Do You Need Your DPs To Get Hot To Win MLS Cup?
Checking in after the Quarterfinals of the MLS Playoffs?
We are through the first fourteen matchups of the MLS Cup Playoffs!
So far favorites have dominated, with St Louis, Seattle, and Orlando being the only home teams eliminated … and even of those three matchups, St Louis is the only true upset of the group.
So, how important have the highest-paid players been on the playoff journey so far?
Goals And Assist Leaders
There have been fourteen multi-goal scorers and eleven multi-assist players through the quarterfinals of the playoffs. Not surprisingly, a significant portion of these players are disbursed on teams that have survived through the quarterfinals.
Five of the fourteen multi-goal scorers and three of the eleven players with multiple assists play for teams that are still alive on the hunt for MLS Cup, or just about one-third of the twenty-five total players with either multiple goals or assists.
However, one important detail to note. Of the four teams remaining, all four have at least one player with multiple goals or assists. Of the fourteen teams eliminated, only five had a player with multiple goals or assists.
How Do DPs Factor In?
On the face of it, DPs appear to not have much more impact over such a small sample size.
Four of the fourteen multi-goal scorers and six of the eleven players with multiple assists are designated players, or a little over one-third of the twenty-five total players with either multiple goals or assists.
However, if we narrow this down to the teams that are still alive, the impact of DPs becomes a bit more striking.
Two of the five players still alive with multiple goals are DPs and all three players with multiple assists are DPs. It should come as no surprise that players the quality of Denis Bouanga, Cucho Hernandez, Luciano Acosta, and Hector Herrera are having successful playoff runs.
While it is not necessary to be a DP for a player to be a multi-goal scorer in the MLS playoffs, it does appear that MLS teams need their best players to perform at the highest levels to advance.
Takeaways
The most important takeaway is that success in small sample sizes cannot be bought and sold like DPs. However, it does appear that paying more money for star players is critical to achieving playoff success. Are the MLS playoffs as simple as the best player wins? We have an exciting slate of semifinal games to figure this out!
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