MLS Week 14 Notes

1) The Colorado Rapids defeated DC United by a score 3:0. This means that next year it will be at least a decade that the Rapids have gone undefeated against DC at home: 2001-07-04 3-1 W 2002-04-03 2-0 W 2003-04-26 1-1 D 2003-06-11 0-0 D 2004-05-22 2-1 W 2005-09-03 1-0 W 2006-05-06 2-1 W 2007-04-07 2-1 W 2008-05-04 2-0 W 2009-06-20 3-0 W 10 matches over 9 years. That's not even the longest streak in the league, however. CHI-SJ, NY-KC, COL-LA, and NE-NY are all current 12 game streaks. And in terms of time, San Jose has never won at Chicago...ever. That does include one shootout win, though. I posted last September which teams couldn't win where, which needs to be updated. 2) Speaking of Colorado, they're looking really good so far. They have the third best PPG in the league, though the standings currently place them fourth in the west. They've also played two fewer games at home than away. One stat that I always remember about the Rapids is the fact that they have never finished above third in their division/conference. Over the past 13 years, their placement has been as follows: 5-4-3-4-3-4-4-3-3-3-4-4-4 Total mediocrity. They've also never finished above 4th on the overall table. Is this their year? Can Pat Noonan make it to yet another MLS Cup? 3) Nick Garcia has switched teams, but he's still played every minute of every regular season match he's been available for. Unfortunately, unlike Chris Klein in 2007 (who played 32 matches in a 30 game season), if he lasts for the entire year he won't play more matches than the length of the season. He'd actually play only 29. More on this in the next OTFATT update. 4) New York may have gone 20 away games winless in the regular season, but that's not a record thanks to the shootout messing things up as usual. I consider the record to be 21 games, jointly held by KC and NY who each were pitiful in 1998-99. Also as usual, I hope this streak can continue for two more games so any confusion is gone. 5) Toronto FC has now had two players change the names that they go by this season since last year: Abdus Ibrahim is now Fuad Ibrahim, while Nana Attakota-Gyan is now just Nana Attakora. Chad Barrett may have to become the third if he doesn't start finishing...