Real Salt Lake on Target

Sean · 06-24-2005, 10:42 PM

Don't attempt to sell your season tickets over the mistaken impression that Real Salt Lake's inaugural season is a wash. The truth of the matter is, even with an early season record of 3-8-3, the Salt Lake expansion team is on track for the Western Conference championship and, who knows, possibly the MLS Cup. The League's first nine seasons provide ample evidence that teams with less than stellar regular season performances can wind up with a championship title.

Since 1996, 65% of MLS teams have finished the regular season with records at or below the .500 mark.* There have been 76 instances of teams struggling to keep to their feet in the nine short years of US major league play. Fortunately for these groups and their growing fan bases, average performances won't necessarily exclude teams from a playoff birth. MLS is gracious enough to advance the top four teams from each conference (currently each side has six teams) to the playoffs. Realistically, it is possible for a 14-14-4 (or worse) type squad to have a shot at the title. History has proven its feasibility. The three organizations listed below managed to rise above the quagmire to win the coveted Cup:

DC United in 1996 with a regular season record of 16 wins and 16 loses
LA Galaxy in 2002 with a regular season record of 16-9-3
San Jose in 2003 with a regular season record of 11-10-9
DC United again in 2004 with a regular season record of 11-10-9

Looking forward, Salt Lake fans are eager to keep their team on target for a similar fate. Posting attendance totals in line with some of the biggest names in MLS, Salt Lake has done well to welcome and support their fledgling team. All that stands between their dream and certain reality are eighteen more games, a lot of grass and turf, and opponents like this Sunday's Chicago Fire (6-2-2).

* Log onto http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/history/ for a complete review of the MLS regular season/playoff statistics.

DadOf8 · 06-25-2005, 08:29 AM

I expect RSL to explode this July. We play Chivas twice, so that will help too. I'm not counting them out yet. As long as they have our support, they will do well.

Aerick · 06-25-2005, 08:33 AM

Thanks for posting this Sean.

scaryice · 06-26-2005, 11:14 PM

KC did not win in 2003. I also don't know why you put the 2002 Galaxy on there, because they had the best record in the league.

Merrill · 06-26-2005, 11:36 PM

So you're saying we're poised to have a midseason surge?

Funny thing about surging is that you have to be pretty bad to do it. If we win our next 7 games in a row we're surging. If the Revs win their next 7 nobody would really notice because they've only lost one game this year.

Jim Umber · 06-27-2005, 09:18 AM

Yeah, a surge! A surge! Here we go, here we go, here we gooooooo, here we go, here we go, here we goooooo-oooooo....

More drum! More cowbell! More noise! Let's here it for the boys!

scaryice · 06-27-2005, 03:26 PM

San Jose was also 14-7-9 in 2003.

soccerman · 06-27-2005, 03:36 PM

There is no way we finish this season in the bottom 2. We're playoff bound for sure.

SoccerPrime · 06-28-2005, 06:26 AM

Thanks for posting Sean. Who are you BTW?

Sean · 06-28-2005, 04:12 PM

I apologize for not introducing myself. I am a late comer to the Loyalists. My connection is through Neil Wyler. We worked (if you can call watching soccer "work") together on the MatchNight News Network site. Other than that, I'm pretty much an average guy who is addicted to soccer.