September 28, 2010
With back to back losses to Miami FC, the Rhinos aren't finishing the regular season the way that they had hoped.
Inside Minnesota Soccer.com takes a look at how the playoff picture looks heading into the final weekend of the season.
What we know:
- Puerto Rico is locked into the 8th seed
- Montreal will finish 6th & Minnesota will finish 7th unless Montreal has an epic melt down in their final match versus Austin
- Vancouver and Carolina will be the 2nd & 5th seeds. Which is which is TBD
- Portland can get the 3rd or 4th seed
- Rochester can get the 1st, 3rd, or 4th seed
- Austin will get the 1st or 3rd seed
So, if Rochester gets the first seed (a Rhinos win & Austin gets at most 1 point out of their final two matches), they get Puerto Rico
If Rochester gets the 3rd seed, they will likely get Montreal
If Rochester drops to the 4th seed, they get the 2nd place team in the NASL Conference (Vancouver or Carolina)
News & Notes:
- Devo & Big Apple Soccer.com have the Buffalo Flash to WPS news. I'm interested to see how the expansion draft process works and what USWNT players the Flash will have a shot at bringing here. Hopefully this player isn't on thir list!
- Head coach Paul Dalglish has been let go by Tampa Bay.
- The USL has announced the Caribbean Division of the USL PRO League and that the Charleston Battery will play in the league in 2011.
- FC Gold Pride are your 2010 WPS Champs thanks to a 4-0 win over Philadelphia on Sunday.
- I wonder if Carlos Mendes got anything from Rafa Marquez to give up the Red Bulls #4 shirt?
- Mike Woitalla at Soccer America is wondering what the big fuss was about with regards to the Jurgen Klinsmann talks with US Soccer.
- If you were wondering where Waldo is, Ridge Mahoney at Soccer America has your answer.
- I wonder how many teams are wishing that they had gone after a suddenly hot Benny Feilhaber before the transfer window closed?
- Michael Bradley had a nice left footed goal versus Schalke over the weekend.
- World Football Daily had an interview with Charlie Davies.
- The Wall Street Journal talks about how Tom Hicks ticked off the wrong people in Liverpool supporters.
- Nike has the new meaning of Goldenballs.
- The KC Wizards stadium webcam now has looks from inside the stadium.
- If I lived in Portland, I would be rocking this shirt.
- Do you think you have what it takes to help MLS run their website?
- This makes me wish I had an XBox.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Rochester Rhinos or SoccerSam.com. Feel free to send any comments or complaints to news@soccersam.com. James promises to read (but not to respond) to all of them.
