It’s been 2-weeks and 12 matches, with lots of play in the top-2 divisions in Canada & USA, and we’ve seen some wins for most of our Canadian-based teams. There is still a lot of volatility in the ratings, which makes some of these large movements more understandable.
Elo-ratings as of 26 Apr 2017. For information on how this is calculated, read our primer
MLS
Toronto FC started off top of the pack two weeks ago, and their match against Columbus Crew hurt. The 2-1 loss on the road knocked them down so they ended the week at 1404 points. That’s still above the MLS average, but with the other Canadian teams scoring some wins, their lead has shrunk considerably. Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s victory over Seattle Sounders not only gave them a nice bump, it also gave them the leg up in the Cascadia Cup. Sadly, their 2-1 victory was not enough to snatch 2nd place from Montreal Impact FC. The blue-et-noir toppled league-leading Atlanta United FC by the same scoreline, giving them quite an edge just in time for Easter.
Despite having only 1 loss this season, Toronto FC has struggled to find a winning path. However, there is promise for the team to rise in the standings, as this past weekend’s reversal of fortune helps demonstrate. Not only did Toronto FC serve out a deciding victory, their 2nd of the season, they managed to more than regain the Elo-rating points they lost in the previous week. Montreal Impact FC also managed to recover from a 3-goal deficit to pull out a draw. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on the other hand, suffered a slight setback in their loss to Portland Timbers FC, but still managed an overall gain in their Elo-ratings over 2-weeks.
Despite some very mixed results, all 3 Canadian MLS teams gained points since the mid-April, which is a very promising sign. Both Toronto and Vancouver split victories and losses between the two weekends. In contrast, Montreal stole a win and a tie, showing the greatest improvement over the past 2 weeks. These are improvements all around, and it will be interesting to see what the next couple of weeks bring.
NASL
FC Edmonton continued their bout of dismal play with a 3-1 loss to North Carolina “don’t call us Railhawks” FC. Should the Eddies have been able to defeat Carolina? They certainly thought so. According to Rabbit Radio, FC Edmonton’s official podcast, Carolina was as close to a pushover as there is in the NASL this year. Sadly, FC Edmonton’s loss crowned their team “pushovers” following the Easter Weekend.
The following weekend FC Edmonton finally had their 1st victory of the season. Although later in the season than for any other Canadian 1st-team, the victory was well deserved, and helped buoy the team in the elo-ratings. As a result of their 2-1 victory over Puerto Rico FC, FC Edmonton finished off this 2-week period just shy of 1200 points. Sadly, their victory was not enough to boost the team above the league average, or even above any of their USL counterparts.
USL
With TFCII on a bye-week, there were only Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 and Ottawa Fury FC played on Easter weekend. History was made as Ottawa not only managed their 1st win in the USL, they managed it by scoring from the centre. It was a major kick from distance that sailed past a keeper standing well out of his net. The single goal by Dos Santos was enough to put Fury over Kickers that appeared to outmatch the team throughout both halves. It also shot Fury up in the rankings, putting them 2nd among 2nd division teams. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 faced off against another set of Cascadian rivals, Portland Timbers II, and managed to squeak out a victory.
Unfortunately, the boost to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 was short lived as they ended the following weekend in the hole. Their loss to San Antonio FC resulted in a slip in the rankings. Luckily for the Mini-Caps, they still were atop the 2nd-division Canadian teams, as the draw between Toronto FC II & Ottawa Fury FC resulted in little movement from either side from the previous week.
Preview
The next Elo-ratings update will be released May 17th, and will cover play in all leagues over 3 weekends. That’s a lot of matches, and we’re bound to see a tonne of shuffling in the rankings. Of special concern should be League1 Ontario and Premier Ligue de Soccer du Quebec matches, and how those teams shape up. Here’s the schedule we get to look forward to:
[wptab name=’Canadian Championship’]May 3rd:
- Ottawa Fury FC host FC Edmonton
May 10th:
- FC Edmonton host Ottawa Fury FC [/wptab]
[wptab name=’MLS’]April 28th:
- Toronto FC hosts Houston Dynamo
April 29th:
- Montreal Impact host Vancouver Whitecaps
May 3rd:
- Toronto FC host Orlando SC
May 5th:
- Colorado Rapids host Vancouver Whitecaps FC
May 6th:
- DC United host Montreal Impact FC
- Seattle Sounders FC hosts Toronto FC
May 10th:
- Columbus Crew SC hosts Toronto FC
May 12th:
- Houston Dynamo host Vancouver Whitecaps FC
May 13th:
- Montreal Impact FC host Columbus Crew SC
- Toronto FC host Minnesota United
[/wptab]
[wptab name=’NASL’]April 29th:
- Miami FC host FC Edmonton
May 6th:
- Indy Eleven host FC Edmonton
May 14th:
- FC Edmonton host San Francisco Deltas[/wptab]
[wptab name=’USL’]April 29th:
- Charleston Battery host Ottawa Fury FC
- Louisville City host Toronto FC II
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 host Sacramento Republic
May 3rd:
- Pittsburgh Riverhounds host Toronto FC II
May 5th:
- Swope Park Rangers host Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
May 6th:
- Ottawa Fury FC host Tampa Bay Rowdies
May 11th:
- Tulsa Roughnecks host Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
May 13th:
- Ottawa Fury FC host Pittsburgh Riverhounds
- Toronto FC II hosts Bethlehem Steel
May 14th:
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 host Colorado Springs Switchbacks[/wptab]
[wptab name=’L1O’]April 29th:
- Vaughan Azzurri host Durham United FA
- Aurora FC host OSU Force
- Windsor TFC Stars host North Mississuaga SC
- Master’s Futbol host Woodbridge Strikers
April 30th:
- Toronto FC III host FC London
- Sanjaxx Lions host ProStars FC
- Toronto Skillz FC host North Toronto Nitros
- Oakville Blue Devils host Sigma FC
May 5th:
- ProStars FC host North Mississuaga SC
May 6th:
- Vaughan Azzurri host Toronto Skillz FC
- Windsor TFC Stars host Oakville Blue Devils
- Aurora FC host North Toronto Nitros
- Master’s Futbol host OSU Force
May 17th:
- Toronto FC III host Sigma FC
- Sanjaxx Lions host FC London
- Woodbridge Strikers host Durham United FA
May 12th:
- ProStars FC host Sigma FC
- Durham United FA host Aurora FC
- FC London host North Mississuaga SC
May 13th:
- OSU Force host Toronto Skillz FC
- Vaughan Azzurri host Master’s Futbol
May 14th:
- Sanjaxx Lions host Windsor TFC Stars
- Oakville Blue Devils host Toronto FC III
- North Toronto Nitros host Woodbridge Strikers[/wptab]
[wptab name=’PLSQ’]May 6th:
- CS St Hubert host CS Longueuil
- AS Blainville host FC Gatineau
May 7th:
- CS Mont-Royal Outremont host FC Lanaudiere
May 13th:
- CS Longueuil host FC Lanaudiere
May 14th:
- Dynamo de Quebec host CS Mont-Royal Outremont
- FC Gatineau host CS St Hubert[/wptab]
[wptab name=’PDL’]May 5th:
- Calgary Foothills FC host TSS FC Rovers
May 7th:
- Calgary Foothills FC host TSS FC Rovers
May 12th:
- TSS FC Rovers host Lane United FC
May 13th:
- Michigan Bucks host K-W United FC
May 14th:
- Victoria Highlanders FC host Lane United FC
May 16th:
- Portland Timbers U23 host TSS FC Rovers [/wptab]
[end_wptabset]