North American Soccer League (NASL) Discussion Thread

[LittleOzzy]

FC Tampa Bay defeats English Premier League Bolton Wanderers 1-0

FC Tampa Bay knocked off the English Premier League's Bolton Wanderers 1-0 Thursday night at Al Lang Stadium. FC Tampa Bay scored in the second half on a goal by forward Matt Clare in the 65th minute.

The performance was especially impressive for FC Tampa Bay considering it played without several starters, including injured midfielders Chad Burt, Takuya Yamada and Tsuyoshi Yoshitake. In addition, FCTB was forced to play an unsigned trialist and defender Justin Morrow played 38 minutes after landing in Tampa less than 12 hours before the match.

"I hope that match gives our team the world of confidence, and that starts collectively with hard work and application," said head coach Ricky Hill. "Tonight was a great opportunity for our team. To win the game is a great bonus. We're indebted to our goalkeepers at times. Evan was tremendous this evening and Jeff likewise."

The match was the first-ever international friendly at home for FC Tampa Bay and marked the first match in a three-game preseason tour for Bolton here in the United States.

"We knew it would be demanding physically," said Bolton manager Owen Coyle. "Tampa Bay scored a very good goal. Credit to them. I thought they worked their socks off. I felt the game was played in the right spirit, the right atmosphere."

During a scoreless first half, the pace of the match seemed to waver between long crosses and few attempts on the goal. The Wanderers stepped up the tempo of play in the second half and FC Tampa Bay picked up the pace as well.

http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=849

[LittleOzzy]

[LittleOzzy]

Montreal Impact to unveil new MLS crest on Saturday

Montreal Impact chief business officer Claude Pinard has the best-kept secret in town: the club’s logo.

The new crest, which the team will use for its 2012 inaugural season in Major League Soccer, will be unveiled officially on Saturday at Saputo Stadium at halftime of the Impact's NASL game against the NSC Minnesota Stars (8 pm ET). As expected, both Pinard and executive VP Richard Legendre had very few comments to make, but were able to give a very small two-word description: "new and traditional."

In the meantime, the club has begun a series of small activities leading up to the logo presentation. Academy players and freestylers have been seen across the city, handing out tickets for the game on Saturday.

Pinard has also confirmed that the official MLS promotion campaign will start Aug. 8 in which the logo will be featured in TV, radio and newspaper ads as well as on billboards. Produced by SidLee, these ads will showcase the intensity of MLS through teasers.

The Impact will undergo a pub crawl to engage into open discussions with the current and potential soccer fans. Dates have yet to be confirmed, but Pinard wants the club to get closer to its fans. He also wants to establish a stronger relationship with the supporters groups and wants them to be more involved in the club's activities.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2 ... t-saturday

[LittleOzzy]

Season is over at the end of this upcoming month. I'm excited how well it went for year one. I hope they can expand slowly and really turn into a a great second league in North America. The playoffs should be a lot of fun.

[LittleOzzy]

Two teams fighting for the final Playoff spot in NASL this week.

NSC Minnesota Stars – 6th place, 33 points.
NSC Minnesota can earn the final NASL playoff spot on Saturday with a win against Carolina. The Stars can also earn a playoff spot with a tie against Carolina AND a Montreal tie or loss to Atlanta. If Minnesota loses to Carolina, Montreal must also lose to Atlanta for Minnesota to qualify for the playoffs.

(NOTE: The season series between Minnesota and Montreal ended tied at two wins apiece. If Minnesota and Montreal are tied on points at the conclusion of the season, the second tiebreaker is overall goal difference vs. all NASL opponents. Currently, Montreal is plus 4 in GD, while Minnesota is minus 3 in GD, meaning Montreal will be ranked ahead of Minnesota on the basis of this tiebreaker and will earn the final NASL playoff spot.)

Remaining match: HOME (0); AWAY (1) at Carolina RailHawks 9/24.

Montreal Impact – 7th place, 32 points.
Montreal can earn the final NASL playoff spot with win over Atlanta and a loss or tie by Minnesota against Carolina. The Impact will also earn a playoff spot with a tie vs. Atlanta and a Minnesota loss against Carolina. Montreal will not qualify for the playoffs with a loss against Atlanta.

Remaining match: HOME (0); AWAY (1) at Atlanta Silverbacks 9/24.

Remaining games until the Playoffs.

[LittleOzzy]

NASL Playoffs Kick Off Saturday

In a dramatic final weekend of the NASL regular season, FC Tampa Bay secured the #3 seed in the playoffs while Minnesota and Montreal both recorded impressive road victories. The results left the Stars a single point ahead of the MLS-bound Impact, and set up a quarterfinal round matchup between Minnesota and host FC Tampa Bay who boast a potent attack led by the last two NASL Players of the Month, Aaron King and Mike Ambersley. Impressive expansion side FC Edmonton will also travel to Florida to face the fourth-seeded Fort Lauderdale Strikers who are making their first playoff appearance since 2006.

Regular season champion Carolina RailHawks and the second seeded Puerto Rico Islanders previously secured direct passage into the semifinal round and will await the winners of this Saturday’s quarterfinal matchups.

Quarterfinals


Saturday, October 1 — 7:30 p.m.; Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.
#6 NSC Minnesota at #3 FC Tampa Bay

Saturday, October 1 —7:30 p.m.; Lockhart Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
#5 FC Edmonton at #4 Ft. Lauderdale

One match each, winner advances. Overtime and penalty kick shootout used to break ties. Teams are re-seeded after the quarterfinal round based on regular season record.

Semifinals - First Leg

Saturday, October 8 — 7:30 p.m.; Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel, Bayamon, P.R.
FC Tampa Bay, FC Edmonton or Ft. Lauderdale at # 2 Puerto Rico

Saturday, October 8 or Sunday, October 9 — TBD
#1 Carolina at Ft. Lauderdale, FC Edmonton or NSC Minnesota

Semifinals - Second Leg

Saturday, October 15 — 7:00 p.m.; Wake Med Soccer Park, Cary, N.C.
Ft. Lauderdale, FC Edmonton or NSC Minnesota at Carolina

Saturday, October 15 or Sunday, October 16 — TBD
Puerto Rico at FC Tampa Bay, FC Edmonton or Ft. Lauderdale

Two matches each, winner determined by total aggregate goals. Overtime and penalty kick shootout used to break ties after second leg matches.

Finals - First Leg

Saturday, October 22 or Sunday, October 23 —TBD
Teams TBD

Finals - Second Leg

Saturday, October 29 or Sunday, October 30 — TBD
Teams TBD

Two matches, winner determined by total aggregate goals. Overtime and penalty kick shootout used to break ties after second leg match.

[LittleOzzy]

Fort Lauderdale Advances to Championship Series Defeating Puerto Rico

Three semifinal goals in the series from Brian Shriver enabled the Fort Lauderdale Strikers to defeat the Puerto Rico Islanders 5-2 on aggregate Saturday, Oct. 15, at Lockhart Stadium to move on to their first NASL Championship series.

“I’m really proud of the guys,” said head coach Daryl Shore. “They came out with a lot of energy and weathered the storm early in the game.”

http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1448

Minnesota Stars survive wild game, bound for NASL championship series

Pressure didn’t faze Lucas Rodriguez as he calmly rolled home the winning shot
in a penalty shootout to lift the Stars past the No. 1 seed Carolina
RailHawks and into the North American Soccer League championship series.
The two-legged semifinal finished tied 4-4 on aggregate after a wild
4-3 game in the second leg that flew in the face of the typically
low-scoring games between the two teams.

“It’s hard to explain why a game plays out the way it does, why it ends up
with a lot of goals instead of a few,” Stars head coach Manny Lagos said
after the game. “There was good soccer by both teams, but also some
individual lapses, and the theme for the night was the group rallying
together against adversity.”

http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1444

[LittleOzzy]

Minnesota Wins 3-1 in NASL Championship Series First Leg

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers fell to the NSC Minnesota Stars in the first leg of the NASL Championship Series by a final of 3-1.

Neil Hlavaty got the Stars off to a dream start with a goal in the third minute. Andrei Gotsmanov drew a foul at the top of the penalty area, and Hlavaty stepped up with his right foot, crushing the ball around the wall and inside Fort Lauderdale goalkeeper Matt Glaeser’s far post.

“It was big to score that early against Fort Lauderdale because we’ve struggled against them this year, and to go up three minutes in gave us a confidence boost that showed the whole game,” Hlavaty said. “I couldn’t really get the shot up and down from that close, or didn’t want to try to, but I was hitting them inside yesterday, so I was going there the whole time, and luckily it went in.”

The Stars defended resolutely the rest of the first half, holding Fort Lauderdale to two weak shots on goal that goalkeeper Joe Warren saved easily. On offense, they continued creating chances, as Brian Kallman, Gotsmanov and Hlavaty all had open looks from distance.

The Strikers tied the game on a Stars' own goal in the 52nd minute. Fort Lauderdale defender Lance Laing sent in a long cross toward the far side of the goal, when a Minnesota defender redirected the ball back toward his own net and it bounced past Joe Warren.

Minnesota head coach Manny Lagos called that spell the pivotal moment in the game and was especially pleased with the rookie Davis’ response to his mistake.

http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1482

[LittleOzzy]

Championship Trophy Unveiled: The "Soccer Bowl"

[LittleOzzy]

NSC Minnesota Capture first NASL Championship

The NSC Minnesota Stars won the first North American Soccer League title against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on a 3-1 aggregate following a 0-0 draw Saturday, October 29th, on a wet Lockhart Stadium.

Being the lowest ranked seed in these playoffs, the NSC Minnesota Stars went through a tough gauntlet of teams to get to this point. They had to go through the third-seeded FC Tampa Bay, the regular season champion Carolina RailHawks, and finally, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

The match tonight was tough for both teams. A rainstorm prior to the match caused the field to be very wet, making the ball tough to play with a simple touch or pass.

Throughout the entirety of the match, the Strikers pressed forward trying to get the two equalizing goals to send the match into extra time.

The first chance came early to the Strikers. Gerson Mayen, sent through on goal, had a chance to test the wet conditions. However, those same conditions caused his first touch to be heavy, and send the ball out of bounds for a goal kick.

Shortly after, NSC Minnesota got an attacking free kick in the Strikers half. Luke Mulholland, who was consistently on the ball dictating tempo, play a ball into the box. Untouched, the ball look destined to fall into the back of the net. Matt Glaeser stepped up and dove to his left, putting enough on the ball to send it out of bounds.

The first half ended with the only serious chance for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. After a resulting corner from a deflected pass, Mike Palacio curled in a cross which found defender Toni Stahl in the back of the box. Stahl got his head on the ball, but it sailed just wide.

The start of the second half continued to see the Strikers press high up and attack. Again, the NSC Minnesota Stars defense communicated well and broke up the Strikers' build up.

The last real chance for the Strikers fell to Mayen. Walter Restrepo dribbled down the right wing and chipped the ball into the box, looking for someone. Mayen, through the Stars defense, got a foot onto the ball, but could not convert.

The rest of the match saw the Strikers pressing forward and playing the ball into the box, but the Stars remained calm. They cleared each ball, kept the attacking movement out of the box, and clinched the first North American Soccer League title.

Great first season for the NASL. I look forward to them adding more teams and joining in next season with the US Open Cup.

[LittleOzzy]

Silverbacks Sign Canadian National Team Veteran

The Atlanta Silverbacks have signed former Canadian national team forward STEPHEN ADEMOLU, pending USSF and ITC approval, the club announced Monday.

Ademolu, 29, comes to the Silverbacks from the Windsor Stars of the Canadian Soccer League. Prior to his brief stint with the Stars, he plied his trade in Europe with four different clubs in Sweden, Norway, and Lithuania from 2004-2011. He has been capped five times for the Canadian National Team.

“Stephen has been playing at a high level his entire career, both for European clubs and his national team,” said Silverbacks Head Coach Alex Pineda Chacón. “We’re excited to have him here, and we think his speed and finishing abilities will be a great asset to our front line.”

A native of Windsor, Canada, Ademolu is no stranger to the United States. During his collegiate career, he played one season with University of North Carolina-Pembroke and two seasons with Cleveland State University; in his junior year at Cleveland State, he led the Horizon League with 12 goals.

http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1630

[LittleOzzy]

Groundbreaking is tomorrow for this stadium in San Antonio. It's awesome this new franchise is taking soccer seriously.

[LittleOzzy]

NASL Receives Full USSF Sanctioning

The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) today formally admitted the North American Soccer League (NASL) as a member to continue operating as a Division 2 men’s outdoor professional soccer league in the United States. The NASL’s candidacy for full membership was approved this morning by a vote of the USSF National Council at the USSF Annual General Meeting in Miami.

“We’ve worked tirelessly over the past several years to create a new, sustainable long-term platform for Division 2 professional soccer in North America and the Caribbean. We thank the Federation for their leadership and cooperation in helping us elevate second division standards in order to make our vision a reality,” said Aaron Davidson, Chairman of the NASL Board of Governors.

“After a successful inaugural campaign in which we worked to stabilize Division 2, we are pleased to have the formal approval that fully empowers us to move ahead with our plans to grow our league. We look forward to continuing to play a critical role in the development and maturation of soccer in North America and the Caribbean,” said David Downs, NASL Commissioner.

The 2012 NASL Regular Season kicks off on April 7 with all eight active teams in action on that Saturday night.

http://nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1808

Finally North America has a stable and growing second division. I hope they can continue the success of last season.

[LittleOzzy]

New York Cosmos Join NASL

The North American Soccer League (NASL) today announced that the New York Cosmos have joined the NASL and will begin league play in the 2013 season. The NASL Board of Governors unanimously approved the Cosmos’ membership during its meetings this week in New York.

It’s been nearly 30 years since the Cosmos, an iconic global soccer brand, have played in a professional league. Yet throughout the absence from the pitch, the franchise has maintained a loyal and dedicated fan following. The team expects to announce more details about its stadium, ticket sales, soccer operations staff and players in the near future.

Over two days of meetings, that concluded today, the NASL Board of Governors also addressed a variety of league matters, including hearing presentations from a record number of potential expansion team owners and discussing possible changes to the league’s competition structure for upcoming seasons.

The Cosmos ownership group New York Cosmos LLC is an international partnership led by industry veteran Seamus O’Brien. They are committed to putting the brand back at the forefront of North American soccer. The New York Cosmos began play in 1971, spending fourteen seasons in the earlier NASL, winning five Soccer Bowl trophies and bringing some of the biggest names in world soccer history to North America. The Cosmos last won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1982.

"We are extremely proud to welcome the New York Cosmos to the North American Soccer League," said NASL Commissioner David Downs. "As we continue to expand the league and help grow professional soccer in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, the Cosmos brand and their strong ownership group are a perfect fit with us. The history of the Cosmos and soccer in the New York City area are intertwined. Bringing the Cosmos into the NASL is a logical next step as we embrace the heritage of our own past and now reunite the Cosmos, Strikers, Rowdies and several markets with ties to the NASL’s early days. Most importantly, we look forward to the Cosmos enhancing the quality of our league both on and off the field.”

http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=2779

Likely will jump to MLS at some point, but right now NASL should be really happy to have such an iconic brand.

[magik9113]

pretty awesome for this league

[LittleOzzy]

US 2nd flight set for postseason after banner year

The eight-team league, from which the Montreal Impact graduated last year, were paced in 2012 by the accomplishments of the expansion San Antonio Scorpions. Even prior to the start of the season the team was commanding headlines, due to a lively fanbase and a unique partnership with a community-driven charity. Thanks to that,100 percent of the Scorpions’ profits are directed to Morgan’s Wonderland, a theme park for those with mental and physical impairments founded by club owner Gordon Hartman.

Dubbed “Soccer for a Cause,” this approach helped the Scorpions grab the attention of the local fans, and a host of sponsors soon followed. With a repeatedly sold-out stadium, a front office – steered by former FC Dallas executive Michael Hitchcock – that understands the game and a team littered with talent, they took the NASL by storm.

Finishing with a record of 13-8-7, the Scorpions won top honors as the league’s regular-season champion with 47 points, fending off a late-season surge by the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Scorpions boast former Real Salt Lake forward Pablo Campos, whose 20-goal, Golden Boot-winning campaign rewarded the team’s supporters with on-field success.

The Rowdies proved a serious threat as they surged in the second half of the season, nearly seizing the top spot in the final weekend only for a resilient Carolina Railhawks side to hold them to a draw.

Joining the first-place Scorpions and second-place Rowdies in the postseason will be the Puerto Rico Islanders, Carolilna, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and 2011's champions, the Minnesota Stars.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2 ... anner-year

[LittleOzzy]

Ottawa Fury Make Paterson First Ever Signing

Stone Sports Management is pleased to announce that the Ottawa Fury has signed Scottish Midfielder Nicholas "Nicki" Paterson as their first every signing for the 2014 NASL Expansion Franchise. The Fury purchased Paterson's rights for an undisclosed transfer fee from the Charleston Battery. Paterson leaves the Battery after three successful seasons and led them to the 2012 USL Pro Championship. He was also named the 2011 and 2012 Charleston Battery MVP, and his best statistical season occurred in 2012 where he led all midfielders with 12 goals and second in the league in points, securing USL Pro All League Honors. Paterson will wear the #8 jersey for the Fury sponsored by Admiral.

http://www.stonesportsmanagement.com/ne ... gning.html

Ottawa signed their first player today and he's not even Canadian. Pretty disappointing.

[LittleOzzy]

Also this weekend...

Soccer Bowl is this weekend, New York vs. Atlanta.

[LittleOzzy]

San Antonio Scorpions Sign Former Major League Soccer All-Star and Designated Player Eric Hassli

The San Antonio Scorpions of the NASL have signed former MLS designated player and All-Star Eric Hassli for the 2014 season, Scorpions President Howard Cornfield and Head Coach Alen Marcina announced today. Hassli reported to the team Tuesday and practiced with the team.

The 6’4” Hassli is a target forward with excellent skills on the ball and was most recently with FC Dallas of Major League Soccer. He has made 280 appearances during his 14-year club career in both Europe and North America and has compiled quite the personal highlight-reel in the process of scoring 78 career goals. In 2012, Hassli was nominated for the prestigious FIFA Puskás Award for “the most beautiful goal of the year” alongside the likes of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Radamel Falcao for a screaming volley he hit against Toronto FC in the Amway Canadian Championship.

"Hassli is a landmark signing for our club,” said head coach Alen Marcina. “Hassli has been a designated player in MLS, has playing experience in French and Swiss top leagues in addition to Champions League. This is one more step to position ourselves to achieve our objective of competing for a NASL championship."

President and general manager Howard Cornfield was equally pleased with the marquee signing and talked about what a player of Hassli’s stature brings to the club.

“Eric is a tremendous talent and is obviously a major acquisition for the Scorpions; there is no question we will be expecting a lot out of him this season as the building of our 2014 team nears completion,” said Cornfield. “Alen has done an outstanding job with the reconstruction of this team.”

http://www.sascorpions.com/news/detail/ ... yi_U4Weaf4

[LittleOzzy]

Huge win for FC Edmonton last night, their first against an MLS side.

They are now one step closer to advancing to the final of the Canadian Championship. Hopefully they can win/tie against Montreal next week and advance.