Monday, July 06, 2009

MLS: 1st Half vs 2nd Half Performance

All 149 team seasons from 1996-2008 ranked by the improvement (in PPG) in the second half of the season compared to the first half. Shootouts counted as draws, and for the four teams in 2001 who played 27 games, I counted the first 14 as the first half.

Currently, every MLS team except New England has completed their first half of 2009. We just passed the halfway point in overall games over the weekend.

See below for more interesting stuff:

Change in the Second Half of the Season




Difference 1st Half 2nd Half
1 2005 COL 1.063 0.875 1.938
2 2001 CLB 1.000 1.231 2.231
3 2006 LA 0.938 0.750 1.688
4 1997 LA 0.875 1.063 1.938
4 2005 SJ 0.875 1.563 2.438
6 2008 HOU 0.867 1.267 2.133
7 2002 NE 0.857 0.929 1.786
8 2006 RSL 0.813 0.813 1.625
9 2002 LA 0.786 1.429 2.214
10 1996 CLB 0.750 0.938 1.688
10 1999 SJ 0.750 0.875 1.625
12 1996 DC 0.688 1.188 1.875
12 1996 NY 0.688 0.938 1.625
12 1998 MIA 0.688 0.750 1.438
12 1998 TB 0.688 0.875 1.563
12 1999 MIA 0.688 0.688 1.375
12 2006 NY 0.688 0.875 1.563
18 2003 COL 0.667 1.000 1.667
19 2005 CLB 0.625 0.875 1.500
19 2005 DC 0.625 1.375 2.000
21 2004 CLB 0.600 1.333 1.933
21 2007 RSL 0.600 0.600 1.200
21 2008 SJ 0.600 0.800 1.400
24 1997 NY 0.563 0.875 1.438
25 2007 CHI 0.533 1.067 1.600
26 1998 COL 0.500 1.188 1.688
26 1999 LA 0.500 1.563 2.063
28 2007 DC 0.467 1.600 2.067
28 2004 NE 0.467 0.867 1.333
30 1996 KC 0.438 1.125 1.563
30 1997 CLB 0.438 1.125 1.563
30 1998 NE 0.438 0.813 1.250
30 1999 TB 0.438 1.000 1.438
30 2000 CHI 0.438 1.563 2.000
30 2006 CHI 0.438 1.250 1.688
36 2007 LA 0.400 0.933 1.333
37 2001 KC 0.396 1.143 1.538
38 2001 COL 0.385 0.692 1.077
38 2001 LA 0.385 1.615 2.000
40 2000 DAL 0.375 1.250 1.625
40 2000 DC 0.375 0.750 1.125
40 2005 CHV 0.375 0.375 0.750
40 2006 NE 0.375 1.313 1.688
44 2002 COL 0.357 1.357 1.714
45 2007 CHV 0.333 1.600 1.933
46 2003 LA 0.267 1.067 1.333
46 2004 SJ 0.267 1.133 1.400
48 1997 DAL 0.250 1.250 1.500
48 2000 NY 0.250 1.563 1.813
48 2000 TB 0.250 1.500 1.750
51 2002 CHI 0.214 1.214 1.429
52 2003 NE 0.200 1.400 1.600
52 2003 CHI 0.200 1.667 1.867
52 2003 DC 0.200 1.200 1.400
52 2003 SJ 0.200 1.600 1.800
52 2007 COL 0.200 1.067 1.267
52 2008 CLB 0.200 1.800 2.000
58 1996 NE 0.188 1.000 1.188
58 2000 MIA 0.188 1.188 1.375
60 2002 KC 0.143 1.214 1.357
60 2002 CLB 0.143 1.286 1.429
62 2004 DC 0.133 1.333 1.467
62 2004 NY 0.133 1.267 1.400
62 2008 DAL 0.133 1.133 1.267
62 2008 KC 0.133 1.333 1.467
62 2008 RSL 0.133 1.267 1.400
67 1998 SJ 0.125 1.125 1.250
68 2001 CHI 0.071 1.929 2.000
69 2008 CHV 0.067 1.400 1.467
69 1996 TB 0.063 1.875 1.938
69 1997 TB 0.063 1.438 1.500
69 1998 DC 0.063 1.875 1.938
69 1999 CLB 0.063 1.500 1.563
69 2005 KC 0.063 1.375 1.438
75 1996 DAL 0.000 1.375 1.375
75 1997 SJ 0.000 1.125 1.125
75 1998 KC 0.000 1.125 1.125
75 1999 DC 0.000 1.875 1.875
75 1999 KC 0.000 0.813 0.813
75 2000 CLB 0.000 1.188 1.188
75 2001 NY 0.000 1.615 1.615
75 2003 CLB 0.000 1.267 1.267
75 2007 HOU 0.000 1.733 1.733
75 2008 COL 0.000 1.267 1.267
85 1997 KC -0.063 1.625 1.563
85 1998 DAL -0.063 1.250 1.188
85 1999 CHI -0.063 1.688 1.625
85 2000 COL -0.063 1.375 1.313
85 2005 NY -0.063 1.500 1.438
90 2004 COL -0.067 1.400 1.333
90 2004 KC -0.067 1.667 1.600
90 2007 CLB -0.067 1.267 1.200
90 2008 NY -0.067 1.333 1.267
94 1999 NY -0.125 0.688 0.563
94 2006 DAL -0.125 1.688 1.563
94 2006 KC -0.125 1.250 1.125
97 2007 NE -0.133 1.733 1.600
97 2008 CHI -0.133 1.600 1.467
99 2001 NE -0.148 1.071 0.923
100 1999 DAL -0.188 1.875 1.688
100 2005 CHI -0.188 1.625 1.438
100 2006 CHV -0.188 1.438 1.250
100 2006 CLB -0.188 1.125 0.938
104 2004 CHI -0.200 1.200 1.000
104 2003 DAL -0.200 0.867 0.667
106 2002 DAL -0.214 1.643 1.429
107 2001 DAL -0.231 1.462 1.231
108 2000 LA -0.250 1.688 1.438
109 2004 DAL -0.267 1.333 1.067
109 2007 KC -0.267 1.467 1.200
111 2001 DC -0.308 1.154 0.846
112 1996 SJ -0.313 1.563 1.250
112 1997 NE -0.313 1.438 1.125
112 2000 NE -0.313 1.563 1.250
112 2000 SJ -0.313 1.063 0.750
112 2005 LA -0.313 1.563 1.250
112 2005 NE -0.313 2.000 1.688
118 2004 LA -0.333 1.600 1.267
118 2007 NY -0.333 1.600 1.267
120 2002 NY -0.357 1.429 1.071
121 1998 CLB -0.375 1.750 1.375
121 2005 RSL -0.375 0.813 0.438
123 2001 SJ -0.385 1.923 1.538
124 2003 KC -0.400 1.600 1.200
124 2007 DAL -0.400 1.667 1.267
126 2001 TB -0.407 0.714 0.308
127 2002 DC -0.429 1.357 0.929
128 1997 COL -0.438 1.500 1.063
128 1998 CHI -0.438 2.000 1.563
128 2006 COL -0.438 1.500 1.063
131 2008 DC -0.467 1.467 1.000
131 2008 TOR -0.467 1.400 0.933
133 2002 SJ -0.500 1.857 1.357
133 2006 HOU -0.500 1.688 1.188
135 2003 NY -0.533 1.667 1.133
136 2008 LA -0.600 1.400 0.800
137 1996 COL -0.688 1.375 0.688
137 1996 LA -0.688 2.000 1.313
137 1997 DC -0.688 2.188 1.500
137 1998 NY -0.688 1.563 0.875
137 1999 NE -0.688 1.375 0.688
137 2000 KC -0.688 2.125 1.438
143 2007 TOR -0.733 1.200 0.467
143 2008 NE -0.733 1.800 1.067
145 1998 LA -0.750 2.563 1.813
146 2001 MIA -0.846 2.462 1.615
147 2006 DC -0.938 2.188 1.250
148 1999 COL -1.063 2.125 1.063
149 2005 DAL -1.250 2.125 0.875

  • Average of all 149 teams: 0.046 PPG
  • Average of the 13 MLS Cup winners: -0.077 PPG. Five improved, two had no change, and six did worse.
  • Average of the 104 playoff teams: 0.054 PPG. Average of the 45 non-playoff teams: 0.029.
  • How about the teams that pulled out playoff upsets? Of the 52 quarterfinal series, 15 have ended in upsets. However, the teams that lost (the higher seeds) averaged 0.206 vs 0.100 for the winners (lower seeds).

Team Averages


Average Better Worse Even
RSL 0.293 3 1 0
CLB 0.245 8 3 2
CHV 0.147 3 1 0
HOU 0.122 1 1 1
SJ 0.119 6 4 1
LA 0.094 7 6 0
CHI 0.079 6 5 0
COL 0.032 6 6 1
NY 0.012 5 7 1
NE -0.009 6 7 0
DC -0.021 7 5 1
KC -0.034 5 6 2
DAL -0.168 3 9 1
TOR -0.600 0 2 0





TB 0.182 5 1 0
MIA 0.179 3 1 0






Total 74 65 10


Dallas are second half flops; that's pretty obvious without any statistical analysis. Worst three years are 2005, 2007, and 2004. Funny how 2005 was the year Pizza Hut Park opened and they had 10 of the final 16 at home. As you can see above, it's the worst change in PPG ever.

I don't know if I would've guessed Columbus as the top longtime franchise for second half improvement, though. Their 2004 Supporters Shield team only ranks 4th behind 2001, 1996, and 2005.


How Teams With A Certain 1st Half PPG Did

1st Half PPG Teams Improved?
under 1.08 35 28-6-1
1.08 to 1.27 31 19-7-5
1.28 to 1.48 28 12-15-1
1.49 to 1.68 29 11-17-1
over 1.68 26 4-20-2

Of course, it's a lot easier for bad teams to get better and vice versa. The average of the final PPG for all 149 seasons is 1.38, so that's the basis behind the categories. As you can see, if you're doing exceptionally good or bad things are likely to swing a bit back to normal.

Labels: ,

Comments on "MLS: 1st Half vs 2nd Half Performance"

 

Blogger UtahGamer said ... (10:00 AM, September 05, 2009) : 

Hard to imagine a clearer example of regression to the mean.

 

Blogger henryo said ... (12:12 AM, November 04, 2009) : 

FCD 1st-2nd Half difference in 2009should rank as joint-2nd all time?

 

Blogger scaryice said ... (11:44 PM, November 04, 2009) : 

I think it would be 12th, without looking at the other teams this year:

0.933 vs 1.667 = 0.733

 

post a comment