OTFATT 2008: Update #5

Previous Updates #1 4/14 68 players remaining #2 5/18 40 players remaining #3 6/8 25 players remaining #4 8/18 13 players remaining OTFATT is short for "On the field, all the time." In this post and subsequent updates throughout the season, I'll be keeping track of which MLS players have played every minute of every game (regular season only). This feat has been accomplished a total of 29 times in 12 seasons. Click here for the full list of survivors. In the past two months, the list of survivors has barely changed. Only 3 players have dropped off: Clyde Simms, Steve Cronin, and Bobby Boswell. We also had a close call with Jimmy Conrad going off the field with an injury last month against the Galaxy, but he came back and finished the game. Anyway, we're going into the second to last weekend of the season with 10 players left. To put that in perspective, that's twice the previous high of 5 (achieved in both 2001 and 2005). However, the big news from yesterday will affect this list. Jon Conway is suspended for the rest of the season for doping, so he'll be out this weekend. So the max is now 9. What about the others? Who else could drop off? First, let's look at the yellow card situation for the 4 remaining field players. Getting the 5th yellow next week won't matter. 1) Four Revs were yellow carded last night, but Jay Heaps wasn't one of them. He was one away from suspension, too. So he's off the hook. 2) Brian Carroll will be suspended if he gets a yellow this weekend. He's listed on the discipline report as having both 3 and 4 yellows, but that's an error. He just received the 4th one this past weekend. I mention this because a player can have a yellow "removed" from his discipline total via the good behavior incentive, so sometimes the totals there and in the official stats can seem off. 3) Speaking of that incentive, it's interesting to see that Conrad is not on the discipline report despite having 4 yellows. He should be on there somewhere, and I believe another one would result in suspension. 4) Nat Borchers is not in yellow peril. The real key for the rest of season from an OTFATT perspective, is which teams will decide to rest players. Will the Crew give Carroll a break after flying to Trinidad and back? If the Fire win this weekend, then their last game is meaningless. Surely they wouldn't bench Jon Busch, right? I bet if RSL clinches early, we could see Chris Seitz in goal next week. I hope we see a casualty or two to make things interesting. Remaining Candidates (10) CHI Busch CLB Carroll, Hesmer KC Conrad, Hartman NE Heaps NY Conway RSL Borchers, Rimando SJ Cannon Order of teams being totally wiped out, with last surviving player: 1. DAL-Dario Sala (6/1) 2. COL-Facundo Erpen (6/7) 3. CHV-Brad Guzan (6/14) 4. TOR-Marvell Wynne (7/28) 5. DC-Clyde Simms (8/23) 6. LA-Steve Cronin (8/30) 7. HOU-Bobby Boswell (10/4)