I think we will clinch the Supporters Shield and fight for the MLS Cup at home again. But the other teams like Atlanta and NYCFC are tooling up, so it's gonna be a real fight
68+ Points: Legendary Team!!!
63-67 Points: Supporter Shield Winners!!
59-62 Points: Conference Champions!
55-58 Points: Elite Team
51-54 Points: Solid Playoff Team
47-50 Points: Play-in Round Visitor
42-46 points: On the Playoff Bubble
37-41 Points: Lower Table Team
31-36 Points: Cellar Dwellers
30 Points or less: "We're the worst team in the world..."
I think we will clinch the Supporters Shield and fight for the MLS Cup at home again. But the other teams like Atlanta and NYCFC are tooling up, so it's gonna be a real fight
I erred on the side of caution with my vote last year. Not this time around. Where we lost bodies, we upgraded from last year. This team is a force. I am saying 70 points, repeat as Shield winners, then get ready for the dog fight that will be the East playoffs.
I think that the CCL will make winning the Supporters Shield again a bit too much. Solid team, final four for sure, maybe win the cup again. If in the final it may be an away game or at BMO depending on the final seedings.
I think TFC will get 64 points... but I don't think we will win the supporters shield as I think the teams in the east will beat up on each other and some team in the west maybe Portland if they stay healthy wins it.
But we will go on to win our 2nd cup and become the greatest franchise in MLS history period.
I think we can win everything again because of our continuity, and because I think Vanney will create a savvy rotation regimen and everyone will buy into it, keeping them all as fresh and healthy as can be.
As for the Club World Cup and the quintuple, well ... that one will be harder.
You know, the “historic season” stuff is a bit overblown. When you look at what TFC did last year (20-9-5), it's not that impressive by world football standards. (Chelsea last year were 30-3-5. The Arsenal invincibles were 26-12-0.)
This is an increasingly uncapped league. I expect good teams to be able to win on the road now, and the TFC season points mark to be smashed this year. By us I think, but maybe by multiple teams.
Last edited by ensco; 02-26-2018 at 09:10 AM.
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
You might be right. But I think most teams, maybe all teams but us, lack the intensity game in and game out required to put up a season like those teams in the EPL do. I think it's down to the fact that the season doesn't matter in MLS. In all the other leagues, there is little room for a slip throughout the season if you want to be champions and, frankly, if you want to avoid relegation. The intensity level they play at every game is so much higher. In the middle of summer in MLS you can see the intensity just drop in most teams.Doesn't get back up again until like late August-September. Then the playoffs are a whole other level.
It just seems like yesterday that 47-50 points was extremely optimistic.
When I first did this poll 6 years ago, 40+ points was the highest points choice. TFC got 29 that year. The club has come a long way since the nadir.
100% of us were wrong about the final point total.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
Remember The Man, The Legend, The Goal 5-12-07 and All That #9 Left On The Pitch, Thanks For The Memories !!!
Of all the people who were 100% wrong, I was least wrong!
Whelp, another season in the books. I suppose that TFC was due to come down and that the CCL/MLS Cup hangover is real, but I don't think *anyone* could have predicted such an epic collapse even worse than 2016-2017 FC Dallas. 36 Points is just within Cellar Dweller Territory, though really I think they should be in the Lower Table team category (I'll revise that for next year).
So what went wrong? I'd have to say the following:
1. Injuries
2. Less intense mentality
3. Team chemistry
The injuries really did a number on TFC this year - it's as if all the positive karma from last year was balanced out by the negative this year. Loss of some players like Chyerou and Beitashour from last year's team and some additions that didn't pan out (*cough*Akexte*cough*) resulted in something being off about the team all year. I think that they may have burnt out from pretty much 32 months of soccer with no break.
I'm hoping they can all rest up and be ready to return to preseason training right after new years to prepare for the upcoming CCL run. I also hope that Bez and the scouts come up with new players to fill the gaps in the roster. I can't feel too bitter about this year because last year was so magical. We still have the Treble and one of the highest wins and Goal Differentials in MLS history and nobody can take those away. Time to get off the ride, take a breather, and get in line to climb back aboard the roller coaster next year.
See you in line...