|
PDL home stretch report
USOpenCup.com takes a look at what's left in qualifying
Great Lakes Division
The Michigan Bucks control their own destiny as the only 2-0-0 team in the division. Chicago and Indiana are both unbeaten (1-0-1), but both teams have a draw on their record. The Bucks host Chicago on May 26, and then travel to Indiana on the final day of qualifying (May 28). This marks the third year in a row that Indiana and Michigan will meet on the final day of qualifying.
If the those clubs beat each other up, there are two teams with one loss who could be waiting in the wings. West Michigan and Cleveland have only played one game (both are losses to the Bucks) and could make a run at the division with three wins in a row.
Heartland Division
While they aren’t mathematically eliminated yet, the chances of the Des Moines Menace qualifying are extremely slim after two losses in their first three games. A win or a draw by either St. Louis or Kansas City and the Menace will be officially eliminated, along with Sioux Falls and the Colorado Rapids U23s (formerly the Boulder Rapids Reserve).
The St. Louis Lions and the Kansas City Brass are the front runners with 2-0-0 records. The division could come down to a May 27th matchup between the two I-70 teams at St. Louis.
However, that "battle of I-70" could be worthless if the expansion Springfield Demize have their way. Their final two games are against the two division leaders (May 24 vs. St. Louis and May 26 at Kansas City), and two victories would book them a spot in the Open Cup.
Mid-Atlantic Division
The Ocean City Barons and the Fredericksburg Gunners are the only remaining 2-0-0 teams in the division, meaning that they could win out and it would come down to a tiebreaker. Both teams have the same opponents for their final two games. The Barons have two home games against Reading and Richmond, while the Gunners host Reading and then travel to Richmond on back-to-back nights. Richmond and Reading both have 1-0-1 records, and still have a shot with positive results against the Gunners and Barons.
The Hampton Roads Piranhas sit in first place to start the week with a 2-0-1 record. They play at the Virginia Legacy on May 26, who are also still alive with a 1-1 record.
Northeast Division
The Long Island Rough Riders seem to be in control of the division with an unbeaten 3-0-0 mark, and their remaining game on the road against winless (0-2-0) Vermont. Cape Cod is the only team left to challenge, and oddly enough, they also play at Vermont for their final qualfying game.
A win by Long Island = Long Island qualify
A draw by Long Island + Cape Cod win = Cape Cod will win the tiebreaker and qualify
A loss by Long Island + Cape Cod win = Cape Cod qualify
A draw or loss by Cape Cod = Long Island qualify
Mid-South Division
By far, the easiest division to sort out, because there are only two teams left, both with one game to play and that game is against each other on May 25. The El Paso Patriots are 3-0-0 and the DFW Tornados are 2-1-0.
El Paso wins = El Paso qualfies
DFW wins = DFW qualifies
Draw = El Paso qualifies
Southeast Division
The Carolina Dynamo hold all the cards as the only 2-0-0 team. Their remaining schedule is at the Cary Railhawks U23s and home against the Atlanta Silverbacks U23s.
Bradenton and Central Florida need to win their final game and hope that Carolina loses one of their remaining two games. Atlanta, could leap frog everyone with wins in their final two games (May 24 vs. Bradenton and May 26 at Carolina)with one of their final two games against Carolina, could cause problems with their 1-0-1 record. The Cocoa Expos need to win their final two and hope for a miracle to get in.
Northwest Division
The Tacoma Tide are at the top of the table with seven points and all four games played. Tide fans will simply have to hope the three remaining clubs (BYU, Yakima and Spokane) somehow stumble. Those remaining clubs all have two games left and it's likely that one of them will surpass seven points. Spokane, one point back, must survive back-to-back games against the two Utah teams, Ogden and BYU, to have a chance. Yakima are three points back and also play back-to-back games against the Utah clubs. BYU, who received a miracle last year to qualify, have things a little easier this year. If they win their final two games at home against Yakima and Spokane, they will qualify for the Open Cup.
Southwest Division
The Bakersfield Brigade is the first PDL team to clinch a spot in the 2007 U.S. Open Cup. It’s a three-way tie for first place in the Southwest Division with Ventura County Fusion and the San Jose Frogs having already completed their qualifying schedule. Barring something extremely rare, like a point deduction, the Brigade cannot be overtaken because they have one game left to play at the San Francisco Seals, and no other team can tie or surpass the nine points they have now.
|
|
