0-13 Texas Strikers @ 11-2 Hidalgo La Fiera La Fiera have scored 130 goals this season, the Strikers have scored 43. La Fiera have allowed 57 goals this season, the Strikers have allowed 158. La Fiera has the 5th best penalty kill in the PASL, and the 7th best powerplay. Texas is last in the league in both powerplays and penalty kills. (Insert quip about Texas having no chance at winning this game.) Hidalgo -10.5 over/under 20
6-7 Wichita B-52's @ 1-12 Tulsa Revolution Tulsa lost both previous meetings with the B-52's, but both games were in Wichita, and Tulsa looked like a better team in the second game compared to the first game. Revolution will give Wichita a run for their money in Tulsa, possibly picking up their second win of the season. On the other hand, the B-52's are coming off of a tough loss to Chicago and will be primed for a victory on the road. Wichita -1 o/u 15
7-6 Mexico Toros @ 4-10 Turlock Express Mexico is a dangerous team that plays with a lot of heart and passion, and they played a strong game last week in San Diego. Turlock is 3-4 at home and have lost their last three games, so they will be desperate for a win, especially at home. Mexico is playing too good of soccer, and needs to win in order to punch their ticket to the postseason. Turlock puts up a fight but the Toros walk away with the win. Mexico -1.5 o/u 12
5-8 Cincinnati Saints @ 9-5 Cleveland Freeze In the Battle for Ohio Cleveland is king. The Freeze are coming off of a loss to the Waza in Detroit and need to get a win at home against the Saints before hosting the Waza in their last home game of the regular season. Cincinnati is still growing as a PASL team, but are buying into their new head coach's philosophy and will be a serious threat next season. Cleveland -4 o/u 18
5-8 Saltillo Rancho Seco @ 0-13 Texas Strikers After their game on Thursday the Strikers have to return home and host Saltillo Rancho Seco in Beaumont. Saltillo is a really good team who played a tough schedule against quality opponents. They are out of the playoffs, but could use a win against the Strikers before facing Monterrey and Hidalgo in their last two games of the season. Texas hasn't won a game all season, and they won't against Saltillo. Saltillo -4.5 o/u 17
7-6 Mexico Toros @ 2-12 Sacramento Surge Mexico will win their last road game of the season in Sacramento before returning home to host Bay Area in their last regular season game. Sacramento could pull of a win at home, but that would be a miracle. Mexico -6.5 o/u 16
11-3 Las Vegas Legends @ 5-8 Ontario Fury The Legends escaped with an overtime win the last time they traveled to the Inland Empire to face the Fury. This time the Legends have some former Fury players on their team, so this could be an interesting reunion with some memorable moments. Las Vegas wins this one, but not in overtime. Las Vegas -3.5 o/u 20
4-9 Harrisburg Heat @ 1-12 Illinois Piasa If the Piasa are going to pull off another win it is going to be at home. Illinois is still trying to right the ship after firing their coach, and Harrisburg has had a tough schedule this season and are better that their record says they are. Harrisburg wins this one and moves closer to getting the last spot in the East for the Postseason. Harrisburg -5 o/u 14
12-2 Dallas Sidekicks @ 6-7 Wichita B-52's Dallas is a good team on the road and should have no problem handling the B-52's on the road. The B-52's will be coming off of a game in Tulsa and will have a tough time keeping up with the Sidekicks. Dallas -3 o/u 12.5
5-8 Ontario Fury @ 12-3 San Diego Sockers Ontario posted a good game against the Sockers the last time they played each other in Ontario, but the last time the Fury came to San Diego it was a different story. This is San Diego's last home game in the regular season, and fan appreciation night, so the Yellow Socks will be playing with a good bit of 7th man behind them. The Ontario Fury are a very different team than when the season started, and a good number of players have left the team for other opportunities. The Fury will have played a tough game the night before against Las Vegas and who knows what the Ontario roster will be on Sunday afternoon in San Diego. San Diego -3.5 o/u 14
4-9 Harrisburg Heat @ 14-0 Chicago Mustangs The #1 team in the Eastern Division hosts the Harrisburg Heat. Two weekends ago the Mustangs beat the Heat twice in a row in Harrisburg, and now the Mustangs will beat the Heat in Chicago. Mustangs -10 o/u 20
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Power Rankings after Week #14
First of all, I would like to thank Anna Espino, Joey Kapinos, Eric Roberts, Dominic Scicluna, RJ Pooch, Greg Ponto Suttie, Christopher Funk, and Craig Elsten for reading and commenting on last weeks Power Rankings.
In the Power Rankings I will, first of all, put the top ten teams in my Stable. Then, I will put the rest of The Herd out to pasture (in no particular order). Finally, I will name The Deuce, the two teams in the PASL that are stinking up the outhouse.
THE STABLE
1. Chicago Mustangs The Mustangs beat Tulsa and Wichita on the road this last weekend to remain in the top spot in the Stable.
2. Hidalgo La Fiera DNP
3. Dallas Sidekicks After a good win at home against Las Vegas I decided to move the Sidekicks to the # 3 Spot.
4. Las Vegas Legends The Legends lost to the Sidekicks on the road, but mounted a late comeback that almost tied it up in the 4th.
5. San Diego Sockers A win is a win, no matter how ugly it is, but an ugly win against a lower ranked team can drop you in the Stable.
6. Monterrey Flash DNP
7. Detroit Waza Flo Detroit picked up a solid win at home and obviously have their sights set on Chicago in March.
8. Mexico Toros Mexico had a great game plan and stuck to it during their game against the Sockers. Even thought they lost, the Toros will be a handful for the Sockers in the playoffs. They have skill and speed, and last Saturday night, played like a true team.
9. Cleveland Freeze Cleveland lost to the Waza, but hung with them through the game, and looked pretty good in the half that I watched. If all of the offensive pieces are working for Cleveland they become a very dangerous team.
10. Wichita B-52's The B-52's lost to the #1 Mustangs, but played well enough to hang with them for a half, before Chicago put the game away with a 5 goal scoring spree.
THE HERD
1. Sacramento Surge They are here because Texas didn't play.
2. Illinois Piasa The Piasa can't seem to beat a team in their own division, but did show signs of life in the first part of their game against the Saints.
In the Power Rankings I will, first of all, put the top ten teams in my Stable. Then, I will put the rest of The Herd out to pasture (in no particular order). Finally, I will name The Deuce, the two teams in the PASL that are stinking up the outhouse.
THE STABLE
1. Chicago Mustangs The Mustangs beat Tulsa and Wichita on the road this last weekend to remain in the top spot in the Stable.
2. Hidalgo La Fiera DNP
3. Dallas Sidekicks After a good win at home against Las Vegas I decided to move the Sidekicks to the # 3 Spot.
4. Las Vegas Legends The Legends lost to the Sidekicks on the road, but mounted a late comeback that almost tied it up in the 4th.
5. San Diego Sockers A win is a win, no matter how ugly it is, but an ugly win against a lower ranked team can drop you in the Stable.
6. Monterrey Flash DNP
7. Detroit Waza Flo Detroit picked up a solid win at home and obviously have their sights set on Chicago in March.
8. Mexico Toros Mexico had a great game plan and stuck to it during their game against the Sockers. Even thought they lost, the Toros will be a handful for the Sockers in the playoffs. They have skill and speed, and last Saturday night, played like a true team.
9. Cleveland Freeze Cleveland lost to the Waza, but hung with them through the game, and looked pretty good in the half that I watched. If all of the offensive pieces are working for Cleveland they become a very dangerous team.
10. Wichita B-52's The B-52's lost to the #1 Mustangs, but played well enough to hang with them for a half, before Chicago put the game away with a 5 goal scoring spree.
THE HERD
- Cincinnati Saints
- Texas Strikers
- Saltillo Rancho Seco
- Harrisburg Heat
- Bay Area Rosal
- Turlock Express
- Ontario Fury
- Tulsa Revolution
1. Sacramento Surge They are here because Texas didn't play.
2. Illinois Piasa The Piasa can't seem to beat a team in their own division, but did show signs of life in the first part of their game against the Saints.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Lavishly's Lines for Week #14
12-0 Chicago Mustangs @ 1-11 Tulsa Revolution I am guessing that the Mustangs will go into Tulsa and beat the doors out the Revolution in front of their home crowd. The Mustangs just have too much speed and offense for the first year Tulsa team. Chicago -9.5 o/u 20
11-2 Las Vegas Legends @ 11-2 Dallas Sidekicks I will be watching this game on America One to see if the Legends can hand the Sidekicks their first home loss of the season. Las Vegas already has a potent offense that can score in bunches, but the addition of Luis Piffer to the Legend defense makes this team an even more deadly threat. Dallas hasn't loss at home this season, and in order to avoid losing this game they need to avoid giving Las Vegas the man advantage, which they lead the league in at a 61% conversion rate. If the Legends are on the man advantage, then they need to cover Felipe Gonzalez who leads the league with 10 powerplay goals. On top of all of that, Ricardino Sobreira, Israel Sesay, and Ivan Campos all have the ability to shred defenses, especially with Tovar dealing out the ball. This will be a true test for Dallas at home. Las Vegas -.5 o/u 15
4-9 Turlock Express @ 4-8 Ontario Fury These are both teams that didn't live up to expectations this season. Ontario will get the win at home with ease but they are out of the playoffs and need to keep working on building their fan base as well as preparing for next season. Ontario -4.5 o/u 16
7-5 Mexico Toros @ 11-3 San Diego Sockers San Diego hosts their southern neighbors in a game that will be attended by Baseballer Adrian Gonzalez. I will be trying to get a card signed and a picture of him with my son, but the game will be a fun one to watch. The Sockers know better than to sleep on any team from Tijuana, so they will be ready for the Toros. San Diego -7.5 o/u 16
2-11 Sacramento Surge @ 6-8 Bay Area Rosal If there was one player that stood out to me when Bay Area played San Diego, it was #2 Stephan Clemens. Both my buddy Tim and I commented on how he was one of the few players on the Bay Area team that looked like he belonged, I would not be surprised to see him picked up by another team next year. Emrah Klimenta, Rosal's points leader, didn't play in the San Diego game. If Bay Area can play with both Clemens and Klimenta, as well as suit up at least 8 other of their top guys, then Rosal wins. Bay Area -4.5 o/u 14
9-4 Cleveland Freeze @ 7-5 Detroit Waza Flo If I am lucky I can catch the beginning of this game on Go Live before I have to leave to go watch the Sockers at VVCC. This is a preview of the playoffs and a chance to see who is the most prepared for the postseason. In the last game Dominic Scicluna suited up and handed the coaching duties over to assistant coach Matt Johnson. I don't know if Johnson will be coaching again this game, but the addition of Dominic to the lineup brings even more playoff experience to an already outstanding veteran lineup. Cleveland, on the other hand, beat the Waza at home in a wildly emotional physical battle that recorded a total of 55 fouls and 12 powerplay oppertunities. Now the Freeze have to go into Detroit and try to pick up their first win at the Melvindale Civic Center. In the last game, Ostergren, Grossman, and Green combined for 12 goals, and Allen Eller had 7 assists, while the team went 7 for 9 on powerplay opportunities. If they can keep their offense clicking the Freeze can pick up a win in Detroit, but the Waza have only lost at home twice, and that was early in the season. The Waza edge it out at home. Detroit -.5 o/u 12.5
12-0 Chicago Mustangs @ 6-6 Wichita B-52's This game doubles as a US Open Cup game, and if Wichita could pull off the win at home it would be huge. The B-52's have had a good season so far being a new team in the PASL and playing in the Central Division. Making it to the Final Four in the US Open Cup would be a big achievement for the upstart B-52's, but Chicago is rolling and will beat out the home team in Wichita and move on to the semi-finals. Chicago -4.5 o/u 16
4-8 Cincinnati Saints @ 1-11 Illinois Piasa I don't know what is going on with the Piasa, I can only assume that it is not ideal. Cincinatti -2.5 o/u 14
US OPEN CUP FINAL FOUR PREDICTION
I could have done this a while ago because after Hidalgo knocked out Dallas, Las Vegas knocked out San Diego, and Harrisburg knocked out Detroit it all seemed pretty evident barring any huge upsets.
1. Chicago Mustangs
2. Cleveland Freeze
3. Hidalgo La Fiera
4. Las Vegas Legends
11-2 Las Vegas Legends @ 11-2 Dallas Sidekicks I will be watching this game on America One to see if the Legends can hand the Sidekicks their first home loss of the season. Las Vegas already has a potent offense that can score in bunches, but the addition of Luis Piffer to the Legend defense makes this team an even more deadly threat. Dallas hasn't loss at home this season, and in order to avoid losing this game they need to avoid giving Las Vegas the man advantage, which they lead the league in at a 61% conversion rate. If the Legends are on the man advantage, then they need to cover Felipe Gonzalez who leads the league with 10 powerplay goals. On top of all of that, Ricardino Sobreira, Israel Sesay, and Ivan Campos all have the ability to shred defenses, especially with Tovar dealing out the ball. This will be a true test for Dallas at home. Las Vegas -.5 o/u 15
4-9 Turlock Express @ 4-8 Ontario Fury These are both teams that didn't live up to expectations this season. Ontario will get the win at home with ease but they are out of the playoffs and need to keep working on building their fan base as well as preparing for next season. Ontario -4.5 o/u 16
7-5 Mexico Toros @ 11-3 San Diego Sockers San Diego hosts their southern neighbors in a game that will be attended by Baseballer Adrian Gonzalez. I will be trying to get a card signed and a picture of him with my son, but the game will be a fun one to watch. The Sockers know better than to sleep on any team from Tijuana, so they will be ready for the Toros. San Diego -7.5 o/u 16
2-11 Sacramento Surge @ 6-8 Bay Area Rosal If there was one player that stood out to me when Bay Area played San Diego, it was #2 Stephan Clemens. Both my buddy Tim and I commented on how he was one of the few players on the Bay Area team that looked like he belonged, I would not be surprised to see him picked up by another team next year. Emrah Klimenta, Rosal's points leader, didn't play in the San Diego game. If Bay Area can play with both Clemens and Klimenta, as well as suit up at least 8 other of their top guys, then Rosal wins. Bay Area -4.5 o/u 14
9-4 Cleveland Freeze @ 7-5 Detroit Waza Flo If I am lucky I can catch the beginning of this game on Go Live before I have to leave to go watch the Sockers at VVCC. This is a preview of the playoffs and a chance to see who is the most prepared for the postseason. In the last game Dominic Scicluna suited up and handed the coaching duties over to assistant coach Matt Johnson. I don't know if Johnson will be coaching again this game, but the addition of Dominic to the lineup brings even more playoff experience to an already outstanding veteran lineup. Cleveland, on the other hand, beat the Waza at home in a wildly emotional physical battle that recorded a total of 55 fouls and 12 powerplay oppertunities. Now the Freeze have to go into Detroit and try to pick up their first win at the Melvindale Civic Center. In the last game, Ostergren, Grossman, and Green combined for 12 goals, and Allen Eller had 7 assists, while the team went 7 for 9 on powerplay opportunities. If they can keep their offense clicking the Freeze can pick up a win in Detroit, but the Waza have only lost at home twice, and that was early in the season. The Waza edge it out at home. Detroit -.5 o/u 12.5
12-0 Chicago Mustangs @ 6-6 Wichita B-52's This game doubles as a US Open Cup game, and if Wichita could pull off the win at home it would be huge. The B-52's have had a good season so far being a new team in the PASL and playing in the Central Division. Making it to the Final Four in the US Open Cup would be a big achievement for the upstart B-52's, but Chicago is rolling and will beat out the home team in Wichita and move on to the semi-finals. Chicago -4.5 o/u 16
4-8 Cincinnati Saints @ 1-11 Illinois Piasa I don't know what is going on with the Piasa, I can only assume that it is not ideal. Cincinatti -2.5 o/u 14
US OPEN CUP FINAL FOUR PREDICTION
I could have done this a while ago because after Hidalgo knocked out Dallas, Las Vegas knocked out San Diego, and Harrisburg knocked out Detroit it all seemed pretty evident barring any huge upsets.
1. Chicago Mustangs
2. Cleveland Freeze
3. Hidalgo La Fiera
4. Las Vegas Legends
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Power Rankings after Week #13
First of all I would like to thank Eric Roberts, Tom Andrews, Christopher Funk, Bill Norris, Ed Dravecky, Michael N Brown, Greg Ponto Suttie, Bret Swinney, for reading and commenting on last weeks Power Ranking.
In the Power Rankings I will, first of all, put the top ten teams in my Stable. Then, I will put the rest of The Herd out to pasture (in no particular order). Finally, I will name The Deuce, the two teams in the PASL that are stinking up the outhouse.
THE STABLE
1. Chicago Mustangs I will keep Chicago at #1 being that they are 12-0 and have secured a final 4 spot in the Ron Newman Cup Finals. Chicago, who is still in the US Open Cup, will have to beat the B-52's this weekend to make it into the final four.
2. Hidalgo La Fiera 11-2 La Fiera have three games left this season against three teams with a combined 6 wins and 32 losses. Their hardest game will probably be on the road against Saltillo, but from here it seems as if Hidalgo will finish the season at 14-2 and win the Division. La Fiera is also in the Open Cup and will have to fend off Austin F.C. this weekend to advance to the final four.
3. Las Vegas Legends 11-2 Las Vegas has a tough game on the road against the Sidekicks at the Allen Events Center, but will return home to face the Ontario Fury two more time is the regular season. Las Vegas will have to beat Bay Area Rosal to advance to the Final Four of the Open Cup.
4. San Diego Sockers The Sockers are coming off of a very successful road trip to Mexico where they dispatched both Saltillo and Monterrey. They will finish off the season with two games at home against the Fury and Toros.
5. Monterrey Flash The Flash were handed their first home loss of the season this weekend, but more importantly they were set back in their bid for playoff home field advantage. The Flash's last scheduled regular season game is against Saltillo Rancho Seco on Feb. 12. Assuming that they win that game, Monterrey will be sitting on a 13-3 regular season record.
6. Dallas Sidekicks Dallas won't likely be the Central Division Champion like I predicted in Week #5, but they still could finish the season like I predicted at 14-2, but first they need to beat the Legends this weekend. If the full Las Vegas squad can make the trip, then the Sidekicks will have their hands full.
7. Cleveland Freeze After getting blown out by the Mustangs last week in Chicago, the Freeze will have to travel to Detroit and try and beat the Detroit Waza. I also forgot to mention that the Freeze are in the semifinals of the US Open Cup, but will most likely play the Mustangs who have had Cleveland's number all season.
8. Detroit Waza Flo Detroit handled the Cincinnati Saints last weekend and now look to beat the Cleveland Freeze at the Melvindale Civic Center in their third straight home game. The Waza look ready for the playoff with their offense clicking, but the Freeze have beaten Detroit in the past.
9. Mexico Toros Mexico blew out the Sacramento Surge in Tijuana and it looks like the Toros will once again find themselves in the Playoffs.
10. Wichita B-52's Wichita just beat the Tulsa Revolution and will face the Chicago Mustangs this weekend in an attempt to make it into the US Open Cup final four. The B-52's have 4 games left in the regular season, but the games against Chicago and Dallas will give them the most problems.
THE HERD
THE DEUCE
1. Sacramento Surge I put the Surge in the Deuce because they lost 20-1 against Las Vegas, and then turned around and lost to the Toros 20-6 the very next day.
2. Texas Strikers Texas is still looking for their first win of the season.
In the Power Rankings I will, first of all, put the top ten teams in my Stable. Then, I will put the rest of The Herd out to pasture (in no particular order). Finally, I will name The Deuce, the two teams in the PASL that are stinking up the outhouse.
THE STABLE
1. Chicago Mustangs I will keep Chicago at #1 being that they are 12-0 and have secured a final 4 spot in the Ron Newman Cup Finals. Chicago, who is still in the US Open Cup, will have to beat the B-52's this weekend to make it into the final four.
2. Hidalgo La Fiera 11-2 La Fiera have three games left this season against three teams with a combined 6 wins and 32 losses. Their hardest game will probably be on the road against Saltillo, but from here it seems as if Hidalgo will finish the season at 14-2 and win the Division. La Fiera is also in the Open Cup and will have to fend off Austin F.C. this weekend to advance to the final four.
3. Las Vegas Legends 11-2 Las Vegas has a tough game on the road against the Sidekicks at the Allen Events Center, but will return home to face the Ontario Fury two more time is the regular season. Las Vegas will have to beat Bay Area Rosal to advance to the Final Four of the Open Cup.
4. San Diego Sockers The Sockers are coming off of a very successful road trip to Mexico where they dispatched both Saltillo and Monterrey. They will finish off the season with two games at home against the Fury and Toros.
5. Monterrey Flash The Flash were handed their first home loss of the season this weekend, but more importantly they were set back in their bid for playoff home field advantage. The Flash's last scheduled regular season game is against Saltillo Rancho Seco on Feb. 12. Assuming that they win that game, Monterrey will be sitting on a 13-3 regular season record.
6. Dallas Sidekicks Dallas won't likely be the Central Division Champion like I predicted in Week #5, but they still could finish the season like I predicted at 14-2, but first they need to beat the Legends this weekend. If the full Las Vegas squad can make the trip, then the Sidekicks will have their hands full.
7. Cleveland Freeze After getting blown out by the Mustangs last week in Chicago, the Freeze will have to travel to Detroit and try and beat the Detroit Waza. I also forgot to mention that the Freeze are in the semifinals of the US Open Cup, but will most likely play the Mustangs who have had Cleveland's number all season.
8. Detroit Waza Flo Detroit handled the Cincinnati Saints last weekend and now look to beat the Cleveland Freeze at the Melvindale Civic Center in their third straight home game. The Waza look ready for the playoff with their offense clicking, but the Freeze have beaten Detroit in the past.
9. Mexico Toros Mexico blew out the Sacramento Surge in Tijuana and it looks like the Toros will once again find themselves in the Playoffs.
10. Wichita B-52's Wichita just beat the Tulsa Revolution and will face the Chicago Mustangs this weekend in an attempt to make it into the US Open Cup final four. The B-52's have 4 games left in the regular season, but the games against Chicago and Dallas will give them the most problems.
THE HERD
- Cincinnati Saints
- Harrisburg Heat
- Saltillo Rancho Seco
- Bay Area Rosal
- Turlock Express
- Ontario Fury
- Illinois Piasa
- Tulsa Revolution
THE DEUCE
1. Sacramento Surge I put the Surge in the Deuce because they lost 20-1 against Las Vegas, and then turned around and lost to the Toros 20-6 the very next day.
2. Texas Strikers Texas is still looking for their first win of the season.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Lavishly's Lines Week #13
10-0 Chicago Mustangs @ 4-7 Harrisburg Heat This is the first of a two game series that the Heat have with the Mustangs, the last two home games for the Heat, and the last two games that Richard Chinapoo will coach the team at the Farm Show Arena. Chicago -6 over/under 16
5-6 Wichita B-52's @ 1-10 Tulsa Revolution The B-52's have beaten the Revolution twice so far but this could be the night Tulsa wins their second game ever. Wichita -1 o/u 10
2-9 Sacramento Surge @ 10-2 Las Vegas Legends Surge have no chance. Las Vegas -8 o/u 12
4-7 Cincinnati Saints @ 6-5 Detroit Waza Flo Detroit will win this with ease as they tune up for the postseason. Detroit -5 o/u 15
0-12 Texas Strikers @ 10-2 Dallas Sidekicks Dallas will run up the score. Dallas -11 o/u 15
10-0 Chicago Mustangs @ 4-7 Harrisburg Heat Unfortunately, legendary coach Richard Chinapoo will finish out his last two games at home with losses, but his team will put forward their best effort out of respect for all that he has done for the Heat. Chicago -2 o/u 14
4-8 Turlock Express @ 5-8 Bay Area Rosal Bay Area wins at home after losing 2 on the road. Bay Area -2 o/u 12
9-3 San Diego Sockers @ 5-6 Saltillo Rancho Seco The thing that scares me the most about San Diego going to Mexico and playing is injuries. I would rather San Diego send their reserves to Saltillo and Monterrey and avoid losing a player to injury than try and win both games, but they wont. The Saltillo game should go down without any hangups. San Diego -3 o/u 15
2-9 Sacramento Surge @ 6-5 Mexico Toros Mexico wins at home and gets closer to securing the third playoff spot in the Pacific. Mexico -4 o/u 16
9-3 San Diego Sockers @ 12-2 Monterrey Flash This game is the one that scares me, not because I am worried about the Sockers losing, because that has no real effect on the Sockers who have already secured a spot in the playoffs, but because all of the travel and the game against Saltillo the night before. I just think that the the Sockers are at an increased risk for injury and Monterrey is where I fear it will happen. Monterrey -2 o/u 14
5-6 Saltillo Rancho Seco @ 10-2 Hidalgo La Fiera Hidalgo wins at home against a fatigued Rancho Seco. Hidalgo -10 o/u 16
RON NEWMAN CUP FINAL FOUR
1. Chicago Mustangs The Mustangs have the guaranteed spot as the hosts.
2. Detroit Waza Flo Detroit is a veteran team that knows how to play in big games, they have the ability to climb back into games when they start out slow, and they have experienced players that know how to win playoff games. They will get hot when it counts and make a serious run at the Championship.
3. San Diego Sockers The Sockers will need to beat division rival Las Vegas to get to this spot, and it won't be easy, but beating the Sockers twice in a row will be too much for the Legends, especially with a full Sockers defensive roster.
4. Monterrey Flash Hidalgo and Dallas are both great teams, but it will be the Sidekicks lack of a competitive schedule and Hidalgo's inability to control emotions and foul trouble that will hurt them in the end.
5-6 Wichita B-52's @ 1-10 Tulsa Revolution The B-52's have beaten the Revolution twice so far but this could be the night Tulsa wins their second game ever. Wichita -1 o/u 10
2-9 Sacramento Surge @ 10-2 Las Vegas Legends Surge have no chance. Las Vegas -8 o/u 12
4-7 Cincinnati Saints @ 6-5 Detroit Waza Flo Detroit will win this with ease as they tune up for the postseason. Detroit -5 o/u 15
0-12 Texas Strikers @ 10-2 Dallas Sidekicks Dallas will run up the score. Dallas -11 o/u 15
10-0 Chicago Mustangs @ 4-7 Harrisburg Heat Unfortunately, legendary coach Richard Chinapoo will finish out his last two games at home with losses, but his team will put forward their best effort out of respect for all that he has done for the Heat. Chicago -2 o/u 14
4-8 Turlock Express @ 5-8 Bay Area Rosal Bay Area wins at home after losing 2 on the road. Bay Area -2 o/u 12
9-3 San Diego Sockers @ 5-6 Saltillo Rancho Seco The thing that scares me the most about San Diego going to Mexico and playing is injuries. I would rather San Diego send their reserves to Saltillo and Monterrey and avoid losing a player to injury than try and win both games, but they wont. The Saltillo game should go down without any hangups. San Diego -3 o/u 15
2-9 Sacramento Surge @ 6-5 Mexico Toros Mexico wins at home and gets closer to securing the third playoff spot in the Pacific. Mexico -4 o/u 16
9-3 San Diego Sockers @ 12-2 Monterrey Flash This game is the one that scares me, not because I am worried about the Sockers losing, because that has no real effect on the Sockers who have already secured a spot in the playoffs, but because all of the travel and the game against Saltillo the night before. I just think that the the Sockers are at an increased risk for injury and Monterrey is where I fear it will happen. Monterrey -2 o/u 14
5-6 Saltillo Rancho Seco @ 10-2 Hidalgo La Fiera Hidalgo wins at home against a fatigued Rancho Seco. Hidalgo -10 o/u 16
RON NEWMAN CUP FINAL FOUR
1. Chicago Mustangs The Mustangs have the guaranteed spot as the hosts.
2. Detroit Waza Flo Detroit is a veteran team that knows how to play in big games, they have the ability to climb back into games when they start out slow, and they have experienced players that know how to win playoff games. They will get hot when it counts and make a serious run at the Championship.
3. San Diego Sockers The Sockers will need to beat division rival Las Vegas to get to this spot, and it won't be easy, but beating the Sockers twice in a row will be too much for the Legends, especially with a full Sockers defensive roster.
4. Monterrey Flash Hidalgo and Dallas are both great teams, but it will be the Sidekicks lack of a competitive schedule and Hidalgo's inability to control emotions and foul trouble that will hurt them in the end.
A Whole Lot To Gain, And A Whole Lot More To Lose
Chicago has the best record in the PASL, both Massey Ratings and The Indoor Outhouse have them as the number one team in the PASL, though the Indoor Outhouse has them there for different reasons, they are undefeated this year, and now they are renting out the Sears Center in Chicago to host the 2013-2014 Ron Newman Cup Finals. If the Mustangs are lucky, the PASL could gift them the other qualifying team from the Eastern Conference, where Chicago went undefeated, in their first game, guaranteeing an Eastern Conference team in the Finals, most likely Chicago. But I doubt that the league front office would manipulate the tournament like that. Right? Or do they run the risk of having an East vs East final?
The Mustangs have the opportunity to go undefeated for the whole season, fill the seats with up to 9,000 fans, host two great games at home and reap all of the financial benefits from that, expose the sport and the team to a large Chicago audience and grow the fan base, and most importantly, win the Ron Newman Cup, being the first non-Californian team to do so in the history of the PASL. If the Chicago Mustangs could do that they would be considered one of the greatest teams ever in the PASL, and the second team ever to go undefeated in a season. They are also still in the hunt for the US Open Cup and could also win that on top of everything else.
On the other hand, things could go South from the start. Imagine if Chicago struggled to fill the seats in their first game, considering that their biggest crowd all year was 1,216, and then lost their first semi-final game. Not only would their season end there, but so would the undefeated streak, they would be 0-1 in the playoffs and 0-1 against non-divisional opponents this year, and they would be known as the team that owned the regular season, but blew it in the Playoffs. I remember in 2011 when the Cincinnati Kings hosted the finals. They were first PASL team eliminated, and in the championship game, San Diego went on to win the title in front of a handful of people in a virtually empty Cincinnati Gardens. Cincinnati went on to miss the playoff the following year, never won a playoff game or made the finals again, and then folded as an indoor team in the PASL. Chicago runs a huge risk, the same risk that the Sockers organization ran last year, of losing their first game and dropping a ton of money hosting a final for two teams other than the home team. That would be a complete disaster. The Chicago Mustangs are under an awful lot of pressure. It would be a terrible thing to see them choke at that critical moment and lose everything.
Last year's Ron Newman Cup Finals in San Diego were awesome! In the first game Detroit won an awesome game against the Rio Grande Valley Flash 6-5 in overtime. I was sitting next to the field with the Zellers and watching that physical battle from beginning to end was highly entertaining. Then the Sockers edged out Las Vegas in fiercely competitive game that went into overtime and ended in dramatic fashion with the Sockers winning 6-5. Then in the Ron Newman Cup Final, San Diego bested the Detroit Waza in a historic game that saw Detroit climb back in the game after trailing early, leading Craig Elsten to coin the phrase, "Don't count out the Detroit Waza, EVER!!!" That game could have gone either way, but it was San Diego that caught the lucky bounce at the end of the game and walked away victorious.
Given the excitement of last years games, there is extra pressure on this year's Ron Newman Cup Final to produce an exciting three matches for the fans. One thing that is left to be unanswered is how the Eastern Division can hold up to the rest of the PASL? Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, and Cincinnati, the 4 most likely teams to fill the 2 reserved spots for the East in the final four, have not played an non-divisional opponent this whole season. Can these Ron Newman Cup final games live up to the standard of excellence set by the Flash, the Legends, the Waza, and the Sockers in last years finals? We shall see in what looks to be an excellent ending to the 2013-2014 PASL season.
The Mustangs have the opportunity to go undefeated for the whole season, fill the seats with up to 9,000 fans, host two great games at home and reap all of the financial benefits from that, expose the sport and the team to a large Chicago audience and grow the fan base, and most importantly, win the Ron Newman Cup, being the first non-Californian team to do so in the history of the PASL. If the Chicago Mustangs could do that they would be considered one of the greatest teams ever in the PASL, and the second team ever to go undefeated in a season. They are also still in the hunt for the US Open Cup and could also win that on top of everything else.
On the other hand, things could go South from the start. Imagine if Chicago struggled to fill the seats in their first game, considering that their biggest crowd all year was 1,216, and then lost their first semi-final game. Not only would their season end there, but so would the undefeated streak, they would be 0-1 in the playoffs and 0-1 against non-divisional opponents this year, and they would be known as the team that owned the regular season, but blew it in the Playoffs. I remember in 2011 when the Cincinnati Kings hosted the finals. They were first PASL team eliminated, and in the championship game, San Diego went on to win the title in front of a handful of people in a virtually empty Cincinnati Gardens. Cincinnati went on to miss the playoff the following year, never won a playoff game or made the finals again, and then folded as an indoor team in the PASL. Chicago runs a huge risk, the same risk that the Sockers organization ran last year, of losing their first game and dropping a ton of money hosting a final for two teams other than the home team. That would be a complete disaster. The Chicago Mustangs are under an awful lot of pressure. It would be a terrible thing to see them choke at that critical moment and lose everything.
Last year's Ron Newman Cup Finals in San Diego were awesome! In the first game Detroit won an awesome game against the Rio Grande Valley Flash 6-5 in overtime. I was sitting next to the field with the Zellers and watching that physical battle from beginning to end was highly entertaining. Then the Sockers edged out Las Vegas in fiercely competitive game that went into overtime and ended in dramatic fashion with the Sockers winning 6-5. Then in the Ron Newman Cup Final, San Diego bested the Detroit Waza in a historic game that saw Detroit climb back in the game after trailing early, leading Craig Elsten to coin the phrase, "Don't count out the Detroit Waza, EVER!!!" That game could have gone either way, but it was San Diego that caught the lucky bounce at the end of the game and walked away victorious.
Given the excitement of last years games, there is extra pressure on this year's Ron Newman Cup Final to produce an exciting three matches for the fans. One thing that is left to be unanswered is how the Eastern Division can hold up to the rest of the PASL? Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, and Cincinnati, the 4 most likely teams to fill the 2 reserved spots for the East in the final four, have not played an non-divisional opponent this whole season. Can these Ron Newman Cup final games live up to the standard of excellence set by the Flash, the Legends, the Waza, and the Sockers in last years finals? We shall see in what looks to be an excellent ending to the 2013-2014 PASL season.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Power Rankings after Week #12
First of all, I would like to thank Brian Zellers, RJ Pooch, Rose Shoen, Christopher Funk, Steve Caves, Greg Ponto Suttie, and Sydney Nusinov for reading and commenting on the Power Rankings from last week.
In the Power Rankings I will, first of all, put the top ten teams in my Stable. Then, I will put the rest of The Herd out to pasture (in no particular order). Finally, I will name The Deuce, the two teams in the PASL that are stinking up the outhouse.
THE STABLE
1. Chicago Mustangs Congratulations to the Chicago Mustangs for earning the opportunity to host the Ron Newman Cup Finals. Chicago has the best regular season record at an impressive 10-0 deserve to get the opportunity host the Finals.
I read in an article on-line last week a coach mention that the Ron Newman Cup was expected to be in Chicago, and of course I can't find that article after looking for the past 2 hours. I remember telling my wife, but we both were pulling for Ontario, so we didn't didn't want to believe it and take the news to heart, but we both new that it was going to be Chicago. I am just bummed because I love going and watching the best teams in the league compete.
2. Monterrey Flash The Flash just beat the Strikers at home after losing to La Fiera in Hidalgo, but Monterrey and Hidalgo are 2-2 this season against each other, but I think Hidalgo is right with the Flash.
3. Hidalgo La Fiera They are right their with the Flash, I think that home field advantage will play a huge factor if these two teams meet in the post season.
4. Las Vegas Legends The Legends made the trip to Turlock this weekend and picked up a victory.
5. San Diego Sockers San Diego ran a 60 min power play on Bay Area on Saturday and then went to Ontario and beat a quality Fury team.
6. Dallas Sidekicks Dallas beat the Revolution for the 4th and final time for the season.
7. Cleveland Freeze They got the pants beat off them in Chicago but had beaten Detroit on the 11th so I will put them one above the Waza.
8. Detroit Waza Flo Detroit didn't play last week, but will suit up against Cincinnati at home this weekend.
9. Mexico Toros Mexico beat Bay Area at home and will probably secure the third spot in the playoffs from the Pacific Division.
10. Harrisburg Heat The Heat beat Cincinnati last weekend to take the 10th spot in the Stable
THE HERD
1. Texas Strikers The Strikers are the only winless team in the PASL and will be the Sidekicks' whipping boy as Dallas trys to score as many points as they can against them at the Allen Events Center.
2. Tulsa Revolution The only team that they can beat is the Strikers.
In the Power Rankings I will, first of all, put the top ten teams in my Stable. Then, I will put the rest of The Herd out to pasture (in no particular order). Finally, I will name The Deuce, the two teams in the PASL that are stinking up the outhouse.
THE STABLE
1. Chicago Mustangs Congratulations to the Chicago Mustangs for earning the opportunity to host the Ron Newman Cup Finals. Chicago has the best regular season record at an impressive 10-0 deserve to get the opportunity host the Finals.
I read in an article on-line last week a coach mention that the Ron Newman Cup was expected to be in Chicago, and of course I can't find that article after looking for the past 2 hours. I remember telling my wife, but we both were pulling for Ontario, so we didn't didn't want to believe it and take the news to heart, but we both new that it was going to be Chicago. I am just bummed because I love going and watching the best teams in the league compete.
2. Monterrey Flash The Flash just beat the Strikers at home after losing to La Fiera in Hidalgo, but Monterrey and Hidalgo are 2-2 this season against each other, but I think Hidalgo is right with the Flash.
3. Hidalgo La Fiera They are right their with the Flash, I think that home field advantage will play a huge factor if these two teams meet in the post season.
4. Las Vegas Legends The Legends made the trip to Turlock this weekend and picked up a victory.
5. San Diego Sockers San Diego ran a 60 min power play on Bay Area on Saturday and then went to Ontario and beat a quality Fury team.
6. Dallas Sidekicks Dallas beat the Revolution for the 4th and final time for the season.
7. Cleveland Freeze They got the pants beat off them in Chicago but had beaten Detroit on the 11th so I will put them one above the Waza.
8. Detroit Waza Flo Detroit didn't play last week, but will suit up against Cincinnati at home this weekend.
9. Mexico Toros Mexico beat Bay Area at home and will probably secure the third spot in the playoffs from the Pacific Division.
10. Harrisburg Heat The Heat beat Cincinnati last weekend to take the 10th spot in the Stable
THE HERD
- Cincinnati Saints
- Illinois Piasa
- Saltillo Rancho Seco
- Wichita B-52's
- Turlock Express
- Bay Area Rosal
- Ontario Fury
- Sacramento Surge
1. Texas Strikers The Strikers are the only winless team in the PASL and will be the Sidekicks' whipping boy as Dallas trys to score as many points as they can against them at the Allen Events Center.
2. Tulsa Revolution The only team that they can beat is the Strikers.
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