A hopecast is a prediction of an upcoming game based on the desires rather than the beliefs.
The cast is the result best placed to advantage the club supported by the person making it. For the more superstitiously minded, it can also be called a praydiction.
A Sounders hopecast is therefore the results from other games that would best benefit Sounders FC. It makes the other games more interesting as you now have a dog in the fight.
SOUNDERS FC SEPTEMBER HOPECASTS
H=Home Win A=Away Win D=Draw
Saturday, September 5, 2015
New England A Orlando
Given New England’s play off prowess and star quality, Sounders might prefer someone else to represent the East in the post season. Beyond that, only Supporters Shield chasing sides have much interest in all-Eastern battles. That yacht sailed for Seattle a while ago.
Montreal A Chicago
There is not much in this all East battle for Seattle, other than avoiding a wooden spoon if there is a complete meltdown. But this is a hopecast and assumes better results for the Sounders than that.
Sounders would hope to secure home advantage in any potential final, so the Fire winning and reducing the points total of a likely playoff side easily trumps that.
Seattle H Toronto FC
A Seattle hopecast is obviously for a Seattle win.
San Jose A Philadelphia
This is the most important other game for Seattle. If by some miracle, the Earthquakes mess up against the second worst team in the country with home advantage (having just beaten the best team), it would be a major boost for Seattle’s hopes. This would be a great time for a Seb Le Toux masterclass.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Columbus H FC Dallas
Sigi’s old club could do him an enormous favor by helping him reel FC Dallas into the sixth place scramble. You have always got an increased chance of sneaking above the red line if more than one team is catchable, and it is 2 sides fighting for 4 places, rather than 3 sides fighting for 1. If San Jose are going to keep on winning, then Dallas and Portland losses become even more helpful. Chalk one up for team that used to be known as the Hardhats.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Vancouver H Colorado
Vancouver are probably out of sight but Colorado could be a late threat for sixth place with some more wins, to add to their second hat trick of the season. It is marginally better to allow Vancouver their Shield glory than risk Colorado becoming a pesky fly just when Sounders have reeled in one of the other sides.
A further Rapids resurgence means Sounders target could increase from 46 to 47 points. It’s not worth the risk merely to delay Vancouver’s inevitable qualification. Besides a realistic chance of winning the Shield may dissuade the Caps from fielding their best side when they come to Seattle in the CCL.
Portland A Sporting KC
The logic applied to the above game partly transfers to this one. SKC have buckets of games in hand even if they have been wasting them recently. Sunday’s loss drags Portland into the mix and a home defeat for them would be a huge boost for the Sounders.
Hauling the Timbers into the mix would put pressure on Caleb Porter’s team and this is not a stretch where observers can be sure they will handle it well. That said, Portland winning may also have an upside, because the Sounders have SKC to play, and you always want to play the sides you are chasing because you control your own destiny. Had SKC had two more games played than they do, this hopecast may have swung the other way.
Sounders FC: Best case scenario Western Conference table
| # | Club | P | PTS | W | PPG |
| 1 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 28 | 48 | 15 | 1.71 |
| 2 | LA Galaxy | 28 | 46 | 13 | 1.64 |
| 3 | Sporting Kansas City | 26 | 43 | 12 | 1.65 |
| 4 | Seattle Sounders FC | 28 | 41 | 13 | 1.46 |
| 5 | FC Dallas | 26 | 41 | 12 | 1.57 |
| 6 | Portland Timbers | 28 | 40 | 11 | 1.43 |
| 7 | San Jose Earthquakes | 27 | 38 | 11 | 1.41 |
| 8 | Houston Dynamo | 27 | 35 | 9 | 1.30 |
| 9 | Colorado Rapids | 27 | 33 | 8 | 1.22 |
| 10 | Real Salt Lake | 27 | 32 | 8 | 1.19 |
