here's predicts vs actuals for this last weekend (11/16). home team is listed first and in alpha order.
SoCal
predict: LAFC 4 - Arsenal 1 / actuals: pending - anyone have the score here?
predict: LA Galaxy 2 - Pateadores 2 / actuals: LA Galaxy 0 - Pateadores 4
note: interesting result. Pats were up 2-0 at ht and then a quick one at start of 2h to make it 3-0, and then one last one at the 73rd minute for the 4-0 final score. However, a comment on the board - LAG played mostly 04s - peaked interest.
(insert soapbox here...)
per the game report, LAG started nine 04s, four of whom went the full 90. Three 04s and two 03s were subbed in in the 2h for five 04s. Pats played three 04s. And the average dob of LAG players on the field was Feb 3, 2004. The average dob of the Pats players on the field was Sep 7, 2003.
So, on average, the Pats players were about five months older than the LAG players.
The age difference doesn't seem like that much, but even at this older age group, the CDC says that - comparing boys who end up at the average height and weight - while a five month age difference at u17 accounts for only about 1/2 inch difference in height, the age difference also accounts for about 10 pounds difference in weight, almost all of which is muscle.
So, running the numbers and putting this in terms of grown men playing, the age difference this weekend was like two teams of 5'10" players but while the Pats on average weighed about 166 pounds, the younger team - LA Galaxy - weighed in, on average, at 155, with that 11 pounds being almost entirely muscle, per player across the board.
Tough handicap, and the algo says it's worth about +4 goals for the Pats.
(stepping down from the soapbox now...)
Non SoCal
predict: Ballistic 2 - De Anza 2 / actuals: Ballistic 0 - De Anza 1
predict: Crossfire Premier 1 - SVSA 2 / actuals: Crossfire Premier 4 - SVSA 0
note: this match was a good test to see where SVSA is at. the u15s and u17s are hard to predict because the DA Cups generally grouped like for like teams, so, based on DA Cup results, good teams generally don't look as good as they really are, and not so good teams also don't show as much for the same reason. from the results this weekend, SVSA, despite some decent past results, has work to do.
predict: Crossfire Premier 3 - Sacramento Republic 2 / actuals: Crossfire Premier 3 - Sacramento Republic 4
predict: Vancouver 1 - Sacramento Republic 1 / actuals: pending - anyone have the score here?
predict: Vancouver 0 - SVSA 2 / actuals: Vancouver 2 - SVSA 1