here's predicts for this weekend. home team is listed first. there's going to be a number of measuring stick games where teams will begin to get an idea of how the rest of their season may look. Should be some fun matches.
btw, please insert accuracy caveats here. most of the data for the algo is from last season. obviously there's been changes to rosters (have tried to account for these changes but...) usually it takes about ten games to start to zero in on more accurate predicts, so have been experimenting. thanks for the patience.
Crossfire Premier 3 vs Real SoCal 0 - match to watch
note: RSC has aspirations - and maybe the roster - to move up competitively but they look like - while they got stronger defensively/in the mid, they still have some challenges putting the ball in the back of the net. xfire should be a good measuring for RSC for where they're at and where they need to get to.
Real Salt Lake 1 vs Seattle Sounders 2 - match to watch
note: RSL is about about 50% brand new w/ some strong new players but seem like they should be doing better - and playing more dynamically - than they have been. Sounders are strong, maybe a bit better than LAG.
Nomads 2 vs Albion 2
note: was surprised by the algo here. would have thought that Albion would have the edge.
Arsenal 3 vs Breakers 1
LAFC 4 vs SD Surf 0 - match to watch
note: this will be the first match between these two teams since the former SD Surf coach - BD - left for LAFC. Not sure if BD will be coaching the LAFC u15s but that would definitely be a dramatic wrinkle. As a reminder, SD Surf lost 10 starters from last season, and will have everything to prove.
on the flip side, SD Surf was ranked #1 in the country most of last season, ahead of LAFC, so LAFC may come with a chip on their shoulder.
honestly, this match could go any of a number of ways, ranging from a LAFC blow-out to a close one if SD Surf somehow gets an early lead which is possible with XG and TW.
in all scenarios, though, SD Surf loses. this is one of those matches that you want to watch but you don't want to watch. be interesting to hear how this went.
Ballistic 2 vs LAGSD 2
Sacramento Republic 1 vs San Jose Earthquakes 2
note: yup, this a norcal match but am tracking since the algo needs the data. result will be a good indicator to socal team about which of these teams is the best. for reference, this one is like LAFC vs LAG or Strikers vs SD Surf down here.
TFA 1 vs LA Galaxy 3 - match to watch
note: TFA lost 12 rostered 2018-19 players coming into the 2019-20 season. so no 2019-20 TFA is not 2018-19 TFA. However, they definitely have something to prove.
Having said that, LAG, with their roster, should be winning games like this one by a blow-out. However, they still seem to be sorting things out and the last two results haven't been what one would expect from this team.
LAUFA 2 FC Golden State 3
note: FCG should win this, probably by a bigger margin given their roster adds this season but this is what the algo says. this is an 8pm game and, last week, LAUFA had some issues with lights for their 7pm game vs LAGSD. to be fair, life happens, but LAGSD drove a roundtrip of 5 hours for 20 minutes of soccer. hopefully, the lighting issue has been addressed.
Barca 3 vs Strikers 1 - match to watch
note: am fascinated how this plays out. Barca added 11 DA players - including four from SD Surf and two from TFA - to a roster that already included the #1 05 player in the country (per TDS). be interesting to see if BR really is all that.
meanwhile, Strikers lost one of their leading scorers to LAFC and another top 05 signed a pro contract with a USL team (although he's still rostered w/ the 05s).
algo had this one at 1-1, but best guess is 3-1 Barca.
Vancouver Whitecaps 4 vs. Portland Timbers 4
note: yup, this a nw match but am tracking since the algo needs the data. result will be a good indicator to socal team about which of these teams is the best. for reference, this one is like LAFC vs LAG or Strikers vs SD Surf down here.
TFA 2 vs Arsenal 1