Top 20 for 9/24/14

9/24/14 Pack's Top 20:
Good Golly, Ms. InaB, can anyone just win 2 weeks in a row and keep it simple!

Teams are stepping up, stepping down, seizing opportunities and others are getting seized! Remember, strength of schedule, Goals For & Against, exceptional insight, and superior soccer knowledge are used to establish these esteemed rankings.

As always, any observations of oversights are appreciated.

Weekly Rank---W-L-T-Weekly Activity: Results, former rankings, comments

1)ANDROMEDA FC: 4-0-1. DNP.

2) STING (PARKER): 3-0-1. Defeated FC Blue, 2-1

3) SOLAR ELITE 00G:  2-1-1. DNP. Go hug Marty West

4)  STING (FLANAGAN): 2-1-1. DNP. Go hug Marty West.

5)   SOLAR--00G GOLD:  3-0-1. Tied #16 Sting W.
-SG nation, hold the howls! You're still undefeated, but D2 teams has to deliver a "W" against  D2 teams every week to stay in this rare air.

6) STING (BROWN):  1-2-1.  DNP. Almost put Garrett here, but I want to see Garrett's upcoming game this weekend.

7) STING  GARRETT: 1-2-0. Defeated #7 Solar Hopkins, 2-1.
-The Garrett team has a win. Its stingy defense held its own against the top 2 teams. Has chance to move up a spot or 2 with win this weekend.

8 ) DTX-N: 2-1-1. Defeated #20 DTFW, 4-1.
-With victory over Aztecs, I had to move them in front of LA. Is Dark horse moving up or about to break a leg?

9) AZTECS FC:  3-1-0. Defeated #12 DFeeters, 1-0.

10) MUSTANGS BUSSEY: 2-1-1. Defeated #13 FCDE, 4-0.
-Team is coming around to last years form.

11) FCD BLUE: 0-3-1. Lost to #2 Sting Parker, 2-1.

12) SOLAR 00 HOPKINS: 0-4-0. Lost to #10 Sting Garrett, 2-1.

13) D'FEETERS 00:  1-3-0. Lost to #8 Aztecs, 1-0.
-Team has kept it respectable during the toughest part of its schedule.

14) FW FC-WHITE: 5-0-1. Defeated Gunners, 4-1.
-The two D3 teams have earned these spots.

15) Fever United:  Defeated Sting Martin, 5-1.
-Fever is just punishing teams right now... Still looking for Pale Rider.

16) STING WEST: 2-1-1. Tied #3 Solar Gold. team hung tough, came from behind to get the draw.

17)  FCD-P:  1-2-1. Tied Sting Ferretti, 1-1.

18) STING FERRETTI: 1-2-1. Tied #19 FCD-P, 1-1.

19) FCD-EAST: 1-3-0. Lost to #9 Mustangs, 4-0

20) DTFW: 1-3-0. Lost to #14 DTN, 4-1.
-Ran into an emerging Texans team's buzz saw, but is otherwise keeping it close.

I have to say this is stupid. Sorry but to say a lower team at the top of their group is 5 stops better in the next divisoin up is a pipe dream. I could see being placed in bottom 2 or 3 of the next division up but as a wise person once said " C'MOM MAN".

Havingfunyet wrote:I have to say this is stupid.  Sorry but to say a lower team at the top of their group is 5 stops better in the next divisoin up is a pipe dream.  I could see being placed in bottom 2 or 3 of the next division up but as a wise person once said " C'MOM MAN".

Forrest Gump's immortal words....Stupid is, what stupid does, sir.

Thank you for the feedback... Huh?! Fun, use your words! Which lower team, which group? I need some more coffee ...

solar gold at 5 DTN at 8 FTW White 14 just to name a few....

Pack,
I was looking at Gotsoccer and it seems Premier League teams played last weekend. Are you not considering those scores in your rankings?

Send It wrote:Pack,
I was looking at Gotsoccer and it seems Premier League teams played last weekend.  Are you not  considering those scores in your rankings?  

I did consider it...but aside from trying to keep up with another set of scores,  there wouldn't be any upside for D1 teams... those people have already stopped coming to my cocktail parties, without me gigging them for losing a match somewhere in OKC.

Fun-
Hmmm. Where would you put those teams at? Ranking would be a lot easier if the bottom half of D1/D2 were showing some W's & D's.

Some Deep Thoughts
* Strength of competition is a big deal.  Look at Garrett, it's recent W should be (and is) more highly regarded than a D3 team beating a another 4-0... With a win this weekend, they should (and will) jump up a spot or two.

*even strongly considering strength of competition, which D1/D2 teams with zero-to-single Wins or Draws do we fairly put in front  of those strong D2 and D3 teams? Unless the thinking is the discrepancy between LH divisions is akin to NCAA-to-NFL (the Nat'l Champion are NEVER going to beat the Raiders or Jaguars), how do you push them down the ranking?

*No team is going to rise the the top without beating somebody...Do I think a D3 White has a chance against D1 Solar Elite? Without a solid victory against a D1 opponent, NO... No disrespect to White, but I think they might be ableto tie 1 out of 4  matches under the right conditions. There's only so far White can go in this poll until they actually beat one of the big boys, and vice versa... Only so far a D1 team can fall without a loss to a D2-D3 team.

Here in a month, some of these upstart D2, D3 teams are going to get a chance to show consistency. If those D2, D3 team just play in lower level tournaments, they better win big...

So where should we move SG, White, etc?

Havingfunyet wrote:I have to say this is stupid.  Sorry but to say a lower team at the top of their group is 5 stops better in the next divisoin up is a pipe dream.  I could see being placed in bottom 2 or 3 of the next division up but as a wise person once said " C'MOM MAN".

It's hard to remain silent when you use words like stupid and pipe dream. Has your team played or even seen play those lower teams you're referring to or are you letting the divisional lines blur your vision?

Rabbit? You lookin' for me? I changed my name again. Whereas my persona used to be Death, reviled and feared by all, now I'm just an Outlaw. Baby stepping my way to self improvement. Granted, Outlaw is not much of an upgrade and it was tough to give up the whole "eternal life" thing, but at least now I have some small glimmer of hope at redemption. If redemption doesn't work out, who cares, I'm an Outlaw, I can do what I want.

InaB, how's that girls leg? If it was really bad, there should be a great deal of discoloration by now. Also, as mine healed, it itched like crazy, but it's internal, it's literally an itch that you can't scratch. Drove me nuts. Thats probably why I'm an Outlaw now.

Now, Rabbit......what can I do for you?

Hi there, her leg is still sore right below the back of her knee. She goes back on Monday to get another check up. The doctor said it wasn't a bad tear and she has stayed off of it as much as possible. She has minor bruising so we are hopeful that we won't have to do anything extensive. Thanks for asking.

OLJW wrote:Rabbit?   You lookin' for me?   I changed my name again.  Whereas my persona used to be Death, reviled and feared by all, now I'm just an Outlaw. Baby stepping my way to self improvement. Granted, Outlaw is not much of an upgrade and it was tough to give up the whole "eternal life" thing, but at least now I have some small glimmer of hope at redemption. If redemption doesn't work out, who cares, I'm an Outlaw, I can do what I want.

InaB, how's that girls leg?  If it was really bad, there should be a great deal of discoloration by now. Also, as mine healed, it itched like crazy, but it's internal, it's literally an itch that you can't scratch. Drove me nuts. Thats probably why I'm an Outlaw now.

Now, Rabbit......what can I do for you?

The Outlaw Josey Wells--One of the best movies ever. As for the other stuff, did KP hit you in the head? What'd he do to your leg? Just between you and me...   ..
KnK was talking-out a lot more than you were... Next thing I know, you two disappear... But , then suddenly, just like in a POW movie...he gets out early, and a week later you come back babbling about a new name, eternal life, redemption and an itchy leg...

I'm not sayin' anything... But I'm just sayin'... If you having blank memory spots... You might get that checked...

Per the request for info, I have been in all 3 divisions over the last 4 years with 2 DD's. I can easliy see the differences. If you can not then you are not really looking.

Babbling huh? I appreciate your interest in the inner machinations of our team. You'll be relieved to know that your guesses as to how that all works were dead wrong, 0'fer, zilch, nada, goose egg. Keep throwing lead down range though, you're bound to hit something.........eventually.

Babbling? Too funny. You've built a glass house in the middle of a rock quarry. Would you care for me to review any of your recent babbling?

OLJW, you must remember that Pack enjoys throwing rocks while in his glass house!

I do remember that about Pak.

Havingfunyet wrote:Per the request for info, I have been in all 3 divisions over the last 4 years with 2 DD's.  I can easliy see the differences.  If you can not then you are not really looking.  

Your long term frame of reference makes it all the more perplexing that you still hold to that view - specifically that a team (I'm not saying every team) from a lower division could not be 5 spots higher than teams in the next higher division. I can understand why you may feel that way if your team is currently in one of those "bottom" 5 spots. It can be tough to accept, I understand. Just as it would be silly for me to proclaim that any/every team in a lower division would be 5 spots better, it's just as silly to proclaim that no team could be. It comes down to an individual team basis. Please help me to understand what those differences are that you can so easily see? Trust me, I am always looking - every time we play, particularly those times in the last 9 months that our team has played higher level competition, and with respect to our team and the teams we've played, I see very little differences.

This has been said many times but it is still true. The top 3 from any lower division  is really no different from the bottom 3-4 or even 5 from the next division up.  I think this even more the case at U-13 and up.  My DDs team is D1 but I promise you I have much respect for any LHGCL team, regardless of division. There are no gimmies.

Seven, I can't say that the position that you cite and that you and others may hold to is unreasonable, and based on the past may generally be true, but I can only go by what I see today. Based on what I have seen firsthand currently, I think it very reasonable to argue that a top lower division team today could also finish towards the top of the next division up. There are various reasons for that which can be debated and of course the dynamics are always changing, so my opinion can never really be proven. I agree with you that there are no gimmies and any team that goes into a match not respecting there opponent will be in for a rude awakening.

Actually, given the day, the weather, the moon alignment, injuries, and the place any team can beat a higher level team. I have seen teams blind sided by teams whom they thought would be an easy beat. Thus your note that teams who do not show respect and plan on a hard fight will be rudely awoken.

That is the greatness of tournaments - everyone goes in on a level field. Well maybe not level (we all know the field qualities around) fields but equal opportunities.

So let me more specific, since day, weather and moon alignment affect both teams and since place doesn't really matter either, being there is generally no home field advantage, those factors are really irrelevant, but even with higher level team being at full strength and motivated to play with both teams having a fixed roster, my opinion remains the same. Actually tournaments are less level, guest players and such, which is one of the reasons I said that my opinion can never really be proven. And isn't that also one of the reasons why GotSoccer rankings are poo pood by many?