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Week 8 of the NASL Fall Season Kicks off Friday in Fort Lauderdale

August 28, 2014 - North American Soccer League (NASL) News Release


NEW YORK (August 28, 2014) - The San Antonio Scorpions returned to the top of the 2014 North American Soccer League (NASL) Fall Season Standings last week, and will now look to increase their lead over the rest of the pack when they visit the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Lockhart Stadium on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Scorpions, who are also just a point behind first-place United in the NASL Combined Standings (Spring and Fall), are looking to move closer to clinching a spot in The Championship, the league's four-team postseason tournament. Fans can tune in to www.NASLlive.com to watch the game in Fort Lauderdale, as well as all four of the other league matchups this weekend, which will take place in Carolina, Edmonton, Indy and Ottawa.

The Strikers, who are in fifth place in the NASL Combined Standings, are a single point from the last qualifying berth into The Championship. The South Florida side has not had much luck against the Scorpions in recent matchups, going winless in their last three encounters.

"Fort Lauderdale can be a challenging side to predict and we're on a little shorter rest than normal this week," said Scorpions coach Alen Marcina. "As the season continues and The Championship race intensifies, we're finding our rhythm, refining our style and we'll look to impose our will on the match this Friday to get a positive result."

Week 8 Fall Season action continues on Saturday with three more matchups, with the first one taking place north of the border when Ottawa Fury FC hosts the Tampa Bay Rowdies at TD Place at 7 p.m. ET. After earning its first victory of the Fall Season last week in Indianapolis, Fury FC is looking to make it two in a row.

"We have been working very hard and now have results to show for it," said Fury FC coach Marc Dos Santos. "Saturday is another final for us and we're excited to return home to TD Place where we hope to continue to build our confidence in front of our home fans who deserve a win as much as the team."

Elsewhere, the Rowdies, who are also just a point away from the last qualifying berth into The Championship, will be playing their second ever game in Ottawa. The previous clash ended in a 1-1 draw this past spring at Carleton University's Keith Harris Stadium.

"Ottawa has picked up positive results in the last couple of weeks, so we hope from our perspective that they aren't rounding into form," said Rowdies coach Ricky Hill. "I'm glad that they've turned things around and managed to get a couple of results that will give them added confidence. I'm just hoping that we can go there and approach the game in the proper manner and try to come away with a positive result on the road."

The Carolina RailHawks look to remain among the contenders in The Championship when they host the Atlanta Silverbacks at WakeMed Soccer Park in the NASL's Match of the Week on ESPN3 at 7:30 pm ET.

The RailHawks currently sit in fourth place in the NASL Combined Standings after winning three of their last five games. Meanwhile, the Silverbacks, who trail the RailHawks by five points in the Combined Standings, will be looking to grab their first ever win at the Triangle.

Rounding out Saturday's Week 8 matchups is a clash between the defending NASL champions, the New York Cosmos, and Indy Eleven at IUPUI's Michael A. Carroll Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Cosmos, who hold the third spot in the Combined Standings, are visiting Indianapolis for the first time. New York last played against Indy this past spring - a matchup that ended in a 1-1 draw at Hofstra University's James M. Shuart Stadium.

"What we're stressing on Saturday night is focusing for 90 minutes - and then some. These players are doing so many things right, yet we still have moments where multiple guys lose their focus and we end up getting punished for it," said Indy Eleven Head Coach Juergen Sommer. "When that part gets better, the results will come, and that's what we expect to happen Saturday night against New York. The Cosmos are incredibly organized and stingy on defense, so we'll need to stay patient in attack and not get frustrated easily."

Week 8 concludes this Sunday with another matchup in Canada, as FC Edmonton looks to put an end to Minnesota United FC's 11-game unbeaten streak at Clarke Stadium at 2 pm MT (4 pm ET).

Edmonton, who is four points away from the final spot in The Championship, holds the advantage in head-to-head encounters against Minnesota in Canada. Meanwhile, Minnesota, who has already secured its berth into the NASL's four-team postseason tournament as the winners of the Spring Season Championship, is unbeaten in its last four meetings against the Canadian side.

"We are really excited about playing the Spring Champions this Sunday," said FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller. "They are a great team and we will need to be at our very best. We are looking forward to playing them, because in the way that we are playing, we feel like we can take them on. It will be a really good test for us moving towards a Championship spot."

Soccer fans around the world are able to 'Watch Every Match Live' - all 90 NASL matches -- throughout the 2014 North American Soccer League season on www.NASLLive.com.

NASL FALL SEASON WEEK 8 SCHEDULE

Friday, August 29

Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. San Antonio Scorpions

Lockhart Stadium; Fort Lauderdale Fla. - 7:30 p.m. ET

Saturday, August 30

Ottawa Fury vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

TD Place; Ottawa, Ontario - 7 p.m. ET

Carolina Railhawks vs. Atlanta Silverbacks

WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. - 7:30 p.m. ET

Indy Eleven vs. New York Cosmos

Michael A. Carroll Stadium; Indianapolis, Ind. - 7:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, August 31

FC Edmonton vs. Minnesota United FC

Clarke Stadium; Edmonton, Alberta 4 p.m. ET

Tiebreakers: 1. Goal Differential - 2. Total Goals - 3. Head-To-Head Record - 4. Away Goal Difference - 5. Away Goals Scored

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