What are people's thoughts on Sunday's game?

We're at home against the second worst team in the league. Could we be in for an upset win?

1-0 victory to the Lynx.

3-1 Virginia Beach.

These are two teams going in different directions. Toronto just sinks lower and lower while Virginia Beach has improved as the season has gone on. They have a new owner and a new outlook on life. The Lynx....well they don't.

I think the Lynx have a good chance. They will be fresh while Virginia will be coming off a Friday game in Montreal.

And, Krammerhead, the Lynx are already in last place. They can't sink any lower unless the league takes points away from them somehow.

It's odd, but this season I've noticed a lot of teams that should be tired not doing too bad. Vancouver went into Richmond having played the day before and had their best road game of the season and won 2-0. Richmond came into Vancouverr having played the day before in Seattle and drew 1-1 (even though that game was absolutely horrible).

What I meant by Toronto and VB heading in different directions is this: VB have anew owner that seems to care and the players can see this and will be playing for future contracts. Toronto is a team that has had it's best players given to Montreal. They don't ahve the same incentive to play well. I'd have to guess that the VB players morale must be pretty high while Toronto's players probably don;t have any.

You're probably right about the morale on the two teams. I still like the Lynx for a rare win, though.

On the subject of tired teams, I seem to recall way back before the season started there was a thread in which people were comparing the relative strength of the schedules. One of the factors that had people excited was the number of back to back games each team had been given. Someone (I think it was a Seattle guy) pointed out that in 2004 his team's record was, say, 4-4 in double header matches but that they had actually lost every opening game and won every backside game!

I suspect morale and other intangible factors play a bigger role than fatigue. Look at the number of CFL teams that "surprisingly" win both games of their short week. I can recall times from personal experience where my team had a very tight schedule but actually played better and won because we mentally prepared not to let the scheduling/fatigue factor be an excuse and beat us. I suspect the professionals would take this sort of preparation even farther.

Yep, it was the Seattle guy who made that comment.

Regarding back to backs, somethimes I think coaches over analyze the situation. In the case of that back to back I mentioned involving Vancouver, thats a prime example and wasn't the first time thats happened this year. Bob Lilley sat out a handful of starters in the first game against Virginia Beach. He had the team come out playing very cautious and taking it easy. It looked like he was concerned more about having a rested team the next day in Richmond and overlooking the first game results. Vancouver stunk up the park in VB (radio commentators were very clear in describing it that way) and lost 2-0. Next day in Richmond with their starters all in the lineup they won 2-0 against what is supposedly a better team.

If I were a coach I'd always try the to win the first game, then re-group and hope to pick up points the next night. At least ensure 3 points from the opening game and worry about the second game the next day.

A draw. That's disappointing.

Krammerhead, I agree with your last comment. Teams should just go out and try to win. Then they can worry about the short rest game when it comes and try to win that one, too. Every team has to deal with back to backs in this league, it's just a fact of life.