MLS Scariness: 2008 Week 5

Okay, time for another look at MLS scariness. I’ve settled into the formula I hope to use for the rest of the season (I’m not going to go back and recalculate scariness for the previous weeks, but I am scaling the scores down to match the current range). The formula is as follows:

pts (game) + gd (game) + opp ppg (last 5 games) + 1 (away team)

I figure a weighted average over the last five weeks (or as many
weeks as the teams have played) to come up with the current
scariness.

Enough about math though, here’s the current table:

Team	Scariness	Ranking	Change
NY	4.9	1 (3)	+2
CLB	4.14	2 (2)	–
DAL	3.76	3 (4)	+1
KC	3.75	4 (1)	-3
TOR	3.72	5 (8)	+3
NE	3.49	6 (7)	+1
CHI	3.29	7 (5)	-2
DC	2.94	8 (12)	+4
LA	2.93	9 (14)	+5
COL	2.22	10 (6)	-4
HOU	1.98	11 (9)	-2
SAN	1.75	12 (11)	-1
SLC	0.93	13 (13)	–
CHV	0.9	14 (10)	-4

LA and DC moved way up the charts based on lopsided wins. Toronto also moved up, but I think that’s based more on a three game winning streak (man, BMO is looking like a fortress and a great place to catch a game¹.)

Chivas and Colorado were the big sinkers. Chivas isn’t playing very well in general and got clubbed by LA, while the Rapids are settling into what I think i a more realistic ranking after some surprising early wins.

My only other thought is that being an RSL fan kinda stinks … oh well, I guess I can always get my kicks watching the ‘Fire Kreis’ folks get wound up.

¹ I’ve gotta say, I really envy a young friend who just got called on an LDS mission to Toronto—he was on BYU’s reserve list last year and is going to love being in a soccer hungry area.