PG-Boy on Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:46 pm
PREDICTION:
BRACKET A: DT GALL – The South Texas contingent will be appetizers for the main course. Galls superboys will prepare spicy Hors D'oeuvres. Not a lot commentary here, it is what it is.
BRACKET B: FCD PREMIER – It’s a toss-up between FCD Premier and DTS. Someone has to be picked, so I’ll go with FCD Premier. Mark your calendar for Saturday, 9:30am, Cox #3 for a ferocious group match. The winner avoids Gall in the semifinal. The loser is either eliminated from the semi’s or has to face Gall.
BRACKET C: SOLAR CHELSEA RED – The Houstonians and FWFC will give Solar tough match-ups. But it’s about the fundamentals, earning points. Solar is too smart and too skillful to lose the group. They are the summit. Trying to knock them down will not be simple. Everyone will be busy knocking heads with each other trying to get to the top of the hill.
WILDCARD: This one can’t be predicted with any real certainty. It depends on multiple variables. Primarily how many points you can POUR on the scoreboard. Shut-outs help immensely, too. But its about goals, lots of goals in the back of the net. Even if a team is ahead and destined to win, it’s not enough to earn the coveted last semi-final slot. A team must be assertive and merciless to advance.
After head-to-head, the next tie breaker IS goal differential. So you Wild Card contenders, pour it on. Keep scoring even after the game has already been decided. Mercy is for rec leagues.
These rules are posted on the website
a. Head to Head game results - winner will advance.
b. Goal differential - team with highest goal differential against opponents will advance
(goals scored minus goals against).
c. Fewest goals allowed - team with fewest goals allowed will advance.
d. Most number of "shut-outs" - team with most "shut-outs" will advance.
e. Penalty kicks.
Highest probability of Wild Card from each group;
A = I don’t know anything about Austin Texans or Texans 01 (STX). Likely the three teams after Gall will counter act any point acceleration. For STX teams to travel & test their mettle against NTX squads, they have to have high confidence. To advance to semi, one of these teams has to be MUCH superior to the other two remaining foes.
B = DTS. This group has four good teams. Accumulating a huge goal differential for the second place team will not be easy. But we’ve all witnessed DTS go on a tear.
C = Houstonians and FWFC will battle it out for second place. They’ll have to get their goal differential against DT Red. Although I doubt DTR will easily give up their own aspirations.
If any team can pour home goals with panache, its DTS. My wild a$* guess for the wild card is DTS.
The reward for any wild card advancing? A turn at getting obliterated by DT Gall.
Gall superboys demolish DTS in semi-final. DTS will be sushi with a side of wasabi.
Oglesby and Pino’s boys will have an epic rematch of the Memorial Day final that Solar won. Epic it will be. PKs will decide the match after a double overtime 2-2 match. The team with the most confident goalkeeper wins. FCD in a game for the ages.
Final; Galls superboys find a team matching them in fitness and savvy.
Their normal assertiveness is tempered by the fact they haven’t faced FCD Premier in almost a year. They hold back instead of charging forward because FCD isn’t awed. FCD can and will sting.
Pino and Gall will pretend to ignore each other, but they’ll gaze from the corner of their eyes at each other. Two prize fighters going mano-a-mano. Their pupils battling it out on the pitch. Their benches with players that could start on any D1 team, they’ll select the proper quills at the right moments.
But in the end, Texans muscle will outshine their creative opponents by smashing home a blistering 30 yard shot that grazes the underside of the crossbar. Gall, champions. ☺