NASL FC Edmonton

Eddies Kick Off 2013 NASL Season in South Florida

Published on January 10, 2013 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
FC Edmonton News Release


MIAMI, Fla. (January 10, 2013) - The Eddies will start the 2013 season against a familiar opening day foe in the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on April 6. It's the third season in a row that FC Edmonton has travelled to South Florida to face the Strikers at Lockhart Stadium on opening day.

The Canadians begin the Spring Season with their longest road trek of the year, a 6,000-mile round trip. Last season at Lockhart Stadium an Andy Herron goal proved the difference in a 1-0 Strikers win, while Edmonton triumphed 2-1 in 2011.

The Eddies will stay on the road for two more weeks, taking on the Carolina RailHawks in Cary (April 13) and the Minnesota Stars at the Metrodome (April 20).

FC Edmonton's NASL home opener will be Sunday, April 28 as the Eddies host the San Antonio Scorpions at Clarke Stadium (kick off 2 p.m.).

The two teams that battled for the 2012 NASL championship face tough rematches of last year's semifinals when the 2013 NASL Spring Season kicks off.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies and Minnesota Stars both open at home, but face a stiff test out of the blocks, coming face to face with the teams they edged out of the playoffs by a single goal.

The reigning NASL champion Rowdies return to the Al Lang Stadium venue where they won the 2012 Soccer Bowl on penalty kicks to take on the Carolina RailHawks, the 2011 regular season champion and fourth place finisher last term. The Rowdies outlasted the RailHawks 5-4 on aggregate in the playoffs on their way to becoming crowned 2012 NASL champions.

Defeated Soccer Bowl finalist the Minnesota Stars welcomes the team that topped the 2012 standings the San Antonio Scorpions in another mouth-watering clash to open their season. Last year, following a goalless draw at NSC Stadium, the Stars won 2-1 in San Antonio, overcoming a halftime deficit to earn a place in the Soccer Bowl.

"I'm eager to watch the intriguing matchups unfold on opening weekend," said NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson. "I feel this is a schedule that will excite our fans because of the added pressure to win every game under the new format. 2013 will be a milestone year for the NASL and our teams and I can't wait for it to kick off."

View the complete 2013 NASL Spring Schedule here (www.fcedmonton.com/content/2013-spring-schedule).

The Atlanta Silverbacks have drawn the opening weekend bye and kickoff a week later, entertaining the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in their first home game on Saturday, April 13.

When the action resumes in week two, the newly christened Toyota Field home of the San Antonio Scorpions will open with a baptism of fire, as the hosts take on the reigning champion Rowdies in their first home game on April 13. The Scorpions finished two points ahead of Tampa Bay in the 2012 regular season standings, the difference effectively coming as a result of a 4-0 thrashing of the Rowdies in August.

Carolina also makes its home bow on April 13, as FC Edmonton visits, hoping to avenge a 3-2 loss suffered at WakeMed Soccer Park last season as the RailHawks grabbed two late goals to win.

After opening with three on the road, new head coach Colin Miller's FCE team will then enjoy a three-game home stand punctuated by a bye week.

The seven NASL teams active for the 2013 Spring Season will play each other once at home and once on the road in a 42-game season between April 6 and July 4. The team that tops the standings at the summer break will qualify for the 2013 Soccer Bowl as the host team. The Soccer Bowl will be held the weekend of November 16/17 and the Spring champion will be joined by the Fall Season champion. The New York Cosmos and Puerto Rico Islanders are poised to return to NASL action when the Fall Season kicks off on August 3.

The one-month summer break will allow NASL teams to schedule exhibition games and occurs during the international transfer window that is open throughout much of Europe, Latin America and North America.

Check out the FC Edmonton Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



North American Soccer League Stories from January 10, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central