Any Predictions for State Cup?

Are we all resigned to the fact that Solar will win? No dark horses? Lots of great games this weekend and no chatter.

It will be interesting to see who qualifies for Regionals considering 2 already hold invitations.

There is also an ECNL event in KC this weekend.

In the A bracket, I predict Pulp will win the bracket and Miss will get the wildcard.
In B bracket, I really like the way Sting Royal has been playing.
In C bracket, it is a real crap shoot. I don't think Flanny has a good feel of the team yet, but I also just can't go with Aztecs, Blue, or the Westies. So Sting Flanagan out of default.

So Bracket B is the strongest bracket, but they will beat each other up and lose out on the wildcard. Since Miss only has to get max points in one game against a D3 team, they will get the points per game to advance as a wildcard.

backofthenet wrote:It will be interesting to see who qualifies for Regionals considering 2 already hold invitations.

Is it the Premier league teams that have the invitations?

Bracket A
N/A: FEVER UNITED 00G (TXN)  
N/A: SOLAR 00 G - MISSIMO (TXN)  
N/A: SOLAR CHELSEA ELITE 00G FORMERLY LIVERPO (TXN)  

Pulp


Bracket B
 N/A: ANDROMEDA FC 00G (TXN)  
N/A: STING 00 ROYAL (PREVIOUSLY HARR) (TXN)  
N/A: STING CENTRAL 00G (PARKER) (TXN)  
N/A: STING NORTH 00 GARRETT (TXN)  

Andromedia, Sting P


Bracket C
N/A: AZTECS FC LADY AZTECS FC 00 (TXN)  
N/A: FC DALLAS 00G BLUE (TXN)  
N/A: STING 00G (FLANAGAN) (TXN)  
N/A: STING WEST 00G (RICHARDSON) (TXN)

Sting F

Its Me wrote:

backofthenet wrote:It will be interesting to see who qualifies for Regionals considering 2 already hold invitations.

Is it the Premier league teams that have the invitations?

Not all, just Solar Pulp and Sting Flanagan. By rule, they are required to participate in State Cup.

- Bracket A should be Pulp, but do they look out for their own and let Missimo slip through since they (Pulp) already has Regionals?
- Same with Bracket C?  Flanagan has it; does Sting West get a little club love?
- Bracket B is the bracket of death. Sucks to be any of those teams.


Now, assuming teams don't roll over to help their club partners opportunity and Regionals, it should play out as follows:

A:  Solar Chelsea (Pulp)
B:  Andro
C:  Sting 00 (Flan...short for Flanagan, not the traditional Mexican desert)
WC:  Either FCD Blue (C), or a Sting team (B) haha....let's say Royal or Central

A vs WC: Pulp
B vs C:  toss up, but I'll go Andro

Finals:  Pulp vs Andro; Pulp wins, Andro makes Regionals as the next qualifier.

What makes this all the more interesting would be if Pulp meets Flanagan in Finals....
Which of the semi-finalists would get the Regionals nod?  
Wonder if there would be a head-to-head play-off?  That would be my pick because there's no commonality in Semi opponent.  You couldn't, in fairness, go H2H or GF/GA in semis because one opponent is considered superior to the other.

I say play it off if it gets to that.
That would be a first for State Cup.

Sorry... couldn't resist...  

OK, I'll bite.

Bracket A
N/A: FEVER UNITED 00G (TXN)
N/A: SOLAR 00 G - MISSIMO (TXN)
N/A: SOLAR CHELSEA ELITE 00G FORMERLY LIVERPO (TXN)

Solar Chelsea Elite


Bracket B
N/A: ANDROMEDA FC 00G (TXN)
N/A: STING 00 ROYAL (PREVIOUSLY HARR) (TXN)
N/A: STING CENTRAL 00G (PARKER) (TXN)
N/A: STING NORTH 00 GARRETT (TXN)

Sting P and/or dark horse Sting North Garrett


Bracket C
N/A: AZTECS FC LADY AZTECS FC 00 (TXN)
N/A: FC DALLAS 00G BLUE (TXN)
N/A: STING 00G (FLANAGAN) (TXN)
N/A: STING WEST 00G (RICHARDSON) (TXN)

Sting Flanagan or possibly FC Dallas Blue

Not sure why the TD saw fit to put that poor lil ol D3 team in with those heavy hitters. You'd think he'd wanna give 'em a fightin' chance..and to put them in a little 3 team bracket..should be easy street to the next round for the two big dawgs..

KnK, it's solely based on end of fall standings in Classic League. Fever would be 11 of 11 based on that info. They're the only D3 team so they are the last seed. Big Blue is the only D2 team; they are seeded 10 of 11.

Hope that helps.

I don't get it, where is the love for Sting Royal (Brown)? They barely missed first place in D1. Is everyone thinking that the only reason this team was "good" is because of a couple of ECNL players on the roster? And since they will be missing due to the ECNL event the rest of the team won't be able to pull it together? hmmm

Sting Brown has only dual roster ECNL players that all have Brown as their first priority as they have all year. in fact, every dual roster for Sting (Flanigan included) is playing with their Lake Highlands team instead of ECNL as they have all year. Nor is either team getting any additional players. The only issue with Brown is that they have been fighting a very severe injury bug this Spring and they are still feeling the effects. Their main issue is who do they get back for State Cup and how effective are they after long layoffs.

To address some other points. TD has no latitude in this tourney to seed other than LHGCL standings at the end of Fall. Thus Fever is where they belong. The option was theirs as to whether to sign up for State Cup or not. To their credit, they did. They may or may not take a pounding but I remain mystified why others don't take a shot at a State Title. Maybe they pull an upset and celebrate or maybe they lose a close match and take pride in that or maybe they get beat by a very good Pulp team but get an evaluation of where they are and what they need to work on over the summer. Any of those seem preferable to me than passing on the experience. Good on them for stepping into the ring.

Finally, I see 0, nada, no chance that any club dumps a game in State Cup for the chance that some other team might be able to make premier league. I wouldn't do it for a rival within my club nor for my best friend and he wouldn't ask. Missimo is capable of beating Pulp in one game and either Brown or Flannigan can beat the other so if it happens, it happens but no conspiracy.

I agree in everything until the last paragraph. Let's say Flanagan and Brown make semis and face each other; I could see a club team that has a Regionals bud already, making it easy for a sister team to make the finals.

Let's say Pulp makes finals.
Then it's Flanagan and Brown in semis.
Both Pulp and Flan are in Regionals, so what not "let" Brown through so that the club guarantees another team in regionals? Looks better for the club.

Competitively, hell no because were it me, I would wanna win the title; but not all clubs operate the same.

Never know in suppose.

Sting 00 6-0 Sting West
Aztecs 2-0 FCBlue..... That's a surprise to me; guests?
Andro 2-0 Sting North
Sting Royal 1-1 Sting Central

Any others?

2-0 Fever. Over.

Fever over Missimo?
Excellent !

backofthenet wrote:KnK, it's solely based on end of fall standings in Classic League. Fever would be 11 of 11 based on that info. They're the only D3 team so they are the last seed. Big Blue is the only D2 team; they are seeded 10 of 11.

Hope that helps.

I was actually being a little sarcastic with my post.. I understand why Fever would be #11 in this 11 team event based on the standings, but the other question I was raising was why placed in a 3 team bracket (yes, I know there had to be one 3 team bracket) and with both Missimo and Pulp and then playing both games in same day? That's what I was meaning by "fightin chance". I understand, no slack cut, you have to go out and prove you belong.

Now extending my line of questioning, next question has to do with could a 1-1 team advance to next round over a 2-1 or 1-1-1 team from another bracket if it is that lowly D3 team?

Fever commentary?

Fever beat Missimo because there were no Ecnl players available for Missimo to "Develope"! Lol!! Especially the leading scorer on their Ecnl team he likes to bring in. Not to take anything away from Fever. They are a very tough team. Well coached and tenacious. I predict Missimo's team will implode shortly. Tick tock tick tock.

KnKsDad wrote:

backofthenet wrote:KnK, it's solely based on end of fall standings in Classic League. Fever would be 11 of 11 based on that info. They're the only D3 team so they are the last seed. Big Blue is the only D2 team; they are seeded 10 of 11.

Hope that helps.

I was actually being a little sarcastic with my post.. I understand why Fever would be #11 in this 11 team event based on the standings, but the other question I was raising was why placed in a 3 team bracket (yes, I know there had to be one 3 team bracket) and with both Missimo and Pulp and then playing both games in same day? That's what I was meaning by "fightin chance". I understand, no slack cut, you have to go out and prove you belong.

Now extending my line of questioning, next question has to do with could a 1-1 team advance to next round over a 2-1 or 1-1-1 team from another bracket if it is that lowly D3 team?

They will use an average points per game, not total points

You reference the top 00 player from Solca's ECNL team that plays for Missimo's LH team. We won't discuss that every team in LH play ECNL players. We will leave that alone. In fact we will only focus on the players Missimo has "developed" over the years that include 13 of the current solar oo ECNL roster. He also "developed" several starters currently playing for other ECNL 00 teams Texans, Feet and Sting. Best part of his "development" over the years he did it all for FREE! Then Missimo went on to "develop" the SRSA 03 team. We won't discuss that "development" because Vashmuka couldn't handle that reality. Vash would not only have saved cash if his DD had the chance and he would understand the essence of "development". Vash - what have you contributed to better North Texas Soccer? Vash and bloggers like him are just ignorant and bitter? Congrats to Fever team & their coach on their win today. Sounds like it was a great result. Good luck with rest of tournament and season.

We don't.

1-0 Pulp. Over

Amazing: I could take the best soccer players in North Texas at an early age and "develope" them. Keep drinking the Kool-Aid. He can't win without outside help with his current team. Bitter? No bitterness here. Let the count down begin. 5 4 3 2 1....Implosion.