Congratualations to the Columbus Crew, first team officially in the 2009 MLS Playoffs.
New England's two games this week are important to many teams chances, as well as their own. Chivas USA and DC United is a game that could clinch or eliminate teams. Toronto FC's and Real Salt Lake's off-week will make it so neither team can be mathematically eliminated this week. Kansas City Wizards may be the team that shocks MLS and slides into the playoffs. KC has games against Chivas, Seattle and DC United after this weekend's game against Houston. They could play their way into the Playoffs without too much other help by getting max points at these teams.
Clinchers
Columbus Crew - Clinched a playoff spot
46 pts, 26 games (1.77 pts/gm)
vs SEA (Sat 10/03)
Clinch top 2 East spots:
Win - CHI draw or loss OR NE < 6 points
Draw - (CHI draw or loss AND NE < 4 points) OR (NE loses both)
Loss - CHI draw or loss AND NE < 3 points
Houston Dynamo
43 pts, 27 games (1.59 pts/gm)
vs KC (Sun 10/04)
Clinch Playoff spot:
Win
Draw - DC draw or loss (TFC (including other teams tieing HOU) cannot pass HOU in tiebreak)
Los Angeles Galaxy
41 pts, 27 games (1.52 pts/gm)
vs CHI (Fri 10/02)
Clinch Playoff spot:
Win - (DC draw or loss) OR (CHI loss AND NE loses both)
Chicago Fire cannot clinch because there is a chance of TFC and NE tieing CHI to ruin CHI's tiebreak over TFC.
No clinch or mathematically out middle:
CHI- 41 pts, 27 games (1.52 pts/gm)
COL- 39 pts, 27 games (1.44 pts/gm)
CHV- 38 pts, 25 games (1.52 pts/gm)
SEA- 38 pts, 27 games (1.41 pts/gm)
NE - 37 pts, 25 games (1.48 pts/gm)
DC - 36 pts, 27 games (1.33 pts/gm)
TFC- 35 pts, 27 games (1.30 pts/gm)
RSL- 34 pts, 27 games (1.26 pts/gm)
Eliminateds
Kansas City Wizards
31 pts, 26 games (1.19 pts/gm)
at HOU (Sun 10/04)
Mathematically eliminate from Playoffs:
Loss - NE win w/ FCD and draw w/ COL AND CHV win AND SEA win
FC Dallas
30 pts, 26 games (1.15 pts/gm)
vs NE (Wed 9/30)
Mathematically eliminate from Playoffs:
Loss - SEA win
San Jose
25 pts, 25 games (1.00 pts/gm)
vs NY (Sat 10/03)
Mathematically eliminate from Playoffs:
Loss
Draw - NE > 0 points OR DC win
Win - NE win w/ FCD and loss w/ COL AND CHV win AND SEA win
New York Red Bulls - Mathematically Eliminated
Happy that RSL has at least one more free week? Or, do you notice a mistake in the clinchers or mathematically eliminated? Leave a comment below.
This article was composed and written by Craig Jackson (AKA TapocoL). He is the developer for The Fans Scorecard, the place for Major League Soccer player ratings.
