Tuesday, August 04, 2009

MLS: The .500 Mark

Time to update this three year old post, with data through August 2, 2009.

At which points in your team's history were they over and under .500? This stat refers to the number of games has won compared to the number they've lost (draws are considered half a win and half a loss percentage-wise in American sports, so they're disregarded). Over .500 is considered to be when the team has more wins than losses, and under .500 is the opposite. This takes into account all competitions, and all shootouts are counted as draws.

Also, the 2002 playoff series between the Burn and Rapids was a special case. The teams split the first two matches, and the third ended 1:1. The series OT was played, and Colorado scored to advance. The final score is listed as DAL 1:2 COL, however, the game is considered to be a draw. I agree with MLS on that point.

Series OT was played on two other occasions, but neither ended up with a messy statistical scenario like that. If you don't remember or weren't around for the whole "first to five" playoff format, consider yourself lucky.

The highs and lows refer to only the first time those marks were reached. Two teams are currently at their all time highs (CHI, CLB) while one is at their all time low (guess who).


CHICAGO

1998-03-24 Over
1998-04-11 0.500
1998-04-17 Under
1998-05-20 0.500
1998-05-23 Over

High +71 2009-08-01
Low -2 1998-05-02

Currently: +71

The Fire have been over .500 since the first two months of their inaugural season, and haven't looked back. The total of 71 games over .500 is tops in the league; they just passed the Galaxy this year.


CHIVAS USA

2005-04-02 Under

High -1 2005-04-02
Low -21 2006-05-20

Currently: -14

They've got a long way to go to climb out of the whole they dug themselves in 2005. The low was the 5-4 thriller they lost in New York, where Palencia and Razov each scored a brace.


COLORADO

1996-04-13 Under
1996-04-21 0.500
1996-05-05 Over
1996-05-08 0.500
1996-05-11 Under
1996-05-29 0.500
1996-06-08 Under
1996-07-04 0.500
1996-07-07 Over
1996-07-10 0.500
1996-07-17 Under
1999-07-28 0.500
1999-07-31 Over
1999-08-08 0.500
1999-08-13 Over
1999-08-18 0.500
1999-08-28 Under
1999-09-01 0.500
1999-09-04 Under

High +1 1996-05-05
Low -34 2008-08-29

Currently: -32

It's been a slow, steady pace downhill. They just have a couple more losses than wins every single year, it seems.


COLUMBUS

1996-04-13 Over
1996-04-20 0.500
1996-04-27 Over
1996-05-02 0.500
1996-05-11 Over
1996-05-15 0.500
1996-05-19 Under
1997-05-11 0.500
1997-05-22 Under
1998-04-18 0.500
1998-04-30 Over
1998-05-09 0.500
1998-05-17 Under
1998-05-22 0.500
1998-05-30 Over
1998-06-06 0.500
1998-06-20 Over
2007-06-03 0.500
2007-06-10 Under
2007-06-20 0.500
2007-06-23 Over
2007-09-08 0.500
2007-09-15 Under
2007-09-22 0.500
2007-09-30 Under
2007-10-20 0.500
2008-03-29 Over
2008-04-05 0.500
2008-04-12 Over

High +18 2009-08-01
Low -7 1996-07-31

Currently: +18

A new high this past weekend!


DALLAS

1996-04-14 0.500
1996-04-18 Over
1996-04-21 0.500
1996-04-28 Over
1996-05-01 0.500
1996-05-11 Over
1996-05-29 0.500
1996-06-02 Under
1996-06-08 0.500
1996-06-23 Over
1996-06-29 0.500
1996-07-07 Under
1996-07-20 0.500
1996-07-27 Over
1996-09-26 0.500
1996-09-29 Over
1996-10-27 0.500
1997-03-29 Under
1997-04-05 0.500
1997-04-13 Under
1997-05-23 0.500
1997-06-01 Under
1997-06-15 0.500
1997-06-28 Under
1997-07-13 0.500
1997-07-18 Over
1997-08-23 0.500
1997-08-31 Over
1998-03-04 0.500
1998-03-08 Under
1998-03-29 0.500
1998-04-11 Under
1998-05-06 0.500
1998-05-16 Over
1998-05-23 0.500
1998-05-31 Over
1998-06-04 0.500
1998-06-17 Under
1999-06-05 0.500
1999-06-12 Under
1999-06-16 0.500
1999-06-19 Under
1999-06-26 0.500
1999-07-04 Under
1999-07-10 0.500
1999-07-13 Over
1999-07-24 0.500
1999-07-31 Under
1999-08-04 0.500
1999-08-10 Under
1999-08-28 0.500
1999-09-04 Under
1999-09-11 0.500
1999-09-24 Over
2000-05-24 0.500
2000-05-27 Under
2000-06-14 0.500
2000-06-17 Over
2000-06-24 0.500
2000-06-28 Under
2000-07-01 0.500
2000-07-05 Under
2000-07-08 0.500
2000-07-15 Over
2001-04-07 0.500
2001-04-14 Over
2001-05-05 0.500
2001-05-12 Over
2001-05-23 0.500
2001-06-02 Under
2001-06-06 0.500
2001-06-09 Over
2001-06-27 0.500
2001-07-14 Under
2001-07-18 0.500
2001-07-21 Under
2002-06-15 0.500
2002-06-22 Under
2002-06-29 0.500
2002-07-04 Over
2002-09-14 0.500
2002-09-19 Over
2003-04-26 0.500
2003-05-10 Under

High +4 1996-08-25
Low -16 2004-10-09

Currently: -14

Far more changes than any other team. They danced around that .500 mark week in and week out until 2003.


D.C. UNITED

1996-04-06 Under
1996-07-12 0.500
1996-07-20 Under
1996-07-28 0.500
1996-07-31 Under
1996-08-21 0.500
1996-08-25 Over

High +64 2007-09-29
Low -3 1996-04-20

Currently: +61

Can they set a new high this season?


HOUSTON

2006-04-02 Over
2006-04-08 0.500
2006-04-15 Under
2006-04-22 0.500
2006-04-29 Over

High +33 2009-07-07
Low -1 2006-04-15

Currently: +31

They haven't been over .500 the entire time. There was that first month.


KANSAS CITY

1996-04-13 Over
1996-04-18 0.500
1996-05-02 Over
1996-05-05 0.500
1996-05-08 Under
1996-07-10 0.500
1996-07-18 Under
1996-07-31 0.500
1996-08-04 Over
1996-08-07 0.500
1996-08-15 Over
1996-08-24 0.500
1996-09-07 Under
1997-06-08 0.500
1997-06-15 Under
1997-06-21 0.500
1997-07-04 Over
1997-07-06 0.500
1997-07-12 Under
1997-07-19 0.500
1997-07-24 Under
1997-08-02 0.500
1997-08-09 Over
1997-10-04 0.500
1997-10-08 Under
1998-04-08 0.500
1998-04-18 Under
2005-08-13 0.500
2005-08-19 Over
2005-08-24 0.500
2005-08-26 Under

High +2 1997-08-28
Low -20 1999-10-09

Currently: -13

What's more likely? Breaking the high or the low?


LOS ANGELES

1996-04-13 Over

High +77 2005-11-13
Low +1 1996-04-13

Currently: +69

The only original MLS team never to have a losing record. The high point was after the 2005 MLS Cup, which is also the high water mark for any team in the league.



MIAMI

1998-03-15 Under

High -1 1998-03-15
Low -19 2000-07-22

Finished: -6

Under for every game starting with the first.


NEW ENGLAND

1996-04-13 Under
1996-04-20 0.500
1996-05-04 Under
2008-07-16 0.500
2008-07-30 Over
2008-08-09 0.500
2008-08-12 Under

High +1 2008-07-30
Low -37 2002-08-18

Currently: -7

It's been a slow climb back under Steve Nicol. After 12 years of being under .500, they finally got back to zero and then for a fleeting moment (the Superliga run) were over the hump. Now they'll have to work their way back up again. At least it shouldn't be as hard as the first time.


NEW YORK

1996-04-13 Under

High -1 1996-04-13
Low -44 2009-07-25

Currently: -44

Dedicated to badness. Currently at their all time low mark, which is saying something.


REAL SALT LAKE

2005-04-02 0.500
2005-04-09 Under
2005-04-16 0.500
2005-04-23 Under
2005-05-18 0.500
2005-05-21 Under

High 0 2005-04-02
Low -34 2009-05-30

Currently: -33

A long way to go.


SAN JOSE

1996-04-06 Over
1996-04-28 0.500
1996-05-04 Over
1996-05-18 0.500
1996-05-29 Over
1996-06-05 0.500
1996-06-08 Under
1996-06-16 0.500
1996-06-23 Over
1996-08-18 0.500
1996-08-25 Over
1996-10-02 0.500
1997-04-05 Under
1997-04-12 0.500
1997-05-03 Under
1997-05-09 0.500
1997-05-22 Under
2002-06-29 0.500
2002-07-04 Under
2002-07-07 0.500
2002-07-13 Under
2002-07-17 0.500
2002-07-20 Over
2002-08-07 0.500
2002-08-21 Over
2002-08-24 0.500
2002-08-31 Under
2002-09-07 0.500
2002-09-14 Under
2003-05-17 0.500
2003-05-31 Under
2003-06-21 0.500
2003-07-12 Under
2003-07-19 0.500
2003-07-26 Over
2003-08-05 0.500
2003-08-08 Over

High +17 2005-10-15
Low -19 2001-04-21

Currently: +3

It was an amazing turnaround for the Quakes. It took five years of battling to make it back up to .500, and another year to get over for good. The high point was the last game before the playoffs, where Dwayne De Rosario hit that amazing free kick. Unfortunately, the expansion team has dragged them back down again.


SEATTLE

2009-03-19 Over

High +9 2009-07-21
Low +1 2009-03-19

Currently: +8

With such a blazing start thanks to the Open Cup success, the Sounders could be looking at years before going negative.


TAMPA BAY

1996-04-13 Over
1998-05-23 0.500
1998-06-03 Over
1998-06-06 0.500
1998-06-21 Over
1998-07-04 0.500
1998-07-11 Over
1998-07-15 0.500
1998-07-18 Over
1998-07-22 0.500
1998-07-25 Under
1998-08-06 0.500
1998-08-22 Under
1998-09-03 0.500
1998-09-13 Over
1998-09-19 0.500
1998-09-24 Over
1999-04-03 0.500
1999-04-18 Under
1999-04-25 0.500
1999-05-01 Over
1999-05-29 0.500
1999-06-05 Over
1999-06-19 0.500
1999-06-27 Under
1999-07-08 0.500
1999-07-12 Over
1999-07-22 0.500
1999-07-31 Over
1999-08-13 0.500
1999-08-18 Over
1999-10-17 0.500
1999-10-22 Under
2000-03-18 0.500
2000-03-25 Over
2000-04-01 0.500
2000-04-08 Under
2000-04-15 0.500
2000-04-22 Under
2000-04-26 0.500
2000-04-28 Under
2000-05-06 0.500
2000-05-13 Over
2000-05-20 0.500
2000-05-24 Under
2000-06-03 0.500
2000-06-09 Over
2000-06-21 0.500
2000-06-24 Over
2001-05-05 0.500
2001-05-12 Under

High +11 1997-04-12
Low -17 2001-09-09

Finished: -17

They started out great in 1996, hovered around the zero mark for years, and finally ended on a huge low with the worst team in MLS history in 2001.


TORONTO

2007-04-07 Under

High -1 2007-04-07
Low -16 2008-09-20

Currently: -14

Starting with the very first game, TFC has been under .500 for their entire existence so far.

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Comments on "MLS: The .500 Mark"

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:29 PM, September 12, 2007) : 

I would love to see this updated... perhaps after the end of the 2007 season?

 

Anonymous tps said ... (7:28 PM, August 08, 2009) : 

This is a great stat to keep. Thanks.

 

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