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NASL's Top Teams Matched up against Each Other in Week 11 of Fall Season

September 18, 2014 - North American Soccer League (NASL) News Release


NEW YORK (September 18, 2014) - Several of the teams in favorable positions for spots in The Championship, the league's four-team postseason tournament, will face off in Week 11 of the North American Soccer League (NASL) Fall Season. Spring Season Champion Minnesota United FC travels to Toyota Field on Saturday to play the San Antonio Scorpions, who currently sit atop the Fall Season Standings, while FC Edmonton hosts its fellow contenders, the Tampa Bay Rowdies, at Clarke Stadium on Sunday. Both matches will air as the league's "Matches of the Week" on ESPN3.

Week 11 of the Fall Season also features important matchups in Atlanta, Carolina, and Fort Lauderdale, and they will all be available for fans to watch live on NASLLive.com. Fans can purchase both fall season and monthly subscriptions at NASLLive.com now, allowing them to watch every league matchup live.

Headlining this weekend's matches is the battle in San Antonio between the Scorpions, the current Fall Season leaders, and United, the Spring Season titleholder that has already clinched one of the four spots in The Championship. The Scorpions will put their eight-game home unbeaten streak on the line at 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local time) on Saturday night, hosting United, a team that knows a little something about streaks as well. The Loons just extended a home unbeaten streak of their own last week, topping the Fort Lauderdale Strikers to make it 11 straight games without a loss at NSC Stadium.

United has not lost to the Scorpions in its last three encounters. The two clubs last met on April 12 at Toyota Field - a matchup that resulted in a 2-0 United win. Saturday's game will air locally on MeTV KSAT 12.2 and nationally on NASLLive.com and ESPN3, the network's live, multi-screen sports channel that is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones, and tablets via the WatchESPN app. Fans can also stream the broadcast on TV through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members, Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

Saturday's affair between the New York Cosmos and Carolina RailHawks is another intriguing matchup featuring a pair of title contenders. The Cosmos and Railhawks sit in third and fourth place respectively in the NASL Combined Standings, presenting each team with a direct opportunity to take key points away from a close competitor.

Carolina has won three of its four matches against New York, which includes a perfect 2-0-0 record at the Triangle. In the most recent fixture, RailHawks midfielder Tiyi Shipalane scored the match-winner for the visiting RailHawks in a 1-0 defeat of the Cosmos at Hofstra University's James M. Shuart Stadium on August 2. Saturday's game at WakeMed Soccer Park will kick off at 7:30 pm ET, airing live on NASLLive.com and on radio on 99.9HD-3 The Ticket.

"We face a very difficult challenge this weekend playing against a tough team like Carolina- they are even tougher when they play at home," said Cosmos Head Coach Giovanni Savarese, whose team has not lost in its last four games. "It is crucial for us to be at the top of our game to make sure we earn our first three points at Carolina. We have been able to achieve two good results in the last couple matches at home and now we need to carry that momentum with us on the road."

Elsewhere on Saturday, two clubs looking to stay in the race for The Championship will square off at Atlanta Silverbacks Park. Coming off a 3-2 loss to the Cosmos in New York, the Atlanta Silverbacks return home to host expansion club Ottawa Fury FC in the second-ever meeting between the two teams at Atlanta Silverbacks Park. The 7:30 pm ET kickoff will air on NASLLive.com.

The Silverbacks are six points from the final qualifying berth into The Championship, while Fury FC is just two points behind Atlanta in the Combined Standings. The only other meeting between the two clubs came during the Spring Campaign when goals from forwards Jaime Chavez and Deon MCaulay led Atlanta to a 2-1 home victory on May 3.

"Our guys have been working extremely hard to catch up on the points we lost earlier this season," said Fury FC coach Marc Dos Santos, whose team has won two of its last three road games. "The most important thing for us is to keep pushing and believe that we can achieve things. Atlanta will be another difficult challenge in our way and we must face this with dedication and ambition."

Rounding out Saturday's matchups will be Indy Eleven looking to extend its current three-game unbeaten streak when they travel to face the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Lockhart Stadium. The match, which will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, will air on NASLLive.com and Sofloradio.com.

Indy has won three of its last five road matches, while the Strikers, who are just two points from the last qualifying spot into The Championship, enter Saturday's match unbeaten in their last four home fixtures.

This will be the third meeting between the two teams this year, with the previous encounter ending in a scoreless draw at IUPUI's Michael A. Carroll Stadium on August 6.

"Our team is still in a very good position to qualify for The Championship," said Strikers coach G�1/4nter Kronsteiner. "In order to accomplish that goal, we must play well and win as many games as possible as the season reaches its final stage. Our remaining home matches are vital and we will be ready to face Indy on Saturday night."

Week 11 of the Fall Season concludes on Sunday with the other ESPN3 match. The Tampa Bay Rowdies travel north of the border to take on FC Edmonton at 4 p.m. ET (2 p.m. local time) at Clarke Stadium. In addition to being shown on ESPN3, the encounter will air on NASLLive.com and locally on City TV.

The Rowdies are just a single point off the pace for the final spot in The Championship, while the Eddies are only three points behind Tampa Bay in the Combined Standings. The Rowdies lead the all-time series against FC Edmonton, however, the Canadian club is unbeaten against Tampa Bay in its last five matchups. The previous meeting was held on April 12, with the two teams playing to a 1-1 draw at Al Lang Stadium.

"It's always an exciting time when Tampa Bay come to town," said FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller. "We've always had very good, tight matches against the Rowdies and I expect the same for this week. The Rowdies play great attacking football, so they are always entertaining to watch. We'll have to be at our best and put on a good show for our full house on Sunday."

NASL FALL SEASON WEEK 11 SCHEDULE

Saturday, September 20

Atlanta Silverbacks vs. Ottawa Fury FC

Atlanta Silverbacks Park; Atlanta, Ga. - 7:30 p.m. ET

Carolina RailHawks vs. New York Cosmos

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

Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Indy Eleven

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

San Antonio Scorpions vs. Minnesota United FC

Toyota Field; San Antonio, Tex. - 8:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, September 21

FC Edmonton vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

Clarke Stadium; Edmonton, Alta. - 4 p.m. ET

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