Around The League - Week 17
*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoints or positions of the Major Arena Soccer League.**
Winner Take All Match For Third?
The MASL standings, from top to bottom, are completely unset going into the league’s final week. No team is locked into their seed, and as a result, some fascinating narratives have emerged. San Diego and Chihuahua will face different opponents, with each other squarely top of mind as they race for the top seed and the MASL Shield. However, I’d like to turn our attention to the race for third.
Much has been said about the importance of seeding, but as the rest of the country has seen in the wake of March Madness, matchups are everything. For example, would Baltimore rather play Milwaukee, whom they’ve only beaten once, or Utica, whom they’ve beaten five times? Conversely, Kansas City might see Milwaukee as a winnable game, while Utica gave them problems not too long ago. Earning that higher seed can allow momentum to develop, and in the playoffs, where margins will be at their slimmest, every advantage will help.
Heading into the weekend, Kansas City, Baltimore, and Milwaukee all have a chance of clinching the third seed. The Wave needs to win both games against the Ambush, while the Comets lose their two remaining contests, and the Blast accumulates no more than five points. As a result of this extensive parley, Kansas City and Baltimore undoubtedly have a better opportunity to control their destiny and clinch the top seed.
The Comets, fresh off a frustrating series against Tacoma, have lost five of their last six games, and they’ve officially surrendered any chances of catching Chihuahua and San Diego atop the standings. With those dropped points, the Comets also slipped into the grasp of the chasing Blast, who, with three games remaining, sit just five points outside third place.
Baltimore, which is in the midst of a poor run of form itself, will open their final match week with back-to-back contests on the road against Harrisburg and at home against Texas. They currently boast positive records against both teams, but the physical element cannot be overlooked, especially with a third, more consequential game looming.
Following both of their respective matches, Kansas City and Baltimore will square off at the TU Arena on Sunday, Mar. 30, at 3:00 PM EDT, and there’s every chance that the winner will claim the third seed. We’ll see which teams, if any, choose to rest players with the playoffs on the horizon, but regardless, the scheduling gods managed to cook up a scorcher with the two teams battling it out against each other on the final day.
Playoffs Start A Week Early For St. Louis
In the final match week, just three teams are still chasing a spot in the playoffs. All eyes now turn to St. Louis and the race for the eighth and final playoff position. With two games remaining, the Ambush trail the Stars by just two points, but crucially, they still control their own destiny with a game in hand over Tacoma.
To guarantee a playoff spot, the Ambush need to win out, but that is much easier said than done. After beating Dallas for the third time this season, St. Louis will host the Wave on Friday before traveling to Milwaukee for a rematch on Sunday. The Ambush have won six of their last seven games, while the Wave has won their last three games at home, setting up a fascinating weekend.
All this is to say, six points are far from guaranteed but not out of reach. In the event of any dropped points, the Stars will know the result they need to qualify, but similarly, getting that result could prove tricky. They’ll be on the road to visit the Sockers, who themselves may need a result on their quest for the MASL Sheild. However, if that added wrinkle wasn’t enough, there is still a path for both St. Louis and Tacoma to qualify at the expense of Empire.
The Strykers will visit Dallas on Saturday, with the knowledge that a win of any kind would guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs. The two sides met in Dallas earlier this season, and the Sidekicks took a tense 7-6 win. The Strykers will need to find a way to get over the line, especially after a pair of frustrating losses to the Sockers, because a regulation loss could allow both St. Louis and Tacoma to jump them in the standings, assuming both sides win out in their remaining fixtures.
There’s an unlikely scenario where all three teams finish on 34 or 35 points, in which case, one team would be sent home based on wins, regulation wins, or head-to-head results for a truly devastating elimination. Two seasons ago, that scenario happened, as Empire missed out on the playoffs after they and the Outlaws finished the season with identical points hauls and records. The Dallas-based side advanced based on a better head-to-head record and went on to beat Tacoma in the Wild Card game.
This season has been marked by highs and lows for these three teams, but they’ve all managed to find their form at the end of the campaign. All three are deserving of the playoffs, but one must fall short. Don’t miss a second of the action this week, beginning with the Ambush vs Wave on Friday, Mar. 28, at 8:05 PM EDT.
Who Is Getting Hot At The Right Time?
I’ll start by saying that this season has flown by. It seems like yesterday we were looking through rosters and making predictions for the campaign, and now we’re here. In less than a week, the league standings will be set in stone as the top eight teams travel to San Diego for the chance to play in the Ron Newman Cup Finals.
With 132 games in the books and every team at least 20 games into their season, I thought it would be interesting to look at all nine playoff-eligible teams’ last ten games compared with their previous 10 to get a gauge of form heading into the playoffs. Which teams are stumbling, and which teams are soaring? With a sport that feeds on momentum as heavily as indoor soccer, good form at this point can prove invaluable.
To keep the playing field as level as possible, I used each team’s last 20 games as my sample size, separating those games into the most recent 10 and the 10 before those. As a result, at least one but no more than three games were not taken into account for each team. When organizing the data, it becomes clear which teams are playing their best soccer with Chihuahua and San Diego at and near the top of the standings.
The two front runners have been a bastion of consistency this season, with just two points separating their respective segments. In the playoffs, they’ll enjoy the opportunity to rest a day, should they win their respective quarterfinal matches.
Joining them on the far left side of the graph are Tacoma and St. Louis, the two teams chasing the final playoff spot. The Stars have accumulated 20 more points in their most recent 10 games, compared with the former 10, while at the time of writing, St. Louis sits just behind with 18 in the same stretch. Somehow, these two teams are still duking it out for eighth, and it's very possible that at least one of the league’s four hottest teams since the beginning of April won’t even qualify for the postseason.
Behind them, Milwaukee’s 16 points through their last 10 games barely pipped Kansas City, Utica, and Empire, who all added 15. Five points off that pack is Baltimore, who have just 10 points since Feb. 2. The Blast will need a positive weekend to carry some much-needed momentum into the playoffs, so keep an eye on their game against the Comets!
No team is locked into their seed, and as a result, some fascinating narratives have emerged. San Diego and Chihuahua will face different opponents, with each other squarely top of mind as they race for the top seed and the MASL Shield. However, I’d like to turn our attention to the race for third.
Much has been said about the importance of seeding, but as the rest of the country has seen in the wake of March Madness, matchups are everything. For example, would Baltimore rather play Milwaukee, whom they’ve only beaten once, or Utica, whom they’ve beaten five times? Conversely, Kansas City might see Milwaukee as a winnable game, while Utica gave them problems not too long ago. Earning that higher seed can allow momentum to develop, and in the playoffs, where margins will be at their slimmest, every advantage will help.
Heading into the weekend, Kansas City, Baltimore, and Milwaukee all have a chance of clinching the third seed. The Wave needs to win both games against the Ambush, while the Comets lose their two remaining contests, and the Blast accumulates no more than five points. As a result of this extensive parley, Kansas City and Baltimore undoubtedly have a better opportunity to control their destiny and clinch the top seed.
The Comets, fresh off a frustrating series against Tacoma, have lost five of their last six games, and they’ve officially surrendered any chances of catching Chihuahua and San Diego atop the standings. With those dropped points, the Comets also slipped into the grasp of the chasing Blast, who, with three games remaining, sit just five points outside third place.
Baltimore, which is in the midst of a poor run of form itself, will open their final match week with back-to-back contests on the road against Harrisburg and at home against Texas. They currently boast positive records against both teams, but the physical element cannot be overlooked, especially with a third, more consequential game looming.
Following both of their respective matches, Kansas City and Baltimore will square off at the TU Arena on Sunday, Mar. 30, at 3:00 PM EDT, and there’s every chance that the winner will claim the third seed. We’ll see which teams, if any, choose to rest players with the playoffs on the horizon, but regardless, the scheduling gods managed to cook up a scorcher with the two teams battling it out against each other on the final day.
Playoffs Start A Week Early For St. Louis
In the final match week, just three teams are still chasing a spot in the playoffs. All eyes now turn to St. Louis and the race for the eighth and final playoff position. With two games remaining, the Ambush trail the Stars by just two points, but crucially, they still control their own destiny with a game in hand over Tacoma.
To guarantee a playoff spot, the Ambush need to win out, but that is much easier said than done. After beating Dallas for the third time this season, St. Louis will host the Wave on Friday before traveling to Milwaukee for a rematch on Sunday. The Ambush have won six of their last seven games, while the Wave has won their last three games at home, setting up a fascinating weekend.
All this is to say, six points are far from guaranteed but not out of reach. In the event of any dropped points, the Stars will know the result they need to qualify, but similarly, getting that result could prove tricky. They’ll be on the road to visit the Sockers, who themselves may need a result on their quest for the MASL Sheild. However, if that added wrinkle wasn’t enough, there is still a path for both St. Louis and Tacoma to qualify at the expense of Empire.
The Strykers will visit Dallas on Saturday, with the knowledge that a win of any kind would guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs. The two sides met in Dallas earlier this season, and the Sidekicks took a tense 7-6 win. The Strykers will need to find a way to get over the line, especially after a pair of frustrating losses to the Sockers, because a regulation loss could allow both St. Louis and Tacoma to jump them in the standings, assuming both sides win out in their remaining fixtures.
There’s an unlikely scenario where all three teams finish on 34 or 35 points, in which case, one team would be sent home based on wins, regulation wins, or head-to-head results for a truly devastating elimination. Two seasons ago, that scenario happened, as Empire missed out on the playoffs after they and the Outlaws finished the season with identical points hauls and records. The Dallas-based side advanced based on a better head-to-head record and went on to beat Tacoma in the Wild Card game.
This season has been marked by highs and lows for these three teams, but they’ve all managed to find their form at the end of the campaign. All three are deserving of the playoffs, but one must fall short. Don’t miss a second of the action this week, beginning with the Ambush vs Wave on Friday, Mar. 28, at 8:05 PM EDT.
Who Is Getting Hot At The Right Time?
I’ll start by saying that this season has flown by. It seems like yesterday we were looking through rosters and making predictions for the campaign, and now we’re here. In less than a week, the league standings will be set in stone as the top eight teams travel to San Diego for the chance to play in the Ron Newman Cup Finals.
With 132 games in the books and every team at least 20 games into their season, I thought it would be interesting to look at all nine playoff-eligible teams’ last ten games compared with their previous 10 to get a gauge of form heading into the playoffs. Which teams are stumbling, and which teams are soaring? With a sport that feeds on momentum as heavily as indoor soccer, good form at this point can prove invaluable.
To keep the playing field as level as possible, I used each team’s last 20 games as my sample size, separating those games into the most recent 10 and the 10 before those. As a result, at least one but no more than three games were not taken into account for each team. When organizing the data, it becomes clear which teams are playing their best soccer with Chihuahua and San Diego at and near the top of the standings.
The two front runners have been a bastion of consistency this season, with just two points separating their respective segments. In the playoffs, they’ll enjoy the opportunity to rest a day, should they win their respective quarterfinal matches.
Joining them on the far left side of the graph are Tacoma and St. Louis, the two teams chasing the final playoff spot. The Stars have accumulated 20 more points in their most recent 10 games, compared with the former 10, while at the time of writing, St. Louis sits just behind with 18 in the same stretch. Somehow, these two teams are still duking it out for eighth, and it's very possible that at least one of the league’s four hottest teams since the beginning of April won’t even qualify for the postseason.
Behind them, Milwaukee’s 16 points through their last 10 games barely pipped Kansas City, Utica, and Empire, who all added 15. Five points off that pack is Baltimore, who have just 10 points since Feb. 2. The Blast will need a positive weekend to carry some much-needed momentum into the playoffs, so keep an eye on their game against the Comets!