League One is becoming a division of haves and have-nots. Nine teams have put up at least 25 points and 1.55 points per game and represent the leaders in the clubhouse for eight available playoff spots; that leaves eight more teams languishing with no more than 20 points and 1.25 points per game. Mid-late July is too early to declare any team dead, but we’re hitting the make-or-break point.
Which teams bolstered their contention credentials in Week 20, and whose hopes took a dive? I’m taking a look at all 17 clubs in the division to help find out.
Athletic Club Boise’s room for improvement
In the kitchen, items like a lemon juicer or a garlic press are called “single-use tools.” They’ve got one purpose, and that’s all they’re good for. In the least disparaging way possible, Nate Miller has designed his Athletic Club Boise side to operate in that mode. Both in terms of their style and their squad rotation, Boise are single-minded – and continue to be successful because of it.
Friday’s 2-1 win over Portland was a case in point. Boise held 67% of possession and ended up with a +25 margin on box touches while sticking to their usual 3-4-3. Along the way, Miller had no interest in switching his system up; he used just one substitution out of a possible five. Even that change was used to get Blake Bodily – a locked-on starter under normal circumstances – onto the pitch for his first extended run-out after an injury at the start of June.
