standings tightened up, but still at the top.
Don't think we have an injury thread this year so I guess this is the catch all thread for the teams' prospects.
Ricketts out for a month. Gonna be a lot of Ben Spencer and Hamilton this month me thinks. It'll be interesting to see how those two handle the workload.
While we can debate the impact of home advantage for the team, I think that home advantage is a big advantage for us (meaning the supporters) as it means that if we make it all the way to MLS Cup (sorry, when we make it), it will be here at BMO Field. So way more of us will be able to be there in person!
And, in terms of the debate, it is a statistical fact that the home advantage is more meaningful in soccer/football than in any other sport (I read some academic work saying that is because home crowds do have an impact on the refs, and since the refs can have a greater impact on the game in soccer than in other sports, home advantage is bigger in soccer than other sports).
Still at the top, but Chicago nipping at our heals.
Chicago also has very little depth esp in defence. And their GKs suck, though you don't need amazing GK to win in MLS
Years have gone by and Ive finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: A pretty move, for the love of God.
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I dont give a damn which team or country performs it.
-Eduardo Galeano
Chicago isn't going away
Chicago's July is
Vancouver home
Portland away
NYC away
SKC away
wheras ours is
Dallas away
Orlando away
NYCFC away
Rapids home
NYCFC home
Lets see how this looks on August 1st
A year ago, July 1, Seattle were 5-9-2 and dead last in the west. Philly was second in the east.
It's a long season, there are always huge summer signings, and injuries will have a big impact. I dread what happened to Dallas last year - they led Supporters Shield wire to wire, but lost Diaz in October, and without him they went out to Seattle.
I wish Supporters Shield mattered, but it doesn't. I am more concerned with getting Gio going. Even if it means loosening up in the back and losing a couple of games. We need to play offensive formations and get guys forward to help him out.
Last edited by ensco; 06-26-2017 at 08:15 AM.
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
Chicago keeps ripping it up at home.
We'll see what they're made of the next three games. I don't think they're as good as their record says.
Chicago can't keep that pace. I think they drop points tonight. Portland is a tough place to pick up points.
And Chicago lacks their midfield duo.
So Chicago tied their match, ahead of TFC now only on goal differential. TFC still in a good place to win it all.
Vancouver doing us a favor and taking all 3 points from NYCFC. I know we're all super focused on Chicago right now, but I wouldn't be surprised if NYC were in the mix come the end of the season. Between that and the Chicago tie and our win it was a pretty decent night for results.
TFC management changes: "like adding a new fish to your aquarium of failure." - Shakes
That's a really good result for Chicago though. Portland is a tough place to get points. I'm impressed. Hopefully these away games start to take a toll on them.
If we look at the standings in each conference, the difference between the top 5 and the bottom teams is away results. (LAG being the big weird exception this season)
If you can get a point in more then 50% of your way games, you are doing well. Which is why I think Chicago is a pretty good away team - points in 6 out of 9 away (we are 7 out of 10).
FWIW, a quick glance at the remaining games, Chicago has 7 games left against teams that are currently ranked 11th or lower; we have 9.
We also have one more home game.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto