Race for CCL Spot 2019

Based on the Language in the CONCACAF Document, Have We Qualified For the 2019 CCL? - Moot Poll Now

  • Yes - We Qualified

    Votes: 28 84.8%
  • No - We Did Not Qualify

    Votes: 5 15.2%

  • Total voters
    33
So watching LAFC play tonight against BVB, something occurred to me.

We may very well not have as much of a depth advantage as we thought among the true contenders.

LAFC subs have looked great. RB has good depth. Toronto, also. And ATL is deep where it matters for them (they still don’t have a proper central defender on the roster).

ETA:
Also, I am going to go counter to common sense and say I think we should play some friendlies in midseason. I have rules about how I think that should happen, but all in all, I don’t watch football for trophies. I watch for joy. I would enjoy a friendly now and then during the summer now that we have an actual full squad. We should do it for the benefit of the kids.

You don’t think Tyler Adams scoring at 16 against the PL champs (it was, right?) was important to him? Of course it was! I’m not saying it’s why he’s proving to be a good player, but it certainly didn’t hurt.
 
Last edited:
Would you be ok if they played Citeh?
giphy.gif
 
Would you be ok if they played Citeh?
I think that would be fascinating but I also don't think it's a good idea. I mean, if we beat them 7-2 that would not be good. And if they beat us 7-2 that would *also* not be good. I'm just not sure a match would be worth all the peanut gallery comments which would probably never end, no matter what the outcome.
 
Thanks to mgarbowski 's poignant analysis, I've dropped Chicago & Houston from the standings. Everyone but Atlanta played this week. I've also added PPG, GFA & GAA, since we have some real statistics junkies on here.

Screenshot 2018-05-29 21.15.42.png

Portland jumped NJ this week with their win and NJ's draw. Our loss didn't drop us in the standings, but Atlanta now is only a point behind with a game in hand. Our home match coming up versus them will be critical. And Columbus is right back in there with us and Atlanta as well, though still with extra games played.

This week's matchups:

WEDNESDAY 5/30:
ATL @ NE 7:30pm

SATURDAY 6/2:
LAG @ POR 5pm
PHI @ ATL 7:30pm
NJ @ NE 7:30pm
ORL @ NYC 7:30pm
TOR @ CLB 7:30pm

Atlanta catches back up to us on games played by first going into a difficult environment in NE, then flying back home to take on a Philly team that looked strong vs NJ this week. Not an easy 2 game stretch in 4 days before their opening USOC match vs the Charleston Battery only 4 days after that.

NJ also has to play at the Revs. I think we are all Revs fans this week, hoping they can go 2-0 at home vs our 2 biggest rivals this season.

Portland hosts a LAG team that has been up and down. Columbus hosts a Toronto team that might be the most talented in the league, but hasn't seemed to find itself after the CCL final loss.

And we host Orlando and our former boss, maybe without our current boss? We seem to handle Orlando well stylistically. However questions remain who will start, especially considering with have a USOC match @ NJ a few days later.
 
So this boils down to beating who we should beat. Our schedule is apparently easier later in the year. Let's see.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SoupInNYC
Updated after Wednesday's matchups. After 47 matches played, NYC & Atlanta have the same exact record. But we're 20 goals down on GD. And thanks to their draw in NE Wednesday, they are now in 1st place again going into Saturday's matchups.

Screenshot 2018-06-01 09.37.39.png



SATURDAY 6/2:
LAG @ POR 5pm
PHI @ ATL 7:30pm
NJ @ NE 7:30pm
ORL @ NYC 7:30pm
TOR @ CLB 7:30pm
 
And after the full slate of weekend matchups, here's how we stand. No real movement on the board. We remain in a virtual tie with Atlanta, with them still having a large GD advantage over us (and goals scored too). But we have more home matches and easier opponents down the stretch. Columbus and Portland both drew (I won't get into how CLB didn't lose). and NJ had a loss in NE to widen the gap, even with two matches in hand.

Screenshot 2018-06-04 07.50.21.png

There are USOC midweek matchups, which should lead to some funky lineups for all the teams. But let's hope NYCFC saves their best stuff for the opening to Saturday, because we have one hell of a matchup vs Atlanta who we are still tied for first with in CCL, and just 2 points behind in the SS standings. We drew them last time we played in Atlanta, let's hope this is the last time we see them this season and can earn 3 more points against them in the confines of Yankee Stadium where our Pigeons currently hold a 6-0-0 record this season.

Then we get a break with USA vs France.

Then it's Columbus vs NJ, another important match where CCL teams are competing. With 4 points and a match in hand on Columbus, I think I can revert back to my old ways of rooting against NJ. Though I'd also take a draw.

After a few hours to sober up, or taking in a few more MLS matchups, we end with SKC at Portland. SKC is #2 in the SS standings, and super strong up top with talisman Khiry Shelton at their helm. Since SKC plays in the west and SS has zero cup ramifications this season, we keep our blue on and hope they steal 3 points in Portland.

SATURDAY:
ATL @ NYC 12:30
USA @ France 3:00
NJ @ CLB 5:00
SKC @ POR 10:30
 
Because our numbers guru mgarbowski thinks they should be included, I've added Dallas into the standings:

Screenshot 2018-06-04 14.57.19.png

SATURDAY:
ATL @ NYC 12:30
USA @ France 3:00 (no CCL significance)
NJ @ CLB 5:00
MTL @ DAL 8:00
SKC @ POR 10:30
 
Good call. We can assume it would open up a CCL spot for the 2nd most points, aggregate. In 2017 & 2018.
I guess we should also root for those other teams that are competing with us for these spots as it would remove one of them from "competing with us" in essence. So Atlanta over Charleston, Crew over Fire, Dallas over San Antonio, and Portland over Golden State.

Out of those listed above, all are playing non-MLS teams except the Crew. And I would expect the Fire to load up their roster for the US Open Cup as this appears to be their best path to a trophy this year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: adam
Well we have a whole thread to rehash the premier matchup this week regarding CCL standings. So I'm not duplicating here. NJ v CLB also worked out quite well for us as they also drew 1-1, keeping our 4 point lead and game in hand. Dallas won and Portland drew, which lifted Dallas past NJ and in a tie for points with Portland (who owns the GD tiebreaker). I still find it extraordinary that after 49 matches played both NYC and Atlanta have the same exact record, they even drew twice against each other this season. Someone who's better at numbers than I can figure out those odds.

Screenshot 2018-06-10 09.13.44.png

NYC is off this week. But there are important matches Wednesday and this weekend. After 1st & 2nd places meeting this week, 1st place ATL now travels to 3rd Columbus on Wednesday to play their 2nd tough away matchup in 2 weeks. NJ hosts a underperforming Seattle team with their USMNT players back from an impressive performance at France. Happy viewing!

WENDESDAY:
ATL @ CLB 7:30pm
SEA @ NJ 8:00pm
 
Last edited:
Well we have a whole thread to rehash the premier matchup this week regarding CCL standings. So I'm not duplicating here. NJ v CLB also worked out quite well for us as they also drew 1-1, keeping our 4 point lead and game in hand. Dallas won and Portland drew, which lifted Dallas past NJ and in a tie for points with Portland (who owns the GD tiebreaker). I still find it extraordinary that after 49 matches played both NYC and Atlanta have the same exact record, they even drew twice against each other this season. Someone who's better at numbers than I can figure out those odds.

View attachment 8760

NYC is off this week. But there are important matches Wednesday and this weekend. After 1st & 2nd places meeting this week, 1st place ATL now travels to 3rd Columbus on Wednesday to play their 2nd tough away matchup in 2 weeks. NJ hosts a underperforming Seattle team with their USMNT players back from an impressive performance at France. Portland hosts the Zlatans on Friday night after drawing at home to top of the West SKC this past weekend. Then on Saturday NJ starts to catch up with their games in hand by playing at a tough Philly team who still had Ernie Stewart at it's helm for a few more weeks. And Dallas travels to one of the hardest places to play in the MLS; SKC. Happy viewing!

WENDESDAY:
ATL @ CLB 7:30pm
SEA @ NJ 8:00pm

FRIDAY:
LAG @ POR 11:00pm

SATURDAY:
NJ @ PHI 7:00pm
DAL @ SKC 9:00pm

Please note that Friday and Saturday matches are US Open Cup and have no relevance to his table aside from a more congested schedule further down into the year.
 
Please note that Friday and Saturday matches are US Open Cup and have no relevance to his table aside from a more congested schedule further down into the year.

Thanks. Didn’t notice that. I’ll fix it.
 
Please note that Friday and Saturday matches are US Open Cup and have no relevance to his table aside from a more congested schedule further down into the year.
But we should still root for SKC in its USOC game, along with any of the contenders for combined table to advance. SKC winning it again this year opens up another spot and a contender winning means we are no longer competing with them for the combined table going forward.
 
  • Like
Reactions: adam and LionNYC
But we should still root for SKC in its USOC game, along with any of the contenders for combined table to advance. SKC winning it again this year opens up another spot and a contender winning means we are no longer competing with them for the combined table going forward.

A SKC v ATL USOC final would be our best result possible.