Are TFC the 100th best club team in the world?

[molenshtain]

I am going to have to disagree with you. I've seen Astra Giurgiu play live twice in the previous two Europa Leagues. They aren't even the best club in Romania and they knocked out West Ham two years straight. In the Europa League last season they even came second in their group and made the knockout round. I think you very much under estimating the current quality of Romanian clubs.

I'd be willing to bet we could knock a rotated West Ham squad out of the Europa league too.

[Greatest Ripoff]

I'd be willing to bet we could knock a rotated West Ham squad out of the Europa league too.

And make the knockout rounds of the Europa League while balancing the league?

[molenshtain]

And make the knockout rounds of the Europa League while balancing the league?

In a top heavy league like the Romanian league? yeah I do.

[trane]

If you look at the FiveThirtyEight SPI rankings (which I believe are more realtime), they rate TFC with a score of 46.8. Of the leagues they list there, the following number of teams have a higher SPI rating than TFC:

4 (Austria Bundesliga)
19 (English Premier League)
3 (English Championship)
17 (Ligue 1)
2 (Ligue 2)
18 (German Bundesliga)
2 (German Bundesliga 2)
18 (Serie A)
2 (Serie B)
6 (Eredivisie)
1 (Norway Eliteserien)
6 (Portugal Liga Primeira)
11 (Russia Premier League)
1 (Scotland Premiership)
20 (Spain La Liga)
4 (Spain ErediLa Liga 2)
2 (Sweden Allsvenskan)
2 (Swiss Super League)
7 (Turkey Super Lig)
2 (Liga MX)
11 (Argentina Superliga)
11 (Brasileirao)
169 TOTAL

So you could make the case that TFC is at least in the top 170-200 teams in the world.

I was looking at the list, and while I think that we could challenge some of those clubs, and I am only considering clubs that I have seen play, I think that for the duration of the season, facing the same competition those clubs may still do better, due to better and more consistent on filed organization, but we are getting there were we are challenging them.

I think we could play and hold our own, against mid and lower clubs in the top leagues, but I am not sure how we would fair entire season.

At the end, as an answer to the question posed, I would say maybe, just because I am looking at the top 100 and there are a few clubs there that I would think we could compete against as we are presently constituted, solid organizationally/defensively and with Bradley, Vazques, Altidore and Giovinco giving us a push upward in terms of talent.

[Davenport]

Would love to see an initial ranking of teams rather than just guessing

79 teams are in the champions league
160 teams in Europa league

This doesn't take South America or Mexico

So I'd say no. Closer to 200 than 100 - maybe even 300

Maybe 500. We're very good in our league, but the top 300 put's in a premier league somewhere in a proper football nation and we're not there...yet !

[Davenport]

I'd be willing to bet we could knock a rotated West Ham squad out of the Europa league too.

Nice thought, but not close....at the moment.

[molenshtain]

Nice thought, but not close....at the moment.

Agree to disagree. Look at the lineups West ham trotted out in those games. Our best 11 could very well get a result against them.

[Davenport]

Agree to disagree. Look at the lineups West ham trotted out in those games. Our best 11 could very well get a result against them.

Maybe 2 out 0f 10. Wish it was more...I'm not a fan of the 'ammers

[Greatest Ripoff]

Agree to disagree. Look at the lineups West ham trotted out in those games. Our best 11 could very well get a result against them.

This was West Ham's line up when they got knock out. One youth player and one punt from South America. The rest are full internationals.

Randolph
Byram

Reid

Ogbonna
Burke
Nordtveit

Töre
Obiang
Kouyaté
Antonio
Calleri

[Initial B]

FiveThirtyEight just updated their Global soccer ranking. TFC is now 160th, just ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv and just behind Atletico-PR.

[jabbronies]

158 according to FiveThirtyEight - closer to 200th than 100th as I said earlier.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com...ccer-rankings/

I'm ok with this ranking - it puts us closer to the top spot of a 2nd division league in most top countries and mid-lower spot in 1rst division clubs of some other countries.

Funny but the next best MLS clubs are:

ReD Bulls at 301
Seattle at 304
NYCFC at 314

MOntreal is 398

[jabbronies]

However, fotball databse has us at 433
http://footballdatabase.com/clubs-ranking/toronto-fc

[Initial B]

^ Not sure I can take that seriously. They have TFC ranked 21 in North America?!? They should be Top 5 at least. I don't think they count MLS as being very competitive. Maybe they need to revise their coefficients since it's now 2017 instead of 2007?

[Defoe]

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com...ccer-rankings/

moved up up last week to 163rd

Now they are up to 144.

They passed Cruz Azul, Club America and a few EPL teams.

Funny thing to point out, Altidore's old team Sunderland is ranked 237

[Initial B]

I usually wait until Monday once all the games from the weekend are in the books because they're now 143. Better than Malmo but worse than AZ Alkmaar.

[jloome]

Now they are up to 144.

They passed Cruz Azul, Club America and a few EPL teams.

Funny thing to point out, Altidore's old team Sunderland is ranked 237

The bottom teams in the Prem are nothing special now. We'd compete.