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When the season started, I had occasion to talk to a friend
in Colorado, to discuss the fate of Burn and Rapids. I told him I thought Burn could
finish first. He said he expected Burn to fall as the season progressed, and implied they
might finish out of the playoffs. Who is closer to right, and why?
Burn began the season with a 4-nil pasting of KC, which is
always a welcome event. They lost to LA in a shootout, beat the Fire in a shootout, and
then punted away two points in Miami. A mixed start, but the first 10 games produced 11
points, the first 11 games, 14 points. At that point I felt that Dir deserved to
keep his job, since the team was not free of injury during that time, and had managed to
stay in the top three. At the time, I said Burn would have to equal their point total to
stay abreast, and at 20 to 22 games, it would again be time to decide on Dave's future.
The second ten games yielded 15 points, the second 11 games,
12. In other words, if you compare the first ten to the second ten, Burn actually
did better in the second ten. If you compare the first 11 to the second 11, the Burn did
worse. If mediocre is OK with you, I guess the Burn could be forgiven for losing some
intensity during the flat part of the season. But when 2 of five midseason victories
come from teams that, for all practical purposes are out of the playoffs, which rating
more reflects how you're playing?
The hill gets a lot steeper from here, with Burn facing
Western Division teams more than every other game from here to the end. Thus far the Burn
are on the short side of fixtures, trailing head to head with Colorado (0-2) Chicago (1-2)
San Jose (1-2) and Los Angeles (0-2). Pulling even with each of the teams head to
head would be nice. That would require six victories in nine games, something
the Burn have not accomplished yet this year. San Jose is 13 points down, with 10 games
yet to play.
Should Burn be worried? It's going to be hell facing my
friend at the end of the year, when all he has to do is smile that benevolent smile, give
me a slap on the back and say, "well, they gave it a good run. Say, did I mention how
well the Rapids finished this year?"
Yesterday I received my invoice for the Burn playoff package.
The cover letter with the playoff ticket invoice said I need to pony up 72 dollars for
playoff tickets. The first thing that came to mind was the anguish of watching Clint
Mathis shredding the Burn defense in the closing minutes of their last playoff game.
Funny how I can recreate the emotional void that game left. Then I read that if Burn
doesn't play 4 games here, I can apply the balance to NEXT year's tickets.
I decided am going to gamble on my 72 dollars this year, for
the first time since MLS began playing. I am going to buy playoff tickets retail at the
gate, for whatever they cost. I might pay more, but I get the use of the money for
more productive things from now until ticket renewal time. This way I won't have to
justify the full amount to the tyrant that balances the family checkbook. As an added
bonus I might get to use my money to speculate on who will be sitting on the bench come
March of 2000.
The final run into the playoffs will be something to watch,
and the playoffs will showcase what MLS has accomplished in just four short year. I expect
to see very high quality soccer, and I can't wait. But I am merely hopeful that Burn's
season will be more exciting than the offseason.
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