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How about some perspective? Chivas USA are off to their second best start in club history this season. Although they are only at .500 through six matches, three victories and nine points is only bested by their 2009 start, when they had 13 points. Now, the start isn't the whole story, as the form over the course of an entire season is what matters, but Chivas' three wins in six matches is a good start by Chivas' (rather short) historical standards.
Take a look after the jump to see the year-by-year stats through six matches:
2005: 1-4-1: 4 points (first win in 6th match) - Coach: Thomas Rongen
2006: 1-4-1: 4 points (first win in 1st match) - Coach: Bob Bradley
2007: 2-3-1: 7 points (first win in 1st match) - Coach: Preki
2008: 1-3-2: 5 points (first win in 2nd match) - Coach: Preki
2009: 4-1-1: 13 points (first win in 1st match) - Coach: Preki
2010: 2-3-1: 7 points (first win in 1st match) - Coach: Martin Vasquez
2011: 1-2-3: 6 points (first win in 6th match) - Coach: Robin Fraser
2012: 3-3-0: 9 points (first win in 3rd match) - Coach Robin Fraser
As you can see, the start in 2009 is by far the best start in eight seasons. How do these starts compare to final season positions?
2005: 4-22-6: 18 points - 6th (last) place in the West (did not qualify for the playoffs)
2006: 10-9-13: 43 points - 3rd place in the West (quarterfinal round of playoffs)
2007: 15-7-8: 53 points - 1st place in the West (quarterfinal round of playoffs)
2008: 12-11-7: 43 points - 2nd place in the West (quarterfinal round of playoffs)
2009: 13-11-6: 45 points - 4th place in the West (quarterfinal round of playoffs)
2010: 8-18-4: 28 points - 8th (last) place in the West (did not qualify for the playoffs)
2011: 8-14-12: 36 points - 8th place in the West (did not qualify for the playoffs)
So in 2006 and 2008, Chivas started out with only one win each season and still made the playoffs. In their best season performance, 2007, they only had two wins and 7 points through the first six games. And they finished worse in 2009, earning 8 fewer points despite having the best six-game start in team history.
Still, history would show that Chivas cannot even consider the playoffs unless they get to double-digit wins. Three is nowhere close to that mark, but it is at least a good start. In 2011, the playoff team with the lowest number of wins was the New York Red Bulls, with 10. The standard will likely be higher for the Western Conference in 2012, as the playoff team from the West in 2011 with the fewest wins, the Colorado Rapids, had 12 wins. If Chivas want to have a shot of getting to the postseason, it looks like they are perhaps a quarter of the way there so far in 2012 in wins. The good news is that Chivas are ahead of the pace, as the first quarter of the season doesn't come until midway through the ninth match. Still, they should keep plugging and picking up points to make the goal for the season - the postseason.
In sum, it's a good start by club standards, but Chivas have a long way to go this season.
What do you think? Leave a comment below!