NASL playoff picture clearer after Saturday’s games
With one week to play in the North American Soccer League, five of the league’s six playoff teams are decided, and seeding has come into clearer focus after this last weekend’s games. The Minnesota Stars and Montreal Impact are battling for the final playoff spot as the Stars look to hold onto a one-point lead heading into the final match day. FC Tampa Bay and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers are neck-and-neck in the race to secure the No. 3 overall seed, although both clubs will host playoff games the weekend of Oct. 1 as neither can finish lower than the fourth seed.
The top two seeds in the six-team playoffs will qualify automatically for the league semifinals. The remaining four teams will play a one-game playoff round for the remaining two semifinal berths. The semifinal and league championship series will be played under a two-legged, home-and-home, total goals format.
Here’s a look at the the teams’ remaining games and the various scenarios facing each of the league’s eight clubs.
Carolina RailHawks
Record (W-T-L): 17-3-7, 54 points
Remaining game: 9/24 vs. Minnesota
The RailHawks clinched the NASL’s regular season crown two weeks ago, but the club has lost three straight and will enter its final home game against Minnesota looking to regain the form that made them so dominant in the first two-thirds of the season.
Puerto Rico Islanders
Record: 14-7-6, 49 points
Remaining games: 9/21 vs. Tampa Bay
Like the RailHawks, the Islanders have little to play for in terms of seeding, having already locked up the league’s No. 2 seed and a berth in the semifinals. The team will look to remain unbeaten at home in 2011 as it closes its season against third place FC Tampa Bay.
FC Tampa Bay
Record: 10-8-8, 38 points
Remaining games: 9/21 at Puerto Rico, 9/24 vs. Fort Lauderdale
Tampa faces a tough road test at Puerto Rico at midweek, where it could clinch the No. 3 seed, but with the Islanders’ dominant home form in 2011, next Saturday’s rivalry match with the Strikers is likely to decide who finishes third in the league. Regardless, Tampa secured a home playoff game this past Saturday with a tie and FC Edmonton’s loss at Montreal.
Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Record: 9-11-7, 38 points
Remaining games: 9/24 at Tampa Bay
The Strikers secured a home playoff game this Saturday with a tie against Atlanta and FC Edmonton’s 2-0 loss to the Montreal Impact. The Strikers and FC Tampa Bay wrap up the Coastal Cup this Saturday, and the Strikers will have to win as Tampa Bay holds the tiebreaker between the two teams.
FC Edmonton
Record: 10-6-12, 36 points
Remaining games: Season complete
FC Edmonton missed a chance to stay in the running for a home playoff game this Saturday as it closed out the season with a 2-0 loss at Montreal. Edmonton is now locked into the No. 5 seed and will face either Tampa Bay or Fort Lauderdale in the opening round.
Minnesota Stars
Record: 8-9-10, 33 points
Remaining games: 9/24 at Carolina
The Stars saw their lead for the league’s final playoff place slip to only one point after a 1-1 draw at FC Tampa Bay. The team faces regular season champions the Carolina RailHawks Saturday knowing that a win clinches the No. 6 seed and an opening round match at either Tampa Bay or Fort Lauderdale.
Montreal Impact
Record: 8-8-11, 32 points
Remaining games: 9/24 at Atlanta
Montreal seemed dead an buried at the start of August but has climbed back into playoff contention on the strength of a very good August and early September. Saturday’s season ending game at Atlanta won’t be easy as the Silverbacks look to play spoiler against the Major League Soccer bound club, but the Impact have been red-hot and in playoff mode for a month-and-a-half now.
Atlanta Silverbacks
Record: 4-4-19, 16 points
Remaining games: 9/24 vs. Montreal
Long reduced to just playing spoiler in the playoff picture, Atlanta has a chance to deny the Montreal Impact a playoff spot in its final season before joining MLS. The Silverbacks turned in a good performance last Saturday in a 1-1 draw with Fort Lauderdale.
