MLSSoccer.com analysts don't see the Impact in the playoffs
People love making predictions this time of year. With just nine points separating the fifth and ninth-placed teams, the fight for the final two playoff spots in the East will go down to the wire.
A few days ago, former Impact captain Patrice Bernier shared a few of these predictions on his Twitter page.
Despite the Impact holding the sixth and last playoff spot with just six games remaining, not one of them chose the Bleu-blanc-noir to qualify for the fall tournament.
As you could expect, the Impact does not agree.
“We don’t get the respect that we deserve, any season that I’ve been here,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush. “We’re kind of overlooked. That’s how it is, and that’s fine. We’ll take that and let people think that D.C. or Philadelphia or whoever it might be is better than us. We’ll do our talking on the field.”
“I’d love to see the track record of these experts,” said striker Quincy Amarikwa. “It’s great that everyone can give their opinion, but I think there should be a stat showing how many times this person was right at the bottom of each prediction. I think people would be more conservative or mindful of what they say before they actually say it.”
Unfortunately, no such stat exists at the moment. But fortunately, the Impact’s players don’t really take these types of predictions into account before heading into the final stretch.
“These predictions actually suit me, because it takes pressure away from us and puts it on others,” explained midfielder Saphir Taïder. “It’s our job to make them think otherwise. Anyway, we’ll do everything we can to get in.”
That starts with a key matchup in Pennsylvania against the Philadelphia Union this Saturday (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN 690), a team that sits just four points in front of the Impact in the standings. For a more factual look at the MLS Cup playoff race, consult Impact Media’s summary here.
