston right now? Which, BTW - the Renegades are a tough team.
I just assumed that Washington would host the Eastern Conference playoffs as the top seed (with HV getting the bye into the final four) - I didn't ask if they were planning on offering to. Certainly they have the resources and infrastructure to do so, and the WPS Freedom are on the road, so there's no conflict with the stadium. Boston upgraded significantly going into 2008 and have been a tough team since. I'm sure they're very happy to be on the verge of a playoff spot.
From what I was looking at earlier this week, it looks like HV had the straight-line into the semis. Based on points alone, I believe they had everyone beat. However, if they go by Game Won %, then it might go to someone else. When I looked at the Buffalo Flash's standings, going into Saturday, they looked like they needed at least 4 pts to secure the home field playoffs on either 7/21 or 7/22. Buffalo tied Ottawa and beat Laval tonight, getting the 4 pts that they needed to host a playoff game. From what I understand, the Flash will play Quebec on 7/21 at 7:00 at the Orchard Park High School Stadium Complex.