Race for CCL Spot 2019
- Thread starter adam
- Start date
Sports hernia? Who do they have to step in - I feel like their bench is kinda weak, so will they tap up Carleton?
Many ATL fans talk about him the way we do Ring -- he puts up few sparkly numbers but is the key part of making the team work. I'm just not sure if they believe that or is it simply them talking themselves into voting him on the All Star team.
I wonder if they can rearrange the lineup to accommodate Villalba, who is working back in after injury.
It will be amusing to see if they put in Villalba and basically have all attacking players and 87 year old Latentowicz trying to stop all attacks. Who cares about defense.
So I've been a little behind due to the holiday and midweek matchups. Here's how we stood after last week's results:
And now I've updated this after the Dallas/Atlanta result last night:
Matchups this week:
WEDNESDAY 7/4:
ATL 2 @ DAL 3
SATURDAY 7/7:
ATL @ PHI 7:00
DAL @ RSL 10:00
CLB @ LAG 10:30
SJ @ POR 11:00
SUNDAY 7/8:
NJ @ NYC 7:00
With Atlanta's loss, we can take the lead in the CCL race by winning our 2 matches in hand. We can also draw even with a win and a draw (4 points). However, we'd still be way behind on GD, so the only way to really pass Atlanta is to be ahead on overall points when it's all said and done. The crew are only 4 points back, but we have 2 matches in hand, I'm sill not too concerned there. NJ is the team that concerns me the most. If they win their match in hand, they are only 3 points back! Considering we have 2 remaining matches between our teams, they can pass us in the CCL standings by wining both matches and pacing us the rest of the way (I believe they would win out on number of wins). Besides for our own sanity, the match Sunday has some HUGE ramifications for the remainder of the season. I hope Dome has our team prepared.
*BOLD teams denotes they are listed on the CCL standings table above.
And now I've updated this after the Dallas/Atlanta result last night:
Matchups this week:
WEDNESDAY 7/4:
ATL 2 @ DAL 3
SATURDAY 7/7:
ATL @ PHI 7:00
DAL @ RSL 10:00
CLB @ LAG 10:30
SJ @ POR 11:00
SUNDAY 7/8:
NJ @ NYC 7:00
With Atlanta's loss, we can take the lead in the CCL race by winning our 2 matches in hand. We can also draw even with a win and a draw (4 points). However, we'd still be way behind on GD, so the only way to really pass Atlanta is to be ahead on overall points when it's all said and done. The crew are only 4 points back, but we have 2 matches in hand, I'm sill not too concerned there. NJ is the team that concerns me the most. If they win their match in hand, they are only 3 points back! Considering we have 2 remaining matches between our teams, they can pass us in the CCL standings by wining both matches and pacing us the rest of the way (I believe they would win out on number of wins). Besides for our own sanity, the match Sunday has some HUGE ramifications for the remainder of the season. I hope Dome has our team prepared.
*BOLD teams denotes they are listed on the CCL standings table above.
If NYCFC loses, they are looking up at not only the shield but a first round bye as well and might not get it back given 1) the quality of the two teams ahead of them and 2) the fact that the team is a tire fire on the road.
(and honestly, 3rd place is looking like right where we'll fit in, since there is a slight gap beginning to open between us three and the rest)
Updated after last night's matches:
WEDNESDAY 7/4:
ATL 2 @ DAL 3
SATURDAY 7/7:
ATL 2 @ PHI 0
DAL 0 @ RSL 2
CLB 0 @ LAG 4
SJ 1 @ POR 2
SUNDAY 7/8:
NJ @ NYC 7:00
With their win at Philly, Atlanta now has 7 points on us, but we have 3 matches in hand. Portland is now beginning to worry me, their ppg is above NJ and they have 2 matches in hand on us (5 on Atlanta), the most matches remaining of any team on the table. If they were to win their 2 matches in hand on us, they'd only be a point back on the table. Columbus is 4 points behind us, but are in a death spiral and every team but Atlanta has matches in hand on them. Tonight is really going to go a long way to deciding how this table shapes up over the next few months.
Portland should do well over the next month. After an Away game to LAFC next weekend, they have 4 straight at home against teams with a blended Away PPG of 0.74. After that their schedule is pretty normal. If NYC (and others) can hold them off through that stretch it should be very possible to stay ahead.
I never rated Savarese as a good coach since he was with the Kosmos who had a roster multiple times better than the rest of the NASL, but Portland’s roster is nothing special across MLS, and yet he’s doing a remarkable job. It will be interesting if his success carries through not only to the end of this season, but also to next when players come/go for Portland and the rest of the league.
So, basically, you're saying he's the exact opposite of Kreis?
I think there was a reason Porter was let go (or let to leave).
They probably knew they wanted Savarese and they were worried that he wouldn’t be available if they let Porter run out his contract.
Also, the nature of the league is such that a poor coach can hit on one formula that mostly works at the right time, get hot/lucky for 5 games and bring home a trophy. And all of that doesn’t change the fact that he’s not doing a good job.
Perfect example is the legendary MLS fraud Jason Kreis, RSL, circa 2009.
He may be. But I’ll say that I think the better analogue here is Porter is probably Kreis 2.1, slightly more astute - a definite upgrade, but Akron boys::former teammates.
Porter is definitely overrated but I don't think they had Savarese lined up ready to go.
From Porter's perspective, he left at the perfect time winning the MLS Cup, and will probably get him a bigger job in the next year or 2 in MLS somewhere before they realize he is a fraud.
https://www.usatoday.com/sports/mls/sagarin/
We have had the second toughest schedule so far in MLS. Only DC, who backloaded home games has had a tougher schedule.
We have had the second toughest schedule so far in MLS. Only DC, who backloaded home games has had a tougher schedule.
Updated after last night's match:
I feel much better about things now. The match last night put us 9 points clear of NJ and they only have a matching hand. We also have a 9 goal lead on GD and 2 more wins; so the tie breakers are in our favor as well. I'm still nervous about Portland, but they have to win all 3 one their matches in hand to get within a point of us; so let's see how their season continues to play out the rest of the way. As for this week:
WEDNESDAY 7/11:
MTL @ NYC 7:00
SATURDAY 7/14:
CLB @ NYC 7:00
SKC @ NJ 7:00
CHI @ DAL 8:00
SUNDAY 7/15:
SEA @ ATL 2:00
POR @ LAFC 6:00
We're the only team on the table with a double match week. 2 wins at home and an ATL loss and we'd top the table with a game in hand on ATL. NJ will have 2 games in hand on us by Sunday and Portland 4 games, we really want to rack up some points in this home stretch to keep them at a distance. This also could be Columbus' dagger in the heart with a loss to us on Saturday night (theoretically 13 points back & 13 games to play with us still having a game in hand).
I feel much better about things now. The match last night put us 9 points clear of NJ and they only have a matching hand. We also have a 9 goal lead on GD and 2 more wins; so the tie breakers are in our favor as well. I'm still nervous about Portland, but they have to win all 3 one their matches in hand to get within a point of us; so let's see how their season continues to play out the rest of the way. As for this week:
WEDNESDAY 7/11:
MTL @ NYC 7:00
SATURDAY 7/14:
CLB @ NYC 7:00
SKC @ NJ 7:00
CHI @ DAL 8:00
SUNDAY 7/15:
SEA @ ATL 2:00
POR @ LAFC 6:00
We're the only team on the table with a double match week. 2 wins at home and an ATL loss and we'd top the table with a game in hand on ATL. NJ will have 2 games in hand on us by Sunday and Portland 4 games, we really want to rack up some points in this home stretch to keep them at a distance. This also could be Columbus' dagger in the heart with a loss to us on Saturday night (theoretically 13 points back & 13 games to play with us still having a game in hand).
