MLS Supporters' Shield by Season Series Won

MLS Supporters' Shield by Season Series Won

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This idea came into my mind as the merit of the Suupporters' Shield has been under intense debate since its creation, mainly due to the fact that MLS have been playing un-balanced schedule since inception.

(Though a balanced schedule will be played in 2010, un-balanced schedule will most likely return thereafter, as the league expands)

Thus, I've worked out the alternate MLS Standings base on the number of Season Series won, where we can really see which teams really out-perform the others in a fairer manner, without the potentially bias effects of un-balanced schedules.

Just some ground rules:
1) As with the usual points system, 3 were awarded for a season series won, 1 each for a split series, 0 for a loss.
2) A season series would be won by a team who:
- earned more points than their opponents from the games in the season series (similar to the "1st-to-5" concept)
- scored more goals in case of equal points earned,
- otherwise the series would be considered split. (away goals rule don't apply, :-)
- for '96-99, FT wins would worth more than SO wins.
3) In case of 2/more teams tied on season series points, usual MLS tie-breakers such as head-to-head, GD, GS would apply.

Without further ado, let's see who would have won the Shield / Runners-up, base on Season Series won.

(The more detailed standings for past / current seasons will be published soon)

Alternate Shield Winners / Runners-up, base on Season Series won:
'96: LAG, TPB (LAG won series vs TPB for SS)
'97: KCW, FCD (FCD won series vs DCU for #2)
'98: DCU, LAG (DCU won series vs LAG for SS)
'99: DCU, CLB
'00: TPB, NYRB
'01: MIA, CHI
'02: LAG, SJE (LAG won series vs SJE for SS)
'03: NYRB,CHI
'04: LAG, SJE
'05: SJE, NER (NER won series vs DCU for #2)
'06: CHI, DCU (CHI won 3-way tie-breaker for SS, DCU then won series vs HOU for #2)
'07: HOU, DCU (DCU won series vs CHV for #2)
'08: HOU, CLB
'09: SEA, HOU are the current leaders

Highlights:
1. LAG would have been the most successful team so far with 3 Shields, followed by DCU/HOU with 2 each.
2. SEA, the current leaders of 2009, could very well be the first ever expansion side to win it...
3. Long-suffering NYRB fans would have been able to celebrate their 1st "major" title with the 2003 Shield!!

More later...

MLS All-Time Regular Season Records at the end of Week #27 (Sep-20, 2009)

All-Time Regular Season Records at the end of Week #27 (Sep-20, 2009):

# Club GP- W1--L2--T SOW GS-GA-- GD- Pts PPG #PPG
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01 LAG 424 194-156-74 11 675-568 107 634 1.495 04
02 DCU 424 196-158-70 18 717-629 088 622 1.468 05
03 CLB 423 177-169-77 13 632-604 028 582 1.373 06
04 FCD 423 176-184-63 15 640-660 -20 561 1.326 07
05 CHI 361 166-124-71 05 565-478 087 559 1.552 02
06 KCW 424 170-175-79 16 604-625 -21 557 1.305 08
07 NER 423 169-180-74 17 616-659 -43 547 1.300 12
08 COL 423 167-188-68 12 573-653 -80 545 1.288 13
09 NYR 424 160-196-68 11 608-680 -72 526 1.244 15
10 SJE 359 147-150-62 19 527-512 015 465 1.296 11
11 TPB 187 083-098-06 10 312-336 -24 235 1.257 14
12 CHV 148 052-058-38 00 187-202 -15 194 1.301 09
13 HOU 119 051-029-39 00 167-121 046 192 1.615 01
14 RSL 150 040-070-40 00 184-229 -45 160 1.074 17
15 MIA 122 056-056-10 10 199-219 -20 158 1.295 10
16 TFC 086 024-040-22 00 092-130 -38 094 1.096 16
17 SEA 026 009-006-11 00 031-024 007 038 1.417 03

1 - Included shootout wins in seasons 1996-1999.
2 - Included shootout losses in seasons 1996-1999.

Highlights:

- TFC still need 6 points from their final 4 games to reach 100th points.

- After 150 games, RSL's record reads: W40, T40, L70, Pts 160,

- Coincidentally, the 7, 8, 9 & 10th-placed teams (NER/ COL/ NYRB/ SJE) each earned a point and a goal in the pair of mid-week games.

- With the mid-week tie, COL are now out of the running for 6th-place.

- FCD/CHI/KCW are still mired in a 3-corner-fight for 4/5/6th-places...

- LAG have all but sealed top-spot at the end of 2009 with a 2-0 win over TFC, congratulations!!