Florida Derby Headlines Intriguing Lineup of Week 7 Fixtures

Published on May 15, 2015 under North American Soccer League (NASL) News Release


NEW YORK (May 15, 2015) - North American Soccer League (NASL) Spring Season action picks back up on Saturday night with four Week 7 matchups kicking off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies host the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in this year's first Florida Derby, while the Atlanta Silverbacks host a surging Jacksonville Armada FC side that climbed all the way up to second in the standings last week.

The Carolina RailHawks and Indy Eleven host the other pair of Saturday night clashes, with the New York Cosmos traveling to Cary and Minnesota United FC making its way to Indianapolis. Rounding out Week 7 will be a Sunday matinee at Clarke Field, where FC Edmonton will welcome the San Antonio Scorpions.

Here is a look at all five Week 7 matchups:

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers

7:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, May 16

Al Lang Stadium | St. Petersburg, Fla.

Watch | ESPN3 (National - U.S.), Great 38 (Local - Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg)

By the time the Rowdies and Strikers finished their offseason roster overhauls, seven players had moved between the two clubs. Tampa Bay snatched five players from last year's Strikers team, which reached the NASL Final, while Fort Lauderdale grabbed a pair of players from the Rowdies. Despite these strong personal connections, no love will be lost in this heated NASL rivalry.

The third-place Rowdies return home after an underwhelming road trip that featured draws against the RailHawks and Fury FC. With that said, Thomas Rongen's side is in a good position in the standings and they have plenty of home matches to look forward to. The Strikers head to Tampa Bay on the heels of an off week, so Marcelo Neveleff's men should be well rested for this key clash at Al Lang Stadium.

Carolina RailHawks vs. New York Cosmos

7:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, May 16

WakeMed Soccer Park | Cary, N.C.

Watch | ESPN3 (National - U.S.), ONE World Sports (National - U.S.)

Even when the Cosmos are flying high, the RailHawks always seem to bring them back down to earth. Carolina has won four of its five matchups against New York, including the last three contests. Saturday's match could prove to be much more challenging for the RailHawks, though. Colin Clarke's side is winless in its last five, while the first-place Cosmos come to WakeMed Soccer Park with a five-point lead in the standings after just six weeks.

Since finding the net three times in their season-opening win over Ottawa, the RailHawks have scored just four goals in their last five matches. On Saturday, Carolina's sputtering attack will have to go up against a Cosmos defensive unit that has only conceded three goals this year. New York is also coming alive in the attack after a slow start in 2015. Giovanni Savarese's men found the net four times in their victory over FC Edmonton last Sunday.

Atlanta Silverbacks vs. Jacksonville Armada FC

7:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, May 16

Atlanta Silverbacks Park | Atlanta, Ga.

Watch | ESPN3 (National - U.S.), CW17 (Local - Jacksonville)

Entering the weekend on the heels of back-to-back home wins, Armada FC is full of confidence heading to Atlanta. The first-year NASL club sits in second place through six weeks, and they have taken a maximum nine points from their first three home matches. But as good as Armada FC has been at home, they have had their fair share of issues on the road.

Jacksonville hasn't taken any points from its first two road matches this year, and they go to Atlanta to face a Silverbacks team that has only conceded once in its last three matches. Gary Smith's side hasn't been able to supplement their strong defense with a potent attack, though. The Silverbacks haven't scored in their last three matches, putting tremendous pressure on their back line. Perhaps a reunion with the home supporters at Silverbacks Park will be the catalyst for a more productive attack.

Indy Eleven vs. Minnesota United FC

7:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, May 16

Carroll Stadium | Indianapolis, Ind.

Watch | ESPN3 (National - U.S.), WISH-TV (Local - Indianapolis), KSTC45-TV (Local - Minneapolis/St. Paul)

Indy Eleven and Minnesota United may sit even on points through five matches, but their seasons have unfolded in very different manners up to this point. Indy started strongly out of the gate, going unbeaten through the first four weeks, while the Loons were able to compile just three points in the same time period. The tables turned last week, however, as Indy fell in Jacksonville and United topped Atlanta.

With a growing level of confidence, the Loons travel to Indianapolis, where they were shut out in a surprising 2-0 loss last fall. Indy will be hoping for a similar result on Saturday as they try to find their footing after a disappointing 1-0 result against Armada FC last weekend. The Boys in Blue will have the services of goalkeeper Kristian Nicht, who returns after a short stint with Major League Soccer's Montreal Impact, but they will be without Brazilian star Kléberson, who is out indefinitely with a recently torn achilles.

FC Edmonton vs. San Antonio Scorpions

4 p.m. ET | Sunday, May 17

Clarke Field | Edmonton, Alta.

Watch | ESPN3 (National - U.S.), City TV (Local - Edmonton), KSAT 12.2 MeTV (Local - San Antonio)

Just four days after returning from Vancouver with a promising 1-1 result in the Amway Canadian Championship, FC Edmonton will play host to the league's defending champions at Clarke Field. The Eddies have been tremendous in cup play, but haven't quite lived up to those same standards in the league. Colin Miller's side has collected just five points this season, despite having found the net a league-high nine times.

FC Edmonton has conceded the most goals in the league (12), and on Sunday they will face a San Antonio side that is growing in confidence. The Scorpions just notched their first win of the year, topping the RailHawks, 1-0, thanks to a late winner from forward Bright Dike. The Scorpions will enter Sunday's match with the fresher legs too, as the Eddies have played several more times than any other U.S.-based NASL club because of the Amway Canadian Championship.

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North American Soccer League Stories from May 15, 2015


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