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Sporting Kansas City
Following Wednesday's disappointing knockout round exit to Houston, taking in the rest of the MLS Cup playoffs this weekend didn't sit all the way at the top of my "want to do" list.
Being the seasoned Team Writer that I am, I decided it was a good idea to take in the four games from Friday to Sunday…
Real Salt Lake 0, Seattle Sounders 0 – Friday
With the Fire out, I have to say there are few teams in the league I would feel alright about winning MLS Cup and you know the Sounders do not fall in that category for me.
On the flip side, RSL has Fire legend C.J. Brown, defender Kwame Watson-Siriboe and even former Fire beat writer Sam Stejskal slingin' PR in Sandy, so if someone has to win MLS Cup, I wouldn't mind for it to be our friends from the Sawatch Front?
Playing on the Seattle Seahawks outlined pitch at CenturyLink Field Friday night, it was Nick Rimando who stood tall in net, making five big saves for RSL and even suffering a broken nose and laceration in the 67th minute after a collision with the Sounders Christian Tiffert.
The display left RSL head coach Jason Kreis to say, "I think it would have to go down as one of the best individual performances by any player that's ever worn an RSL jersey."
In my opinion, Rimando's historic performance will likely go down as one of the best ever in MLS postseason play.
In the end, RSL escaped Seattle with a 0-0 draw and head back to the friendly confines of Rio Tinto Stadium for Thursday night's second leg.
D.C. United 1, New York Red Bulls 1 – Saturday
Knowing that one point at any time during the regular season would have had the Fire playing in this series, I had the most trouble watching this game of any during the weekend. With that said, it was nice to see D.C. switch home legs with New York after Hurricane Sandy left Red Bull Arena unplayable for the weekend.
WATCH: D.C. United 1, New York Red Bulls 1
Come the 33rd minute of the tie, United looked to be in good shape when Red Bull defender Connor Lade was whistled for a handball in the box, forcing referee Jair Marrufo to point to the spot. Chris Pontius' take however wasn't the greatest, allowing Red Bull 'keeper Luis Robles to make one of his five saves on the night.
Despite the save, United would get on the board just after the hour mark when Chris Korb's dangerous cross to the six left Red Bull's Roy Miller with an attempted clear, instead roofing into the top of his own net.
In what seemed to be a comedy of errors, Red Bull would pull level with a United own goal just four minutes later. Off a corner kick from the right, defender Heath Pearce headed the ball back across goal, catching United goalkeeper Bill Hamid wrong footed before catching the ball inside his own goal and clearly across the line.
Perhaps most comical was Hamid's insistence that he'd been fouled on the play. A replay shows Red Bull defender Markus Holgersson ducking even as United's Dejan Jakovic is pushing him towards Hamid.
Own goals aside, the story of the match would be DC right back Andy Najar's sending off in the 71st minute. Shown a yellow card for his foul on Joel Lindpere in the 71st minute, the Honduran international threw the ball at Maruffo, forcing the referee to show the Honduran international a second yellow and then a red card, forcing United to play a man down the final 19+ minutes of the match.
United will definitely be without Najar as they head back to Red Bull Arena for leg two and if they advance, it's a fair bet they could lose him throughout a potential Eastern Conference Final series.
Houston Dynamo 2, Sporting Kansas City 0 – Sunday
In the surprise of the weekend, Houston came away with a dominant 2-0 victory over Sporting KC in leg one of their Eastern Conference semifinal series at BBVA Compass Stadium.
WATCH: Houston Dynamo 2, Sporting KC 0
Having defeated the Fire 2-1 on Wednesday night, the Dynamo were charged by the partisan crowd in Houston and went ahead in the 18th minute off of Adam Moffat's wonder-volley from outside the area.
On the other side of halftime, Will Bruin would score his third goal in two playoff matches, connecting once again with former Fire striker Calen Carr to seal the 2-0 victory in the 75th minute.
It's interesting to note that though the two sides finished even with 13 shots each, the Dynamo held just a 2-1 advantage in shots on goal, finishing both of their attempts for the win.
Houston can now go to LiveStrong Sporting Park on Wednesday, lose 1-0 and still advance to the Eastern Conference finals, knocking out the team with the second best record in the process…
San Jose Earthquakes 1, LA Galaxy 0 – Sunday
While the Dynamo didn't look like they'd played at midweek, the LA Galaxy certainly did, looking tired a times throughout Sunday night's home encounter.
Despite that, LA threatened just as much as San Jose but as so many other teams have this season, would fall victim to a late, late Earthquakes goal.
This time the marker would come from Honduran midfielder Victor Bernardez, who hit a low free kick underneath the jumping Omar Gonzalez and past Josh Saunders in the 94th minute, allowing the Quakes to stick with their "Goonies never say die" tagline.
The star-studded Galaxy will have a tall but not impossible order to overcome the 1-0 deficit in Wednesday's second leg at San Jose…
Second Leg Picks
New York Red Bulls 2, D.C. United 1 (NY Advances)
Sporting KC 2, Houston Dynamo 1( HOU Advances)
Real Salt Lake 2, Seattle 1 (RSL Advances)
San Jose Earthquakes 1, LA Galaxy 1 (SJ Advances)
Yesterday I detailed the heartbreak of the 1999 Western Conference semifinals against Dallas. Today, we look at the run to MLS Cup 2000…
With new commissioner Don Garber coming on board the previous fall, new rules were put in place for the 2000 season, namely 10 minutes of extra time instead of a shootout to decide tied games, the clock counting up (like the rest of the world) instead of down and perhaps hailing to his roots in the NFL, a switch to three divisions of four teams instead of two conferences of six.
Even though the Fire set club records for both points (57) and goals scored (67) in a season, the team still tied for first with Kansas City, but the Wizards owned a superior goal differential (by two goals), leaving the Fire the second seed heading into the postseason.
Because the 2000 playoff run ended up being the longest in club history (7 games) descriptions will be a tad bit shorter.
#2 Chicago Fire vs. #7 New England Revolution – MLS Cup quarterfinals (best of 3)
Chicago Fire 2, New England Revolution 1 (Game 1)
Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.
September 15, 2000
It would take just four minutes for the Fire to respond though as Revs defender Mauricio Wright attempts a headed clearance of Peter Nowak's free kick but instead hits it off the underside of the cross bar and into goal to equalize.
Fiery, second-year midfielder Dema Kovalenko would provide the winner in the 73rd, receiving a perfect chip from Hristo Stoitchkov in stride before beating a Revolution defender and finishing past Jeff Causey to give the Fire a 1-0 series lead.
New England Revolution 2, Chicago Fire 1 (Game 2)
Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.
September 19, 2000
The Fire would surrender the first goal in Game 2 as well when Wolde Harris picked up a loose ball on the right before springing future Fire forward Eric Wynalda through before the then all-time U.S. goal scorer tucked the ball inside the right post for a 1-0 lead.
Dema Kovalenko would find the 83rd minute equalizer when defender Tenywa Bonseu played a 35-yard ball forward from the right sideline and over three player into the path of the Ukrainian midfielder to finish past Causey for the second straight match.
The tying goal would stand only three minutes when Jose Luis Morales's free kick found Mauricio Wright who redeemed his own goal from Game 1 by heading the winner home inside the left post to send the series back to force Game 3 in Chicago.
Chicago Fire 6, New England Revolution 0 (Game 3)
Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.
September 22, 2000
While Games 1 and 2 were tight, from nearly the first whistle Game 3 was a complete shellacking as the Fire took a 1-0 lead when Ante Razov cleanly finished DaMarcus Beasley's cross in the fifth minute.
Hristo Stoitchkov would put his name on the scoresheet first in the 14th when Kovalenko crossed for the Bulgarian who finished from the left. Three minutes later, Stoitchkov let loose on a 50 yard run before slipping his effort through the legs of Causey.
Into first half stoppage time, Stoitchkov heads Peter Nowak through the middle of the field before the Polish midfielder rockets his effort into the back of the net.
With the game firmly in hand after halftime, the Fire would provide two more strikes as Razov finished Stoitchkov's pass in the 65th before Same George cleaned up Razov's rebound in the 75th. The final goal gave Fire the then most lopsided victory in club history as well as advanced the club back to the MLS Cup semifinals.
#2 Chicago Fire vs. #3 MetroStars – MLS Cup semifinals (best of 3)
Chicago Fire 3, MetroStars 0 (Game 1)
Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.
September 26, 2000
Despite the Metros holding a 9-7 shots on goal advantage by game's end, the Fire carried the momentum from the previous match over to Game 1.
WATCH: 2000 Eastern Conference Final and MLS Cup
The home side would go up 1-0 in the 21st when Dema Kovalenko's shot from the right eludes the dive of Mike Petke and falls perfectly for Hristo Stoitchkov who taps in from close range.
In the 35th minute, Chris Armas steals the ball at midfield, dibbles down the center channel and plays Jesse Marsch into the right corner. The veteran midfielder then crosses to the middle of the box for Kovalenko, providing the second-year Fire player his third goal of the playoffs.
The team would close out the game late when Diego Gutierrez chips DaMarcus Beasley into space up the left. The rookie winger dribbles around Metros 'keeper Paul Grafer before centering for Razov for an easy finish in the 84th minute to give the Fire a 3-0 win.
MetroStars 2, Chicago Fire 0 (Game 2)
Giants Stadium in The Meadowlands, NJ
September 30, 2012
The MetroStars would bounce back with a solid performance in Game 2, using Mark Chung's individual effort in the 40th before Adolfo Valencia iced the match in the 84th to send the series back to Chicago for the MLS Cup decider a week later.
Chicago Fire 3, MetroStars 2 (Game 3)
Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.
October 6, 2012
The Fire would get on the board early when Hristo Stoitchkov's corner finds its way through traffic before finding C.J. Brown who touches it inside the left post, scoring his only MLS Cup playoff goal and just one of six in his 13-year FIRE career.
The Men in Red looked to be coasting to an easy victory in the 31st when Ante Razov laid off a ball for Stoitchkov on the left. The former European Player of the Year juked Mike Petke before lashing a beater past Mike Ammann to take a 2-0 lead. If his goal wasn't spectacular enough, his fishing-pole celebration certainly was.
The advantage would be erased within five minutes though as Adolfo Valencia tallied his second and third goals of the series. The first would come just a minute after Stoitchkov's strike, as the Colombian forward glanced in Petke's cross from the right. Four minutes later midfielder Alex Comas' shot was spilled by Zach Thornton and Valencia was there to clean up the rebound.
After a back and forth second half, the Fire would eventually find the winner in the 88th minute when Chris Armas sent a long ball up the middle of the field for a streaking Razov. The club's all-time leading goal scorer beat the offside trap, took a few touched and finished to the right of Ammann to send the team to its second MLS Cup final in three seasons.
#1 Kansas City Wizards (1-0) #2 Chicago Fire – MLS Cup Final
Played October 15, 2000 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
After the two sides tied on points during MLS regular season, they would fittingly meet in that year's MLS Cup final.
The Fire would go down early in the 11th minute when Chris Klein streaked up the right and crossed for Danish striker Miklos Molnar. On a bit of a broken play, Molnar's first attempt deflected off of Jesse Marsch but then fell for him to tap in from close range.
The Fire would take charge of the rest of the match being thwarted time and time again by Wizards goalkeeper Tony Meola. Going through a career renaissance that year, the veteran U.S. international would make a frustrating 10 saves in the match. I'll save the trouble of describing each one by just saying you should watch the highlight video.
After a disappointing finish in 1999, the Fire put in a valiant effort in 2000, falling just one hurdle short of a second MLS Cup in three years of existence.
Six days later though, the team would get some redemption by hoisting its second Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 2-1 victory over Miami.
Saturday night's flat performance at New England combined with results in New York, D.C. and Houston have put the Fire in a precarious position going into this weekend's regular season finale vs. United. With all five playoff teams now known, the result for the Men in Red means the team could literally still be seeded anywhere from second to fifth in the East come Sunday morning…
With only one regular season game left, this will be the last edition of Playoff Math for 2012 where I look at each team's best and worst case scenarios and potential seedings. Enjoy!
1) Sporting KC
Current Points: 60 (40 GF)
Maximum Possible Points: 63
Highest/Lowest Possible Seed: 1/2
Last Game: vs. Philadelphia (10/24).
The Rundown: Things have worked pretty well for KC heading into the playoffs. Saturday night they went and earned a second result in New York this season and combined with the Fire's failure at New England, have nearly locked down the top spot in the East. At the very least, they'll finish second.
The Best Case: All they need to do is earn a draw in their final game against Philadelphia to take the top seed.
The Worst Case: A loss to Philly at midweek combined with a D.C.win over the Fire would push Sporting down to second based on the Goals For tiebreaker.
Beyond just being a solid team, Sporting have more than earned their position in the table by being smart about how they've earned results in difficult places to play.
2) D.C. United
Current Points: 57 (52 GF)
Maximum Possible Points: 60
Highest/Lowest Possible Seed: 1/4
Last Game: at Chicago (10/27; 3pm CT on NBC Sports Network)
The Rundown: D.C. was the biggest mover of the night and did it all in dramatic fashion by coming back from two deficits to eventually down the Columbus 3-2 behind Lewis Neal's stoppage time strike. The win propelled United past the Fire and into second, qualified them for their first postseason berth since 2007 all the while helping to end the Crew's postseason hopes.
The Best Case: A win Saturday against the Fire combined with a Sporting loss to Philadelphia would push United to first in the East. They could still lock down second on Saturday with just a draw against Chicago.
The Worst Case: A loss to the Fire and a New York win over Philadelphia would push D.C. to fourth and force them to host the Eastern Conference play-in game on October 31 or November 1.
3) Chicago Fire
Current Points: 56 (45 GF)
Maximum Possible Points: 59
Highest/Lowest Possible Seed: 2/5
Last Game: vs. D.C. United (10/27; 3pm CT on NBC Sports Network)
The Rundown: After winning seven of eight in late summer and fall, the Men in Red have dropped their last three of four. There is reason to be nervous but be glad the team is home and can still control their own destiny as it comes to earning a higher seed.
The Best Case: All it would take for the Fire to lock up second in the East is a win at home against D.C. on Saturday.
The Worst Case: New York will end its match with Philadelphia a half hour before kickoff at Toyota Park -- If the Red Bulls win and the Fire lose or draw against D.C. the team will at least be condemned to fourth place.
Then the team will point its eyes to Denver where Colorado hosts Houston (8pm CT) in the final match of the 2012 MLS regular season – if the Dynamo win with a Fire loss against DC, the Men in Red will fall to fifth and open up the postseason at Houston. If the Fire draw against D.C., they'll remain fourth regardless of what happens in Colorado.
4) New York Red Bulls
Current Points: 54 (54 GF)
Maximum Possible Points: 57
Highest/Lowest Possible Seed: 3/5
Last Game: at Philadelphia (10/27; 12:30pm CT on NBC Sports Network)
The Rundown: New York will be disappointed to not have done more against Sporting KC in two huge home games towards the end of the season but will be happy to go into the final weekend with a playoff berth locked.
The Best Case: Because the Fire and United play and are already ahead of New York, there is no way for Red Bull to finish higher than third. With that in mind, all they need to do is defeat Philadelphia to lock in third place and avoid the play-in game.
The Worst Case: A draw or less to Philadelphia and then Red Bull will also be watching the Houston/Colorado match closely that night. A Houston win would mean the Dynamo would at the very least host New York in the play-in game, while a draw or loss would mean Red Bull would host the Dynamo.
5) Houston Dynamo
Current Points: 53 (48 GF)
Maximum Possible Points: 56
Highest/Lowest Possible Seed: 3/5
last Game: at Colorado (10/27 8pm CT on Direct Kick/MLS Live)
The Rundown: Houston's 3-1 win over Philadelphia Saturday night combined with D.C.'s victory over Columbus clinched the 2011 MLS Cup finalists a place back in the playoffs. Because of their appearance in last year's championship match, the Dynamo also have to juggle the final group game of CONCACAF Champions League play this Wednesday when they welcome Honduran side Olimipa to BBVA Compass Stadium.
Luckily for the Dynamo, they need only a draw in the game to ensure advancement to the next round ahead of having to close out the regular season and fight for positioning in the East with a match at altitude in Colorado.
The Best Case: The Dynamo could finish as high as third in the East if both New York and Chicago lose their games earlier in the day and Houston defeats Colorado.
The Worst Case: The Fire and Red Bull both win their earlier matches condemning the Dynamo to fifth and rendering the game that night at Colorado meaningless. In that case, Houston would travel to D.C. United for the play-in game.
A lot has changed since my last Playoff Math entry. The team had just come off a disappointing 2-0 loss to Sporting KC while almost no other result in the East had gone the Fire's way that weekend. The team would follow the loss to KC up with a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Philadelphia on Anniversary Night before earning a solid 2-0 win at New York three days later.
It all goes to show that Playoff Math isn't always foolproof but a good read nonetheless. With that here's the latest update, also recognizing the field in the East is down to six teams with Montreal's elimination last week…
1) Sporting KC (qualified)
Current Points: 59 (40 GF)
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 65
Average Opponents Points: 44.5
Magic Number (for first place): 4
Remaining Schedule: at New York (10/20), vs. Philadelphia (10/24).
The Rundown: Sporting KC took a potential blow to their first place bid by leaving two points on the field late at Crew Stadium last Sunday. KC still has the inside track to finishing top of the conference for the second straight season but will have to navigate a tricky match at Red Bull this week to get there. If they can earn another win in New York, they'' all but clinch the top spot in the East, then needing only a win the following Wednesday home to Philadelphia.
2) Chicago Fire (qualified)
Current Points: 56 (45 GF)
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 62
Average Opponents Points: 41. 5
Magic Number (to first place): 9
Remaining Schedule: at New England (10/20), vs. D.C. United (10/27)
The Rundown: Despite falling in two of the last three matches, the Fire are in the playoffs and still find themselves with a reasonable shot at taking first in the East with the Sporting/Red Bull match looming this weekend. If Red Bull is able to win and the Fire can come away from New England victorious as well on Saturday, they'll be even on points with first place Kansas City and actually ahead on the first tie breaker (goals for).
That scenario would almost assuredly just require a Fire win on the final of the season vs. DC United to lock down first place (Sporting KC would have make up 6+ goals on Philadelphia in order to jump over the Fire.
More incentive to keep in mind… Should the Fire win their final two games, they'll at least finish third overall in the MLS standings, giving them a real shot at the CONCACAF Champions League should either Sporting KC or San Jose make MLS Cup.
3) D.C. United
Current Points: 54
Games Remaining: 3 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 60
Average Opponents Points: 52.5
Magic Number (to qualify): 2
Remaining Schedule: vs. Columbus (10/20), at Chicago (10/27)
The Rundown: D.C. has the most difficult remaining schedule of the group but with them hosting sixth-place Columbus Saturday, can step into the playoffs with just a draw Saturday against the Crew. With United facing the Fire on the final day of the season, D.C. has plenty of incentive to go for wins in both games in order to possibly finish with home field advantage in the first round. Should the Fire and Sporting KC completely collapse the Capital City club even has an outside shot at first in the East.
4) New York Red Bulls
Current Points: 53
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 59
Average Opponents Points: 47.5
Magic Number (to qualify): 3
Remaining Schedule: vs. Sporting KC (10/20), at Philadelphia (10/27)
The Rundown: New York's form the last four games combined with front office shake ups and chatter about head coach Hans Backe's status for next year can't fill a Red Bull fan full of confidence. Still, they control their own playoff destiny and can qualify as well as play spoiler this weekend with a win at home vs. Sporting KC.
With the Red Bulls going 10-0-3 through their first 13 matches this season at Red Bull Arena, both Sporting and the Fire found the chink in the armor there in recent weeks. Even still, New York remains 11-2-3 at home this year and shouldn't be underestimated with their backs a bit against the wall on Saturday.
5) Houston Dynamo
Current Points: 50
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 56
Average Opponents Points: 33.5
Magic Number: 6
Remaining Schedule: vs. Philadelphia (10/20), at Colorado (10/27)
The Rundown: Despite having a reasonably easy schedule to close the 2012 campaign, Houston has made things sort of difficult on themselves down the stretch, going 1-1-1 in their last three matches all against sides outside of the playoff picture. Luckily, they still have the easiest schedule of all remaining playoff teams, hosting Philadelphia this weekend before visiting Colorado on the 27th.
With that high-altitude trip looming on the final day, the Dynamo would do well to take care of business Saturday against the Union where a win would necessitate just a draw on at the Rapids. A win Saturday combined with a Crew loss at DC would push Houston back into the playoffs for the second straight season.
6) Columbus Crew
Current Points: 49
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 55
Average Opponents Points: 38
Magic Number: 8
Remaining Schedule: at D.C. United (10/20), vs. Toronto FC (10/28)
The Rundown: Another late goal last Sunday at home vs. Sporting KC likely salvaged the Crew's season, keeping the team within one point of fifth place Houston heading into a harrowing six-pointer Saturday at DC.
A victory keeps the team in the playoff hunt heading into the last match of the season, a very winnable home game vs. Toronto. A win plus a Houston draw or loss puts the Crew in the driver's seat. They've played with nothing to lose since August, no reason they should stop now.
From a traveling fan perspective, all of Fire nation should want the Crew to sneak into the playoffs and the Fire to have a chance at them in the first round.
This Week's Predictions:
New York Red Bulls 2, Sporting KC 1
Chicago Fire 2, New England Revolution 0
D.C. United 1, Columbus Crew 1
Houston Dynamo 2, Philadelphia Union 1
If those hold true the standings coming out of the weekend would be...
1) x-Chicago - 59pts. (47 GF)
2) x-Sporting KC - 59pts. (41 GF)
3) x-New York - 56pts. (56 GF)
4) x-D.C. United - 55pts. (50 GF)
5) Houston - 53pts. (47 GF)
6) Columbus - 50pts. (41 GF)
Let's hope I'm right!
A 2-0 defeat at Sporting KC Friday; Red Bull defeat Toronto FC 4-1; Columbus takes advantage of an offside goal to earn another late win; The Dynamo overpower New England 2-0…
The Chicago Fire were about 11 minutes from having literally every result this weekend go against them before Portland's Bright Dike roofed an effort past Bill Hamid to earn the Timbers a 1-1 home draw against D.C. United.
That result in Portland combined with the other four this weekend pushed the Fire down to third place (tied on points with New York) and just five points ahead of the sixth-place Crew with four matches remaining and just as many openings in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Fire and many other fans in the East deserve to be a little frustrated. The past few seasons it didn't take this much to qualify for the playoffs.
Even with most teams having three to four games left in the season, total wins in the East are currently at 122, up from 88 which was the total through the end of 2011. Playoff team wins (or translated to last year, Top 5 team wins) total in at 76 right now over 59 through the end of 2011. More simply put, it took fifth place New York just 46 points to qualify for the postseason last year, while this year sixth place Columbus sits on 48 points and outside of the current playoff bubble.
WATCH: Sporting KC 2, Chicago Fire 0
Make no mistake, all five teams that make it from the East will have earned it this season…
PLAYOFF MATH…I've added magic numbers to the breakdown this week. For a definition on what the magic number is in soccer, click here.
1) Sporting KC (qualified)
Current Points: 58
Games Remaining: 3 (1 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 67
Average Opponents Points: 43.6
Magic Number (for first place): 8
Remaining Schedule: at Columbus (10/7), at New York (10/20), vs. Philadelphia (10/24).
The Rundown: Sporting KC navigated their difficult stretch of three games in nine days about as perfectly as they could have expected. The team earned a valuable 2-0 win at New York on September 19, played strategically for a point at Montreal three days later and returned home on Friday to defeat the Fire, taking seven points from the three matches.
WATCH: New York Red Bulls 4, Toronto FC 1
The victory over Chicago on Friday not only opened up a somewhat comfortable five-point gap between first and second but also pushed KC back into the playoffs. They still have two tough games at Columbus who are 10-3-2 at home this season and fighting for their playoff lives and a trip back to New York, but if they can negotiate that two-game stretch as well as the three games before it, they shouldn't have an issue finishing in poll-position in the East.
2) New York Red Bulls
Current Points: 53 (tied with Fire, ahead on Goals For tiebreaker)
Games Remaining: 3 (2 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 62
Average Opponents Points: 47
Magic Number (playoffs): 5
Remaining Schedule: vs. Chicago (10/6), vs. Sporting KC (10/20), at Philadelphia (10/27)
The Rundown: New York did what they needed to in taking a 4-1 victory over Toronto Saturday night. They face perhaps the toughest remaining schedule of anyone in the East, having to face both the Fire and Sporting KC, albeit at home, in back-to-back matches. The results of those two games will go a long towards determining where all three teams will finish.
How they qualify: Red Bull can qualify for the playoffs this week by defeating the Fire and having Columbus either lose or draw to Sporting KC (Sunday) or Houston lose to Montreal (Saturday).
3) Chicago Fire
Current Points: 53 (tied with New York)
Games Remaining: 4 (2 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 65
Average Opponents Points: 40.75
Magic Number: 5
Remaining Schedule: vs. Philadelphia (10/3), at New York (10/6), at New England (10/20), vs. D.C. United (10/27)
The Rundown: While it wasn't what you wanted, there was nothing disastrous about Friday night's result at Kansas City. One thing to remember is that the Fire hold a game in hand over everyone else in the playoff race and that game is made up this week with Wednesday's clash vs. Philadelphia and Saturday's match at New York.
If the Fire can manage to take at least four points from the week, they would almost assuredly have booked their place in the postseason and even three points would go a long way toward playoff qualification. Anything less and the team will have made things much more difficult than need be on themselves.
Luckily enough, Wednesday's game comes against lowly Philadelphia who will be on one day less rest than the Fire and who haven't beaten any of the top seven teams in the East away from home, going 0-6-0 in those games this season.
WATCH: D.C. United 1, Portland Timbers 1
While it'll be expected for the Fire to take three points against the Union, the more difficult match will come Saturday against Red Bull. If the team gets a win against Philly, a draw would be ok to keep the Fire in position ahead of New York to push for second place in the East.
Keep in mind though, waking up Sunday morning is all the more reason to hope the Fire can earn just one more point than Red Bull as there's little to no chance the team will win a tie-breaker with the high-flying New York offense.
How they qualify: The Fire can qualify for the playoffs in a variety of ways this week but at the very least need three points from their two matches vs. Philadelphia (Wednesday) and at New York (Saturday), combined with a Columbus loss or draw vs. Sporting KC (Sunday) or a Houston loss vs. Montreal (Saturday). Two wins in the two matches and the rest won't matter as the Fire will have booked their ticket.
4) D.C. United
Current Points: 51
Games Remaining: 3 (1 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 60
Average Opponents Points: 41
Magic Number: 7
Remaining Schedule: at Toronto FC (10/6), vs. Columbus (10/20), at Chicago (10/27)
The Rundown: Given that it would have made for a three-way tie for second place, D.C. will be a bit disappointed not to have taken three points at Portland Saturday. Taking care of business at Toronto on Saturday will be most important for United as their final two matches look like they could be of the six-point variety.
How they qualify: They can't this week. A win at Toronto and a Columbus loss this weekend won't be good enough to get D.C. into the playoffs before the international break as it would only equal six "magic number" points.
WATCH: Columbus 3, Philadelphia 2
5) Houston Dynamo
Current Points: 49
Games Remaining: 3 (2 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 58
Average Opponents Points: 33.3
Magic Number: 9
Remaining Schedule: vs. Montreal (10/6), vs. Philadelphia (10/20), at Colorado (10/27)
The Rundown: Houston stumbled last weekend at Philadelphia and had a bit of trouble in the first half Saturday night vs. New England but eventually got the job done. The Dynamo undoubtedly still have the easiest schedule in the East, with their hardest game coming against Montreal on Saturday. The goal of every team ahead of Houston should at least be to finish with more than 58 points as that is the closest thing to a playoff point threshold that exists right now.
How they qualify: Won't be able to think about qualification until at least October 20.
6) Columbus Crew
Current Points: 48
Games Remaining: 3 (32 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 57
Average Opponents Points: 43.6
Magic Number: 10
Remaining Schedule: vs. Sporting KC (10/7), at D.C. United (10/20), vs. Toronto FC (10/28)
The Rundown: The Crew did it again Saturday night, scoring another late winner, albeit one that was clearly offside. That doesn't matter now as Columbus kept pace in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race.
The result was huge as the Crew will be facing the East's top team in Sporting KC on Sunday before a certain six-pointer on October 20 at D.C. United. How they fare in these two games will go a long way to determining where they finish in the East but it seems a minimum of three points from the pair of matches will be absolutely necessary to stay alive going into their final game of the season vs. Toronto FC.
How they qualify: Would need a bit of help but could qualify on October 20.
7) Montreal Impact
Current Points: 40
Games Remaining: 3 (1 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 49
Average Opponents Points: 32.3
Remaining Schedule: at Houston (10/6), at Toronto FC (10/20), vs. New England (10/27)
The Rundown: Idle this week, Montreal are only mathematically still in. To qualify, they would need a monumental collapse from either Houston or Columbus while the Impact would have to run the table to finish the season. Even a draw at Houston on Saturday will bring their season to an end.
The Fire travel to LiveStrong Sporting Park on Friday night to face Sporting KC (LIVE 7:30pm CT on NBC Sports Network) in a game which could go a long way toward determining who wins the Eastern Conference crown. Both teams are playing well and it has all the makings of a classic. Here are a few things to watch out for from a tactical perspective...
Balls over the top: Fire defenders beware
Sporting KC have a tendency to look for balls into space behind the opposing teams outside defenders and the Fire will need to be wary of this tactic Friday night. KC attackers such as Kei Kamara, Graham Zusi and C.J. Sapong all like to make these runs which often drag a central defender out of position to cover, leaving space in the middle for the other attackers to move into.
PREVIEW: Fire vs. Sporting KC
The difficult part about defending these through balls is the fact that they can come from anywhere. In KC's last home match against Houston, it wasn't just midfielders like Roger Espinoza playing the balls into space but the defenders were getting in on the act, too.
Though he has played extremely well over the past month or so, Jalil Anibaba can sometimes stray too far forward which leaves space in behind him for players to run into and exploit. On the other side of the field, left back Gonzalo Segares also needs to be cautious.
High pressure: harass KC
In the Fire's past few matches, the team's policy of applying pressure to the opposition high up the field has been very effective. Not only does the pressure offer up the opportunity for a turnover, but it also disrupts the other team's attacking rhythm.
In KC's last game away to Montreal, the Impact used the high pressure tactic and caused all sorts of problems for the away side. I look for the likes of Chris Rolfe and Patrick Nyarko to be pressuring the KC players all night when they are in possession.
In the absence of Pavel Pardo, Alex has excelled in his new holding midfield position and his energy in the center of the park will be needed against Sporting KC. If he can also use his pace to pressure the KC midfield without straying too far out of position, it will be crucial to the Fire's chances of coming away with points.
Playoff atmosphere: keeping a cool head
There is so much riding on Friday night's match and both teams know what is a stake, which is all the more reason for the Fire players to keep cool heads throughout the game. Kansas City has a tendency to get riled up very easily, starting with their coach, Peter Vermes. Players such as Kai Kamara and Michael Harrington also can get very emotional on the pitch, especially if they feel calls are not going their way.
With this in mind, I'm sure Frank Klopas has reiterated to his players not to let their emotions get the better of them in this high pressure game. For the most part, the Fire haven't had any problems with this aspect of their game this season but in a match of such importance where there isn't much between the teams, keeping your head can mean the difference between a positive and negative result.
Scoring first: stopping the bad habit
Though not necessarily a tactical point, a worrying trait that many would like to see addressed is reversing the trend of giving up the first goal.
This season, the Fire have gone a goal behind in games much too often for the coaches, fans and players liking. Though the team has often come back to tie the game and gone on to win it in many cases, sooner or later giving up the first goal is going to come back to haunt the Men in Red.
Clearly there is no one reason for going behind in so many games this season but if the team can reverse that trend it will make everyone happy. In the regular season to date, the Fire have only kept five clean sheets, the last of which came 11 games ago (1-0 July 14 vs. Vancouver). A clean sheet away from home Friday against Sporting KC would be a fantastic achievement.
Prediction: 1-0. Nyarko scores and Fire keep first clean sheet in 11 games to move into first place in the East.
Stephen Piggott is a contributor to Chicago-Fire.com. Follow him on Twitter @irish_steve.
After Sunday, D.C. United continued to move up the Eastern Conference table even without Dwayne DeRosario, earning a 1-0 home win over Chivas USA. The shock result of the weekend likely came earlier in the day as Houston dropped a 3-1 decision at lowly Philadelphia, leaving them just one point above sixth place Columbus for the final playoff spot in the East.
Seeing as I broke down each team's remaining schedules prior to Sunday's two matches, I won't do it again here… Refer to that blog for an almost up-to-date breakdown.
Instead today's edition of Playoff Math will be shorter and potentially sweeter as I focus on "Magic Numbers"…
I've come to find out that with three variations of a result, "Magic Numbers" in soccer are more difficult to come by than in baseball, basketball or football. but I felt it part of my duties as Team Writer to work out just how close the Fire (and the rest of the East) are to playoff qualification.
To be clear, the "Magic Numbers" below do not reflect the number of points a team needs to earn but rather, the number of points a team needs to gain combined with the number of points the sixth place team (right now Columbus) needs to drop. In the Crew's case, it's in comparison to fifth place Houston.
As an example, the Fire could achieve their magic number of five by winning Friday night at Sporting KC (3 points) and then have Columbus lose (drop 3 points) or draw with Philadelphia (drop 2 points).
Also find the "Soonest Could Clinch" column which is pretty self-explanatory. It's factored by taking into account the date a team could gain maximum points and have the sixth place team no longer able to catch them.
Make sense? Here's the table…
|Games Left
|Max. Points
|Magic Number
|Soonest Could Clinch
|Sporting KC
|Chicago Fire
|NY Red Bulls
|D.C. United
|Houston Dynamo
|Columbus Crew
The only other team that can clinch qualification this week is of course Sporting, who simply need a victory over the Fire or a draw and Columbus defeat to book their ticket to the postseason.
Not that you need much more reason to tune into the Fire's game at Sporting KC Friday at 7:30pm CT on NBC Sports Network but it could end up being one of the biggest games of the season…
The Fire and Sporting KC did their part this week to make Friday's showdown at LiveStrong Sporting Park a massive one for the national television audience on NBC Sports Network... Below is a breakdown of the Playoff Math after Saturday's games. On Monday, following today's two matches, I'll have an update, including magic numbers for all team's in the East race.
WATCH: Chicago 2, Columbus 1 (9/22/2012)
1) Sporting KC
Current Points: 55
Games Remaining: 4 (2 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 67
Average Opponents Points: 43.7
Remaining Schedule: vs. Chicago (9/28), at Columbus (10/7), at New York (10/20), vs. Philadelphia (10/24).
The Rundown: Ending a stretch this weekend in which the team played three games in eight days, Sporting manager Peter Vermes did well to manage the scenario and keep his team atop the East with a huge 2-0 win over Red Bull at midweek before playing for a point at Montreal Saturday afternoon.
The decision to go for a draw with the Impact shows Vermes' confidence in his side heading into Friday's all-important six point clash with the Fire. A win for Sporting and they'll open up a five point lead at the top, while a loss would push the Fire into first place by one point, with the Men in Red holding a game in hand.
2) Chicago Fire
Current Points: 53
Games Remaining: 5 (2 home, 3 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 68
Average Opponents Points: 41.6
Remaining Schedule: at Sporting KC (9/28), vs. Philadelphia (10/3), at New York (10/6), at New England (10/20), vs. D.C. United (10/27)
The Rundown: Fans had all the reason to go into Saturday's game with chewed up finger nails. Sean Johnson's early giveaway that led to the Crew's early goal might have made you loose a bit of hair. In the end, what could have been a bogey game and a missed opportunity for three points just turned into yet another Fire win.
The club is on the brink of its first playoff qualification since 2009 and while going first on Friday is a real thing, they could also potentially clinch a postseason berth if the Crew fall next Saturday night against Philadelphia.
3) New York Red Bulls
Current Points: 50
Games Remaining: 4 (3 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 65
Average Opponents Points: 39.2
Remaining Schedule: vs. Toronto FC (9/29), vs. Chicago (10/6), vs. Sporting KC (10/20), at Philadelphia (10/27)
WATCH: New England 1, New York 1 (9/22/2012)
The Rundown: Save Montreal who are almost completely out of the playoff race, no one in the East had a worse week than Red Bull. A flat effort at home in midweek against Sporting KC in a match that could have taken them to the top of the East table combined with a gut-wrenching 1-1 draw Saturday at lowly New England leaves New York in a precarious position at the moment.
The good thing is that three of their remaining four matches are at home and two of those are against the Fire and Sporting KC. The bad thing is both D.C. and Houston play Sunday. A win by United over Chivas USA would pull them level with Red Bull on points while a Houston win over Philadelphia would pull them within one.
4) DC United
Current Points: 47
Games Remaining: 5 (2 home, 3 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 62
Average Opponents Points: 35.4
Remaining Schedule: vs. Chivas USA (9/23), at Portland (9/29), at Toronto FC (10/6), vs. Columbus (10/20), at Chicago (10/27)
The Rundown: Not a lot to say about United until they play their match vs. Chivas USA tonight (6pm CT on Galavision). D.C. did well enough to earn three points at Philadelphia at midweek and if they can take advantage of the easier schedule over the next few weeks, they'll be in very good shape for a top three finish, even without DeRo.
Food for thought: If D.C. were to drop a 4-0 scoreline on Chivas USA at RFK tonight, they would actually move into third place, beating Red Bull on the second tie breaker of Goal Differential...
5) Houston Dynamo
Current Points: 46
Games Remaining: 5 (3 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 61
Average Opponents Points: 30.4
Remaining Schedule: at Philadelphia (9/23), vs. New England (9/29), vs. Montreal (10/6), vs. Philadelphia (10/20), at Colorado (10/27)
The Rundown: Same as D.C. above. Houston should be favorites to win all five of their remaining matches, with their toughest opponent being Montreal on October 6. The favorable remaining schedules for both the Dynamo and United should give great caution to Sporting KC, Chicago and New York if they expect to finish in the top three.
6) Columbus Crew
Current Points: 45
Games Remaining: 4 (3 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 57
Average Opponents Points: 37.7
Remaining Schedule: vs. Philadelphia (9/29), vs. Sporting KC (10/7), at D.C. United (10/20), vs. Toronto FC (10/28).
The Rundown: Again last night, the Crew continue to showed why some should be skeptical about their late-season run as the team hasn't beaten anyone ahead of them lately. For a team trying to climb up the table, dropping points against those above you won't help your cause. With three of four remaining matches at home, Columbus is far from out of the race but can't afford many more slip-ups.
The October 20 game vs. United could be the make or break of their season.
7) Montreal Impact
Current Points: 40
Games Remaining: 3 (1 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 49
Average Opponents Points: 32.3
Remaining Schedule: at Houston (10/6), at Toronto FC (10/20), vs. New England (10/27)
The Rundown: Just here because of mathematics. Montreal did the Fire and the rest of the East a bit of a favor by earning a 0-0 draw with Sporting KC Saturday but leaving two points on the field at Stade Saputo has really determined the Impact's playoff fate in their expansion season. They'll take next weekend off and the rest of the East will hope they can pull another result at Houston before they finish off the season with games at Toronto and vs. New England.
Well, things didn't go our way last night.
Out East, Sporting KC did what no one else has done this season, using two goals inside the first 20 minutes from C.J. Sapong and Kei Kamara to defeat New York at Red Bull Arena 2-0. From the offset, it seemed a game that New York wasn't quite up for as Sporting dictated the play, much to the visible frustration of Red Bull captain Thierry Henry.
Both teams face a quick turnaround for Saturday as KC (54pts.) heads to Montreal (39pts.) for a matinee kick (12pm CT on MLS Live/Direct Kick) while New York (49pts.) visits New England (6:30pm CT MLS Live/Direct Kick).
A little bit closer to home, Columbus found another late winner, this time an 89th minute strike from substitute Justin Meram to earn a 1-0 victory and a valuable three home points over Chivas USA. The win keeps the East race very tight as the Crew (45pts.) leaped back over D.C. United (44pts.) and into final playoff spot in the East.
All it will take for the Crew to be bumped back down to sixth is a D.C. United draw Thursday night when they visit the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park (7pm CT on ESPN2).
Of course, United is favored and expected to win. If they do, they'll jump all the way back over Columbus and Houston (46pts.) and into fourth place in the East.
The Positives
- Red Bull has shown they are in fact beatable at home, which is good with the Fire heading there in just over two weeks.
- The Fire maintain second place in the Eastern Conference with a game in hand on both first place Sporting KC and third place Red Bull.
- Red Bull is just 4-18-5 all-time at New England. In a span that stretches almost exactly 10 years back to the MetroStars era, New York hasn't won in Foxboro in 15 matches, going 0-11-4 since the streak began on September 21, 2002.
- Sporting KC midfielder Roger Espinoza picked up a yellow card and will now be suspended for the team's game Saturday at Montreal, where the Impact are 10-3-2 this season.
- The Fire hold a game in hand on all but D.C. United.
The Negatives
- Albeit with a game in hand, Sporting has opened up a four point lead on the Fire for first place in the East. Even if the Fire win Saturday and Sporting loses, the team will still be one point behind KC.
- The Fire are just six points ahead of sixth place in the East, leaving little room for error.
- Houston, D.C. United and Columbus all have much easier schedules than the top three teams, indicating a Top 3 Eastern Conference finish is far from a certainty.
Saturday Schedule
Montreal vs. Sporting KC – 12pm CT (Direct Kick/MLS Live/TSN)
New England vs. New York – 6:30pm CT (Direct Kick/MLS Live)
Chicago vs. Columbus – 7:30pm CT (NBC 5.2)
Sunday Schedule
Philadelphia vs. Houston – 3pm CT (Direct Kick/MLS Live)
D.C. United vs. Chivas USA – 6pm CT (Galavision)
Sporting KC just barely rescued first place at the top of the East while the Fire, Red Bulls and United all tightened up the race… An updated breakdown of the week and month and a half a head in this edition of Playoff Math…
1) Sporting KC
Current Points: 51
Games Remaining: 6 (2 home, 4 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 69
Average Opponents Points: 42.6
Remaining Schedule: at New York (9/19), at Montreal (9/22), vs. Chicago (9/28), at Columbus (10/7), at New York (10/20), vs. Philadelphia (10/24).
The Rundown: By virtue of C.J. Sapong's late header to equalize with Houston on Friday night, Sporting KC still controls their own destiny for first in the East , if only just barely. The team enters this week with two big away matches, facing third-place Red Bull at midweek and Montreal on Saturday.
Neither game will be easy. With their 3-1 win over Columbus Saturday night, New York moved to 10-0-3 overall at home and a perfect 8-0-0 vs. the Eastern Conference at Red Bull Arena. While those stats are daunting, if Sporting are going to finish first in the East, they'll likely have to find a way to take four points from this game and their next visit to New York on October 20. If New York stays consistent and beats another East team at home, they will at least momentarily move to first in the East.
Sporting will then head to a somewhat down-trodden Montreal side whose playoff hopes seem only mathematical at this point. Despite that, the Impact's home form combined with KC playing on just three days rest, will make this a very difficult game for Sporting.
This could be a week where Sporting puts a stamp on the Eastern Conference lead or gives it up completely…
2) Chicago Fire
Current Points: 50
Games Remaining: 6 (3 home, 3 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 68
Average Opponents Points: 40.1
Remaining Schedule: vs. Columbus (9/22), at Sporting KC (9/28), vs. Philadelphia (10/3), at New York (10/6), at New England (10/20), vs. D.C. United (10/27)
The Rundown: The Fire had a huge week, taking six points at Toronto FC and at home to Montreal Saturday night. In neither match did the team play a complete game but Fire fans should feel confident in the fact that the team is 1) capable of coming back from a deficit to win and 2) can have a bad day and still earn three points and 3) with six wins from their last seven, are the hottest team in Major League Soccer.
With KC drawing the night before and both New York and D.C. winning earlier Saturday, the pressure was certainly on the Fire to get the three points in order to maintain second place in the east. With KC playing New York as well as D.C. playing Philadelphia at midweek, there's chance the Fire could momentarily fall from that spot and it seems almost certain things will tighter heading into the weekend.
That all matters very little as long as the Fire continue to hold serve at home and defeat a Columbus team on short rest Saturday night to set up a humongous match at Sporting KC the following Friday.
3) New York Red Bulls
Current Points: 49
Games Remaining: 6 (4 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 67
Average Opponents Points: 38.1
Remaining Schedule: vs. Sporting KC (9/19), at New England (9/22), vs. Toronto FC (9/29), vs. Chicago (10/6), vs. Sporting KC (10/20), at Philadelphia (10/27)
The Rundown: This is also the week in which New York can really make their claim for first in the East. If they can take advantage of their perfect home record vs. the Conference and earn three points on Wednesday vs. KC before doing what's expected at eighth place New England on the weekend, they'll find themselves on top.
Taking care of business this week would also be huge as Red Bull will have four matches remaining, three at home and two of those against direct top of the East competitors Chicago and Kansas City in October. It's also worth nothing that of the top three, Hans Backe's side has easiest schedules to finish the season as their opponent's point average equals out to 38.1
4) Houston Dynamo
Current Points: 46
Games Remaining: 5 (3 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 61
Average Opponents Points: 30
Remaining Schedule: at Philadelphia (9/23), vs. New England (9/29), vs. Montreal (10/6), vs. Philadelphia (10/20), at Colorado (10/27)
The Rundown: Houston nearly took three points from Kansas City Friday night in a match that many didn't expect them to take any. While they'll be disappointed in giving up a late equalizer, the Dynamo by far have the easiest schedule of anyone in the East from here on out, with their five games coming against teams outside of their Conference's Top five and three games remaining at BBVA Compass Stadium.
It would be a reasonable expectation for the Dynamo to take 12-15 points and really keep themselves in the conversation for a Top 3 spot as the Fire, New York and Kansas City all have matches remaining against each other.
5) DC United
Current Points: 44
Games Remaining: 6 (2 home, 4 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 62
Average Opponents Points: 32.8
Remaining Schedule: at Philadelphia (9/20), vs. Chivas USA (9/23), at Portland (9/29), at Toronto FC (10/6), vs. Columbus (10/20), at Chicago (10/27)
The Rundown: No DeRo, no problem. D.C. United found a way to be victorious without their captain in Saturday night's 2-1 victory over New England, effectively leaping over Columbus and into the final playoff spot in the East. Much like Houston, United have a very easy upcoming schedule to make things even tighter in the East as they face the literal bottom four teams in Major League Soccer over their next four games.
The only problem is that three of those four come on the road where United hasn't been great this season (3-9-0). Nonetheless, if D.C. can take maximum points from the next four, they'll put themselves not only in a good position to qualify for the playoffs but a chance to finish a bit higher than fifth.
6) Columbus Crew
Current Points: 42
Games Remaining: 6 (4 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 60
Average Opponents Points: 37
Remaining Schedule: vs. Chivas USA (9/19), at Chicago (9/22), vs. Philadelphia (9/29), vs. Sporting KC (10/7), at D.C. United (10/20), vs. Toronto FC (10/28).
The Rundown: In a previous edition of Playoff Math, I said that I wasn't yet convinced of the Crew's run up the table because during their four-game winning streak, they'd played three of the worst teams in the East.
A trip to Gillette Stadium caused a somewhat surprising 2-0 loss before the international break and then Saturday night's visit to Red Bull Arenas saw a less surprising 3-1 defeat for the Crew. The two losses have Columbus now back on the outside looking in. Though they have two matches over the next seven days just like KC, New York and D.C., it's safe to say the week ahead could be very telling for the Crew's playoff chances.
The Crew should expect to defeat Western Conference bottom dwellers Chivas USA at home on Wednesday but their visit to Chicago, will be very difficult as the Fire haven't fallen to an Eastern Conference team at home since October 12, 2010, going 12-0-5 in that time.
7) Montreal Impact
Current Points: 39
Games Remaining: 4 (2 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 51
Average Opponents Points: 36.7
Remaining Schedule: vs. Sporting KC (9/22), at Houston (10/6), at Toronto FC (10/20), vs. New England (10/27)
The Rundown: Montreal's really just run out of game but it doesn't mean they can't affect the Eastern Conference playoff race (which they still sort of remain in). The Impact's home form has had me mark this Saturday's game vs. Sporting KC as one that really have implications on the top of the East while a point at Houston isn't completely out of the cards either.
After October 6, Montreal could mathematically be out as they face two other teams that are already that way.
I'm not a huge fan of predictions but I got all the East's playoff related results correct this weekend so, I'll go with three midweek predictions…
Midweek Predictions:
New York 2, Sporting KC 1
Columbus 1, Chivas USA 0
D.C. United 2, Philadelphia 1


text:
CIN, Iberian leader in the paints and varnishes sector, is launching a new product for coating the interiors of food storage containers. Named C-Pox TL790 FG, it is for use on interiors of potable water tanks, wine vats and containers for juices and edible oils.
C-Pox TL790 FG complies with the new requirements of European regulation number 10/2011 which establishes specific safety standards for materials and objects which may come into contact with food products.
C-Pox TL790 FG is approved by OTEC, meeting requirements for global and specific migration of products in contact with food stuffs. It is also approved by the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia of the Univeridade Católica Portuguesa, which carries out organoleptic tests on drinking water and by the IVDP (Instituto do Vinho do Douro e do Porto), which carries out organoleptic tests on wines and fortified wines such as port.
CIN launches a new coating for the interior of food storage containers
Published February 21, 2012
CIN launches a new coating for the interior of food storage containers.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - A flash mob made the idea of a zombie apocalypse in Portland look like a lot of fun.
Dozens of people took part in the impromptu dance number in Monument Square on Wednesday night. They came in full zombie costume to recreate the video to Michael Jackson's classic song "Thriller."
NEWS CENTER's Cindy Williams was in the thick of it as she gathered material for an upcoming story about the flash mob phenomenon.


text:
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I have been seeing Dr. Zamost since the 90s. He's the best that there is. I highly recommend him.
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Dr. Zamost USED to be my doctor... that is until the third mistake he made on a diagnosis for me and also for two friends, who STILL go to him. He said my blood work was fine. Turns out I was diabetic and found out from a dental check-up! He told a friend she did not have to worry about the large freckle on her back..... which turned out to be cancerous and deeply imbedded by the time it was surgically removed. Another friend was diagnosed with a pulled muscle. Turns out she needed a hip replacement. He is friendly and knowledgable yet a bit quick to make decisions and assumptions. Best to find someone who has a vested interest in your health.
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Very unhappy that Dr. Zamost has his staff return the calls from the patients. I have been trying to get a Refill on a cream 4 times . My family contracted scabies from their school. I received enough cream but the eggs hatched and the children are iching and misrable. I have spent more than 200.00 on trying to get rid of them. Borax, Tree trea oil, etc.... I have been running back and forth to the laundry place DAILY washing linens and towels. I am a single mom and not working. I told Dr Zamost staff several times that I could not afford another office vist for the same diagnosis. I am completely disappointed at this point. If Dr. Zamost had ever expienced the infestation he would probably understand. We have been patients of his for 13 year. And I feel at this point we need to find another doctor. Dr Zamost if a patient calls asking help more than once about the same issue and it involves children have a heart. MA
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I have been going to this doctor for primary care over 20 years and he has taken good care of me. He knows what treatments are reasonable and doesn't require unnecessary or extraneous tests or procedures. When necessary he has directed me to excellent specialists and even then keeps track of whats being done. I will always be grateful when on one occasion when I had an serious allergic reaction to a prescription from a specialist he took immediate action to help me. He is a funny guy and relaxed in his approach to his patients. My appointments have all been scheduled in the very near term and there is never a long wait (less than 10 minutes). He and his staff will accommodate same day visits as needed and if possible. If you need a hand holder you probably should see someone else, but you will be missing out on an excellent doctor.
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If you are in a hurry for stuff like a cold, ear infection or strep throat then you can't beat him. He will get you in and out very quickly. If however, you are going with a more serious or unusual circumstance, I would go elsewhere. He is very quick, and knows an awful lot about your everyday stuff, but if he will miss vitamin or hormone deficiencies, etc. But then, so will most medical doctors...
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He's a great doctor, he is also competent and very knowlegeable.
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Great punctuality!(If only we could get his staff to manage the Dept. of Motor Vechicles)
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We are newer to the office but love the Doc. He is always on time, helpful and the office staff is wonderful. we don't plan on leaving until he retires.
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Came highly recommended by an MD and after about 20 years of treatment, I've learned over and over WHY! Master diagnostician who always seems to be on top of your problems beforehand with well-thought course of treatment - no hesitation! Punctual, never late in seeing you! Doesn't overprescribe drugs. Helpful with a good sense of humor. Sometimes a bit too hurried but doesn't hesitate to give you added time and answers all questions. Answers and returns calls promptly. This guy is a gem! Which is why he's been rated one of the top 100 MDs in the L.A. area! Wouldn't hesitate to recommend him.
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BUFFALO, NY-- If you haven't seen the movie A Christmas Story on TV yet, trust us, you will.
It seems like over the years, the movie keeps growing in popularity.
2 On Your Side's Pete Gallivan did some checking and found a local connection.
Pete explains as he brings us another unknown story of Western New York, or in this case, southern Ontario.
Click on the video player above to see the story.


text:
I always cringe when I hear imams or middle-eastern "leaders" saying the West is a corrupting force upon their youth. Part of my cringe comes from the fact that an open-society engenders certain negative aspects, like drugs. But having a closed society goes against our establishment. And when I see an Arabic girl, like Salwa Amin, from the MTV show Buckwild, arrested for drugs, I know this will get play over there:
The "Buckwild" star who was busted in a drug raid was cowering in a shed when the you-know-what hit the fan, and cops allegedly hauled in a bunch of drugs and money … TMZ has learned.
The Police Chief in Summersville, West Virginia tells us officers arrested Salwa Amin and 2 other men after an extensive day of surveillance.
According to the chief, his drug task force got a tip that a "shipment" would be delivered to the home in Nicholas County sometime on Sunday.
The chief says they observed a lot of foot traffic coming in and out of the house — and says the people were only staying for very brief periods of time … so they immediately obtained a search warrant, and then launched the raid.
Salwa, Shawn L. Booker and Jason D. Jones — who owns the home — were found hiding in a shed in the backyard, according to the chief.
Amin could also be an Indian name. Let's hope this stays out of the foreign press.


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Spend the night surrounded by the picturesque Cascade Mountains this fall for $90-$119 per night.
This deal from The Lodge at Eagle Crest saves up to 25% on surrounding dates for stays in November.
The sprawling, 1,700-acre resort is webbed with hiking and biking trails. Nearby activities include horseback riding, hiking and rock climbing. Skiing and snowmobiling are also available nearby in the winter months.
On-site amenities include a restaurant, cafe and grill and three sports centers with pools, hot tubs, fitness centers, bike rentals, game rooms, tennis courts, racquetball and basketball courts.
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Injury Update: Mauga Out For The Season
Bent , TheJetsBlog.com
More bad news, courtesy of Manish Mehta (via twitter):
LB Josh mauga is out for year with torn pec, per source
This will undoubtedly mean an increased role for rookie Demario Davis, who had seen his role slowly increasing over the past few weeks anyway. With Bart Scott currently dealing with a toe/foot injury, could Nick Bellore start seeing some defensive reps too?
Mauga is a restricted free agent at the end of the year, but it seems unlikely the Jets would tender him, since I doubt any other team would offer him more than a minimum salary.
In other injury news, Rex Ryan said today that he thinks Nick Mangold will play on Sunday. There is no news on Clyde Gates' shoulder injury yet.
So Eli will be ready to go Week 1.
Which means playing him, and him getting hurt in a meaningless Week 17 game is no longer considered to be one of the biggest boneheaded moves that Jerry Reese has made as GM of the Giants.
Despite Eli and Tom Coughlin actually having final say on who plays and who doesn't.
Which means it's one less log that Skookaloop will have to toss in the "Dump Reese" fire he's been fanning for the past 2 years.
Somehow, I doubt this will stop him.


text:
Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria
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- How to Read a Study Record
This study will explore how people with sickle cell disease (SCD) develop a complication called pulmonary hypertension (PHTN), a serious disease in which blood pressure in the lungs is higher than normal. PHTN is also caused by HIV, hepatitis C and schistosomiasis. Patients who have both SCD and one of these other infections may develop more severe PHTN. The number of Nigerians with SCD who also have PHTN is not known, nor is the cause of PHTN in this population. This study will examine genetic material in people with and without SCD to determine whether certain genes will allow doctors to predict which patients with SCD are likely to develop PHTN.
Nigerian males and females 10 years of age and older with or without SCD may be eligible for this study. Patients must have SS, SC, or SB thalassemia or other genotype; control subjects must have hemoglobin A or AS genotype.
Participants undergo a complete medical history and physical examination, blood tests, electrocardiogram (EKG), ultrasound tests of the heart and abdomen, and a 6-minute walk (distance test) to determine exercise capacity. Blood tests include screening for HIV, hepatitis B and C, schistosomiasis, hookworm and malaria. Patients who test positive for HIV, hepatitis B or C, schistosomiasis, hookworm or malaria are referred for treatment at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Nigeria, and those who test negative for hepatitis B are referred for vaccination. Genetic tests focus on genes involved in SCD, PHTN, inflammation, blood vessel function and red blood cell function.
Secondary Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Sickle Cell Disease
Pulmonary Hypertension
|Study Type:
|Official Title:
|Prevalence of Secondary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria and the Role of HIV/AIDS and Endemic Parasitic Infections in the Natural History of Pulmonary Hypertension in Sickle Cell Disease
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|June 2006
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive disorder and the most common genetic disease in the world. SCD is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting 70,000 to 80,000 Americans. Secondary pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been shown to have a prevalence of 30% in patients with SCD with mortality rates of 40% at 40 months after diagnosis in the United States. The burden of disease of SCD is highest in Nigeria (West Africa) where approximately 4% of the 140 million people in that country are homozygous for SCD, but the prevalence and outcomes of pulmonary hypertension in Africa have not been investigated. Many known infectious risk factors for PAH are also highly prevalent in Nigeria, including Human Immuno Deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS), malaria, chronic hepatitis B and C, schistosomiasis and hookworm. Our first clinical hypothesis is that interactions between these infectious complications and sickle cell related hemolysis would lead to an even higher prevalence of PAH in Nigeria. Our study is therefore designed to determine the prevalence of PAH in Nigerian patients with SCD using echocardiographic measurements of the tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity. We aim to determine the associations and epidemiological interactions that might lead to PAH, of endemic infectious disease co-morbidities, especially HIV/AIDS, with SCD by screening for these infectious diseases in control subjects and in SCD patients with and without PAH. Our second translational hypothesis is that genetic polymorphisms in candidate genes that regulate endothelial function and adhesion contribute to the development of PAH phenotype in African SCD patients. Using both candidate gene and genome wide association approaches, we will identify and selectively characterize single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes important for endothelial function, vascular inflammation and cardiac function (functional VCAM1 SNPs and steady state soluble VCAM-1 levels, SELP, SELE, SELL, ICAM1, ITGA4, and CD36, TGF-Beta superfamily gene polymorphisms - specifically bone morphogenic protein receptor II, and CORIN, the serine protease which, cleaves the natriuretic peptide precursors secreted by the heart, proANP and proBNP, to the physiologically active ANP and BNP). Finally, our study using the SELDI-TOF-MS system and 2D differential gel electrophoresis (DIGE), will examine differential patterns of plasma protein expression, in particular the apolipoproteins and arginase I and II enzymes, as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets in sickle cell patients with pulmonary hypertension. Our proposal uniquely integrates international clinical, epidemiologic and molecular studies to determine the burden of SCD related PAH, decipher the mechanism of interactions of PAH and infectious diseases and identify genetic and protein markers and potential therapeutic targets for PAH. Our collaboration will provide an opportunity for the rapid transfer of appropriate technology and knowledge relevant to the provision of the highest quality care to sickle cell patients in Nigeria and the world.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|5 Years and older
|Genders Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
All volunteer subjects 5 years of age and above and able to provide informed, written consent for participation in this study. Children will be included in this study provided that a legally authorized representative provides fully informed consent. Assent of children will also be required.
Inclusion Criteria for Volunteers with Sickle Cell:
- Nigerian male and females over 5 years of age
- Diagnosis of sickle cell disease (electrophoretic documentation of SS, SC, or SBeta thalassemia or other genotype is required)
Inclusion Criteria for Control Subjects:
- Nigerian males and females over 5 years of age.
- Electrophoretic documentation of hemoglobin A or AS genotype.
Exclusion Criteria for Volunteers with Sickle Cell:
- Hb A-only phenotype and sickle cell trait
- Decisionally impaired subjects.
- Persons not able to understand the investigational nature of the study or give informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria for Control Subjects:
- Diagnosis of sickle cell disease (electrophoretic documentation of SS, SC, SBeta thallassemia or other sickling genotype)
- Decisionally impaired subjects.
- Persons not able to understand the investigational nature of the study or give informed consent.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00367523
|Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital
|Kaduna, Nigeria
|Principal Investigator:
|James G Taylor, M.D.
|National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
|Responsible Party:
|National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) ( National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) )
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00367523 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|August 22, 2006
|Last Updated:
|November 11, 2014
|Health Authority:
|United States: Federal Government
Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC):
Sickle Cell Disease
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Anemia, Sickle Cell
Hypertension, Pulmonary
Anemia, Hemolytic
Anemia, Hemolytic, Congenital
Cardiovascular Diseases
Genetic Diseases, Inborn
Hematologic Diseases
Lung Diseases
Respiratory Tract Diseases
Vascular Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on October 13, 2015


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One of our favorite events of every season, this year's Webcor Builders Presents Opera at the Ballpark brought together a diverse crowd of people from all over the Bay Area to enjoy opera al fresco! Especially fun this year were the many family activities inspired by Turandot available for children. Enjoy this selection of photos from this year's event and re-live the fun!
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By KEVIN SCANNELLSun Advocate sports reporter
Baseball can be a cruel and physically draining sport. And when things don't seem to be going well, a curse of bad luck can sweep through a dugout like a fast moving thunderstorm.
For the Price American Legion baseball team, the start to the 2012 season has not played out in the manner they would have hoped for.
With a 13-0 loss to Tooele on Friday afternoon on the road, the team moved to 0-5 on the young season.
Despite the record, the team has been improving from game to game, said Assistant coach Joe Rhoades.
While the team has played relatively error and mistake-free baseball in their first five games, the team has been susceptable to big innings by the opposing team which has them playing from behind for the rest of the game.
"Things are starting to get better," Rhoades said. "We're making fewer mistakes and our defense is starting to play much better."
The Price American Legion baseball team will be looking to show more improvement on the field as they take on Murray on Monday and Cyprus on Friday at the College of Eastern Utah baseball field with first pitch at 6 p.m.


text:
For many people with hay fever, eating certain foods can actually trigger an allergic reaction in the mouth, making them think they have a mild food allergy. For example, cantaloupe can cause itching or hives, or eating uncooked apples may do the same to people with birch pollen allergy.
This is called "oral allergy syndrome," (OAS), and it is estimated that up to a third of pollen allergy patients may be affected. Most cases are mild, but some can be an early warning sign of a serious, life-threatening severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. It's easy to see why people confuse OAS with traditional food allergies.
OAS is the immune system simply trying to protect the body. Ihay fever (also called "seasonal allergies" or "outdoor allergies"), the immune system misreads certain inhaled pollens as dangerous particles. It triggers sneezing, runny nose, watery or itchy eyes, and other unpleasant symptoms to flush these foreign particles out of the body.
In OAS, the immune system treats proteins similar to those in pollen that are sometimes found in fruits or vegetables the same way. This "cross-reactivity" is a result of the immune system recognizing that the proteins in these foods are similar (although not exact) and an allergic reaction is the result.
Here are foods that may have proteins that cross-react with certain pollen:
Ragweed Allergy: Ragweed cross-reacts with bananas and melons, so people with ragweed allergies may also react to honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelons, or tomatoes. Zucchini, sunflower seeds, dandelions, chamomile tea, and Echinacea may also affect some people.
Birch Pollen Allergy: People with birch pollen allergies may react to kiwi, apples, pears, peaches, plums, coriander, fennel, parsley, celery, cherries, carrots, hazelnuts and almonds.
Grass Pollen Allergy: People with grass allergy may react to peaches, celery, tomatoes, melons, and oranges.
Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) Allergy: Like pollen allergy, people allergic to natural rubber latex may react to bananas, avocados, kiwi, chestnut, and papaya. Of course, if your food is handled by a person wearing latex gloves and you have a latex allergy, you may actually be reacting to cross-contamination of latex particles on the food.
If this all sounds confusing, you're right. That's why it's critical to always consult with a healthcare provider for a complete diagnosis of your allergies. It could be OAS, food intolerance, another type of food-borne illness, food poisoning or something entirely different.
A healthcare professional will ask if you have OAS symptoms and about the foods you eat and will do test to understand your other allergies. Oral sensitivity tends to develop over time, with repeated exposures to inhaled pollens. Many doctors report that most of their patients with OAS are adults.
A healthcare provider may administer a skin-prick test. A bit of the protein trigger is included in a light scratch on your back or forearm. If that spot turns red or swells in about 15 minutes, it's likely an allergic reaction.
Either this is mainly oral allergy and not to worry, or this could be more serious and you need to take precautions, such as carrying epinephrine with you at all times for emergency treatment for yourself.
A recent study shows that in about 2% of patients with OAS, oral allergy symptoms could progress to anaphylaxis, a serious reaction that could be deadly without immediate emergency treatment.
The basic plan: If a food makes you have bad symptoms, avoid that food. Cooking may help, as heat breaks down or alters the trigger proteins so that the immune system may not target them. Peeling or canning fruits and vegetables may also help some people, because most trigger proteins are in the outer skin or peel, but this is not always the case.
The best plan is always to speak with your healthcare provider, get properly diagnosed, keep a list of your trigger foods and never eat anything that causes your symptoms.


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New York, NYUSA
August 28, 2013
No introduction yet
About us…
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PHOTO: "Lisa Wilson" founder of The Raw Food Institute!
Thurs 2/27 @ 6:30 at The Annex, (steps from the Cafe)
RAW FOODS + SUPERFOODS + SUPER HERBAL ELIXIRS + SUPPORT = The Best Group Ever!!!!!!!!!!
Meet fellow Raw/Live Foodists near you! Come to a local Raw/Live Food Meetup to have fun, share raw/live food meals, and discuss healthy lifestyles! Anyone interested in the raw/live food diet and lifestyle is welcome! CATCH A HEALTHY HABIT CAFE 39 Unquowa Rd Fairfield Ct (203)292-8190 www.catchahealthyhabit.com M-T 8am-3pm / Wed-Fri 8m-6pm / Sat 9am-6pm / Sun 11-4pm
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These Video are a must watch!
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The Best Nutrition School Ever! Ask about their distance learning class!
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Road Warmer Blanket
Road Warmer in Red Plaid
This super-soft electric blanket is warm by itself, but plug it into your car's cigarette lighter and it really keeps you toasty. At 42" x 58", it's large enough for two people and the 7-1/2' cord easily reaches passengers in the back seat. Made from 100% polyester fleece, with a built-in timer for safety. In Navy Blue or Red Plaid. Handy zippered carrying case included.
Warms you up in seconds
Large 42" x 58" size can easily cover 2 people
Extra long 7" cord reaches the back seats
Luxurious soft 100% polyester fleece
Plugs directly into 12v cigarette lighter socket
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on 10/30/13
Wife is always cold, now I can run the AC and she stays comfortable. Nice idea. Works well.
Great heating blanket
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on 5/17/12
This was a wonderful surprise to find and it works great. Really helps my girlfriend stay comfortable on long or short trips.
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Bought this for my wife last year. She loves it. It's about time to pull it out again.Nice size. Warms up quickly.
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Submission Anonymous Puts US Counter Terrorist Program Online->
siliconbits writes: The disbanding of Lulzsec coincided with hacking brotherhood Anonymous releasing another set of files which includes documents and links to security and hacking resources on the internet, many of them free, various template letters, hacking and counter hacking tools as well as the addresses of FBI bureaus in the US. The 654MB ISO file (SENTINEL Security Utilities — Cyberterrorism Defense and Analysis Center) is now widely available online and seems to have come from the US FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Counter Terrorism Defence Initiative training program.
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source


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(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
My Favorite Moisturizer
By LC
from Hudson, WI
About Me Budget Buyer
Comments about Perricone MD Hypoallergenic Nourishing Moisturizer:
I use this moisturizer every am. and LOVE it. it finishes well, and isn't greasy at all under makeup. I bought it first last year at this time because I needed an extra boost during the cold winter months. I feel like it gives that extra moisturize without the thickness and clogging you get from using heavy products. I have also gotten my daughter to use this and it does a great job for her skin too!
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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(4 of 7 customers found this review helpful)
I would buy this product again and again
By Annie
from Beijing,China
This product makes my face moist all day.
By Annie Liu
from Beijing, China
This product is the most moist cream that I have ever used. It keeps my face smooth and moist all day.
(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)
Best Moisturizer ever purchased
By Noosh U
from Toronto Canada
This is only moisturizer I have ever used that actually deliver what it claims, it literally takes away all my dry spot and makes my skin look extremely clear. Will be re-purchasing this product.
(11 of 11 customers found this review helpful)
Best moisturizer I have ever used
By Ginna
from Tallahassee,FL
About Me Brand Buyer
I have very sensitive skin, but I also break out easily so I have a hard time finding products that will moisturize my skin and not break me out or irritate my skin. This product immediately got rid rid of some red blotchiness that I had and made my skin feel soft and smooth. I am 35 and honestly, this is the first time I have ever used a product where I could actually tell there was an improvement in my skin. I am so glad Perricone made this product because the face finishing moisturizer was a little too harsh for me. I use it in the morning and at night. There are absolutely no cons to this product. Thank you Perricone!