With a 1-0 Crew win on May 18 followed by a 2-1 Toronto win on July 27, the regular-season series enters Saturday split 1-1-0 ... the team awarded the Trillium Cup presented by Scotts will be the team with the greatest number of points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss) after the conclusion of the regular season series between the two clubs ... in the event that two teams finish the season series with an equal number of points, the following system will be used to break the tie:
- The team with the greater goal difference (goals-for minus goals-against) in Trillium Cup matches shall be the winner. [Entering Saturday: Crew: 2GF-2GA=0, TFC: 2GF-2GA=0].
- If still tied, it shall be the team scoring the greater number of total goals in Trillium Cup matches [Entering Saturday: Crew: 2GF=2, TFC: 2GF=2].
- If still tied, the procedures described in 1 and 2 shall be applied only to a per-game average of all Trillium Cup games played on the road [Entering Saturday: Crew: 2 road goals, GPG= 1.00, TFC: N/A].
- If still tied, the procedures described in 1 and 2 shall be applied only to a per-game average of all Trillium Cup games played at home [Entering Saturday: Crew: N/A, TFC, 2 home goals, GPG= 1.00].
- If still tied, it shall be the team with the fewest combined team disciplinary points in Trillium Cup matches [Entering Saturday: Crew: 4 yellows, TFC: 4 yellows].
- If still tied, the team that is currently in possession of the Trillium Cup from the previous year retains it for another season [Entering Saturday: Crew].
WHAT IT ALL MEANS
A win captures the Trillium Cup presented by Scotts for either team ... that said, should the match end in a draw, fans should look at the final scoreline to determine which club gets the trophy ... if the match ends in a 0-0 draw, then technically tie-breaker scenario three states that the per-game goal-scoring average on the road is applied, and the Crew’s 1.00 per/game average would top the one match of zero goals on the road for the Reds, giving the Crew the trophy ... a 1-1 draw would bring TFC’s road goal average back to a level playing field, meaning tie-breaker four (home goals per game average) would be applied, however, the Crew’s one home goal in this scenario would match Toronto’s 1.00 home goals per game average (zero on May 18, two on July 27), forcing tie-breaker five -- which is disciplinary points ... both teams enter Saturday with four cautions a piece in the current series
WHAT ABOUT A 2-2 or 3-3 DRAW?
While a 0-0 draw gives the Crew the regular-season victory on technicalities and 1-1 draw would send the tie-breaker down the line of scenarios [potentially leading to a look at disciplinary points], should Saturday bring a barnburner draw to Crew Stadium, a 2-2 draw or a 3-3 draw would actually work against the Crew in its quest to retain the Trillum Cup in Columbus for another year ... two or three road goals for Toronto would then become their road goals average, giving them the advantage in tie-breaker three scenario of goals per game on the road.
