Okay, so I’ve been trying to get a handle on predicting Major League Soccer results, and I figured I’d start with a team I kinda follow – Los Angeles FC (LAFC). Here’s how I went about trying to figure out their next match.
First, I dug into their recent performance. You know, win-loss record, goals scored, goals allowed. Basic stuff. I checked out a few sports websites – nothing fancy, just the usual places where they list scores and standings. It’s amazing how much just looking at the last five or six games can tell you.
Then I looked at who they were playing next. Were they facing a top team, a bottom dweller, or someone in the middle? This makes a huge difference. A team struggling at the bottom of the table is probably easier to predict than a powerhouse team. Location matters too so i did find out if LAFC was playing at home or away. Home field advantage is a real thing, people!
My Little System
I’m no stats wizard, so I kept it super simple. I basically gave points for different things:
- Recent Wins: More points for more wins, obviously.
- Goals Scored: Teams that score a lot are more likely to win, right?
- Goals Against: Fewer goals allowed means a stronger defense.
- Opponent Strength: I gave fewer points if they were playing a really good team.
- Home/Away: More points for playing at home.
I kind of eyeballed the numbers and put together a very rough score. No fancy algorithms here, just my gut feeling based on what I saw. Its a work in progreess.
After all that, I made my prediction. It wasn’t anything scientific, more like an educated guess.I think with better data sources i could better refine this system.
It’s all just for fun, of course. But it’s interesting to see if my “system” – if you can even call it that – gets anywhere close to the actual result. So far? It’s been…mixed. But hey, that’s the fun of it, right?
