Week 18 didn’t do much to clarify the playoff picture but it did mark the official end of any post-season dreams for two WPS teams. With a loss Sunday to Washington, the Chicago Red Stars were officially eliminated from playoff contention, as was FC Gold Pride. The Bay Area side needed a victory over Saint Louis to stay in mathematical contention.
The Los Angeles Sol became the first team to clinch their seed in the WPS Playoffs Thursday with a scoreless draw against FC Gold Pride that gave the Sol the WPS Regular Season title. As champions of the regular season, Los Angeles earns the right to host the WPS Championship on August 22 at 4pm ET/1pm PT at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
But positions 2-5 in the WPS Standings are as jumbled as ever as Washington moved into a tie with Sky Blue FC for fourth-place with a game in hand over the New Jersey side. With nine games left in the WPS Regular Season, here’s a basic team-by-team playoff overview with this week’s clinching or elimination scenarios in the current order of the standings:
1.) Los Angeles Sol – has clinched the WPS Regular Season title and a spot in the WPS Championship
2.) Saint Louis Athletica – will clinch a playoff spot and guarantee a home playoff game with a victory on Saturday vs. the Boston Breakers
3.) Boston Breakers – will clinch a playoff spot with a victory on Wednesday vs. the Washington Freedom and could clinch a home playoff game with two victories this week
4.) Washington Freedom – August 8th game vs. Sky Blue FC to close the season looms on the horizon as a key game if these two teams remain within three points of each other.
5.) Sky Blue FC – August 8th game vs. Washington Freedom to close the season looms on the horizon as a key game if these two teams remain within three points of each other.
6.) Chicago Red Stars – Eliminated from playoffs
7.) FC Gold Pride – Eliminated from playoffsStandings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (C) L.A. | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 6 | 38 |
| Saint Louis | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 27 |
| Boston | 17 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 16 | 25 |
| Washington | 17 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 28 | 23 |
| Sky Blue | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 17 | 23 |
| Chicago | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 17 |
| Gold Pride | 17 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 23 | 14 |
It looks like Sky Blue will have to win and hope the Freedom lose some, if not all, remaining matches in order to make it in...Should have won against Boston.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very exciting playoff run!