RSL 2010 opener and home opener info
Real Salt Lake sat idle this year as the rest of MLS got underway but next year we will be part of the opening weekend, as we head to San Jose (road trip anyone?) on March 27th to face the Quakes. The home opener for RSL won’t be until week 3 as the Seattle Sounders come to Rio Tinto on April 10th, a week later than the 2009 Home opener which suffered poor attendance due to rain and cold. Hopefully we will get good weather this year for the home opener, RSL is one of 4 teams that won’t have a home match until week 3 (Philly, New England, and Chicago are the others). The MLS regular season will end on October 24th and the MLS Cup will take place on November 21st (gonna bet on New York to be the host city).
It was also announced last week that MLS will take a two week break during the group stages of the 2010 World Cup, so no matches between June 11th and the 25th for RSL, I do hope that Real’s management will look for ways of having events for at least the US matches.
MLS has unveiled a Playoff Standing table (http://web.mlsnet.com/standings/) then chose the playoff standing link and this is what it looks like as of today:
So with the playoff race so very, very close MLS has also put the rules about the playoffs in a easy to find place on their site, but for your convenience here is the info:
WHO QUALIFIES: Eight teams qualify for the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs. Playoff berths will be determined by points in the standings upon the completion of the regular season. All 15 teams will have played 30 games.
TEAM-STANDINGS TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES
The team awarded the highest position in the MLS standings will be the team with the greatest number of points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss). In the event that two teams finish the regular season with an equal number of points, the following system will be used to break the tie:
- The highest position shall be awarded to the team with the better win/loss record in current regular season games against all other teams equal in points. (head-to-head competition)
- If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position shall be awarded to the team with the greater goal difference against all other teams during the regular season. (goal differential)
- If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position shall be awarded to the team scoring the greatest number of total goals against all other teams during the regular season. (total goals)
- If the teams are still equal in the standings, the procedures described in this section shall be applied only to games played on the road by each team against all other teams during the regular season. (road 1-3)
- If the teams are still equal in the standings, the procedures described in this section shall be applied only to games played at home by each team against all other teams during the regular season. (home 1-3)
- If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position shall be awarded to the team with the fewest team disciplinary points in the League Fair Play table during the regular season.
- If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position in the standings shall be determined by the toss of a coin.
- The first tiebreaker in a three-way tie is also head-to-head, but it is determined via points-per-game versus the other two teams. If two teams are tied in points-per-game head-to-head, the next tie breaker is goal difference.
NOTE: If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format.
PLAYOFF FORMAT: Conference Semifinal series are conducted in a home-and-home, aggregate-goal format. The lower seeded team in the Conference Semifinal hosts the first game. The winners of those four series advance to single-game Conference Championships that will determine the MLS Cup Finalists.
The team that scores the most goals in the home-and-home series advances to the single elimination Conference Championship. If the teams are tied after 180 minutes in the Conference Semifinal series, a 30-minute extra time period (divided into two 15-minute periods) will be played followed by kicks from the penalty mark, if necessary. The team with the higher seed between the two Conference finalists will host the Conference Championship game.
In the case of ties after 90 minutes of regulation in the Eastern and Western Conference Championship games and MLS Cup, 30 minutes of extra time (divided into two 15-minute periods) would be played followed by kicks from the penalty mark, if necessary, to determine the winners.
Utah vs. Utah State at Rio Tinto
OK, now that I have your attention it isn’t pointyball, but tonight the Women’s soccer teams from the two schools will matchup at our beautiful stadium here are the details:
Utah State University Women’s Soccer team is hosting the University of Utah at Rio Tinto Stadium (this is a home game for USU).
Date: Thursday, September 24th
Time: 7:00pm
Tickets are $10 for Club seats, $5 for all other seats.
Kids are Free with and Adult purchase if they are wearing a Soccer jersey.
Offer available only at the Box office.
Season Ticket Holders are invited to attend the Utah State University versus University of Utah NCAA Women’s Division I soccer match for free. Call the Season Ticket Holder Hot Line (801) 727-2702 to reserve 4 free tickets to this match. Match Details: Thursday, September 24th 7 PM Rio Tinto Stadium. Season Ticket Holders must reserve their free tickets in advance of the game. No free tickets issued the day of the game.
Well that is it for a midday update
OFF MY SOAPBOX
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