Every week we bring you our look at the upcoming games that weekend and what we hope to see from those to benefit the Caps to the max, along with what impact the different results from the Whitecaps own match has to our playoff hopes.
For some background to our feature, see <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?3099-Schedule-Dynamics-Adding-Interest-To-MLS-Season" target="_blank">HERE</a>.
We're going to do the section a little bit different for the rest of the season.
We all know what we’re looking for now and it's boiling down to some set specifics in the Whitecaps' push to the playoffs and our desire to see Philadelphia Union collapse to give us as high a 2013 first round SuperDraft from their traded spot as possible.
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Nine games over Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week. Four all-Western Conference clashes, one inter-conference match up and four all-Eastern ties and we’re keeping a close eye on six of the matches, including our own.
<b><u>Los Angeles Galaxy v Vancouver Whitecaps</u></b>
Current Whitecaps Points: 37 (5th in West)
If Whitecaps Win: 40 points (Best Case Scenario = 5th in West, ten points behind leaders / Worst Case Scenario = 5th in West thirteen points behind leaders)
If Whitecaps Draw: 38 points (BCS = 5th / WCS = 5th)
If Whitecaps Lose: 37 points (BCS = 5th, five point cushion to 6th / WCS = 5th, two point cushion to 6th)
Maximum Points Total Possible: 58
Projected Points Total On Current Results: 47 - 48 points
Playoff Likelihood: 81 - 90%
<b><u>Vancouver v Dallas Head To Head :</u></b>
With Martin Rennie resting players this week, it’s looking like the Whitecaps are looking solely at securing a playoff berth first, without caring about placing.
As long as the Caps’ home form holds out, they should still be comfortably playoff bound.
The stats are looking good in the head to head with Dallas for the remainder of the season, but who knows, maybe we will have to add Chivas in there in the weeks to come. Yeah, maybe not.
Playoff chances have been taken from two sites (<a href="http://www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/Whitecaps.html" target= _blank>Sports Club Stats</a> and <a href="http://www.playoffstatus.com/mls/westernstandings.html" target= _blank>Playoffstatus.com</a>) and show some variance.
By Sunday September 16th, this table could look very, very different.
<b><u>Playoff Push :</u></b>
Can we almost give <b>LA</b> the three points now from tomorrow’s game against Vancouver? My money is on LA to finish second in the West and at worst, third. Good news for the Caps as they will avoid them in a first and second round match up. Maybe that’s Rennie’s plan all along. Cunning.
The <b>Dallas-Seattle</b> match on Sunday is the huge one this weekend. If the Sounders win, then they will do Vancouver a huge favour, but with the Texans good run of recent form, I fancy them to take at least a point from this one and add to the pressure for the Caps in two week’s time.
If <b>San Jose</b> continue their romp at the top with another win at Buck Shaw on Sunday, then that should be the end of Chivas and we’re down to a straight shoot-out between Dallas and Vancouver for the final playoff spot in the West.
<b>Real Salt Lake</b> take on DC United in the weekend’s only inter-conference clash and a win for the Saltines is likely to leave Vancouver adrift of the top four and looking at fifth spot at best unless they can end the season with a huge bang and a string of wins.
<b><u>SuperDraft Pick :</u></b>
With all eyes on the playoff chase, this is kind of falling by the wayside in terms of any importance to most people, but I still think we’ll use this as a trade tool more than a new player tool, so it could prove to be very beneficial for Vancouver if we end up with a top two pick.
<b>Philadelphia</b> are currently sitting with the fourth pick. The worst it’s likely to be for Vancouver is sixth pick now.
The other teams in the mix (read – in the Caps' road) are: <b>Toronto</b> with the first pick, <b>Portland</b> with the second, and <b>New England</b> with the third. <b>Colorado</b> and <b>Chivas</b> have the fifth and sixth picks right now.
Philly play New England on Saturday and Portland and Colorado lock horns tonight. A Revolution win and a draw in the West would do just nicely.
I’ve given up hoping Toronto will help us out. They clearly want the number one pick for themselves and will get nothing at Sporting KC.
Chivas are likely to see their faint playoff hopes ended by San Jose, so the worry there is they will feel they have little to play for after that.
This one looks like it can still go down to the wire.
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So that’s what we’re rooting for this weekend. Let’s see how it all leaves the Caps looking come Sunday evening. Not feeling overly optimistic this week!
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