Minnesota United FC Aim to Remain on Top of NASL Standings in Week 7

Published on May 23, 2014 under North American Soccer League (NASL) News Release


NEW YORK, NY - It's Week 7 of the North American Soccer League Spring Season and all eyes will be on current league-leader Minnesota United FC as it aims to remain in control of its destiny when it hosts Carolina RailHawks at NSC Stadium at 8 pm ET (7 pm CT) on Saturday, May 24. On their heels are New York Cosmos and Fort Lauderdale Strikers, who are awaiting any stumble by the current leader, along with four other teams still in contention for the 2014 Spring Championship. Soccer fans can tune in to www.NASLlive.com PsA6YwVKrqo56-w] to watch all five matches this Saturday.

With three weeks remaining in the battle for the Spring Title, five points separate four teams from first place and anything can happen should The Loons falter in their quest to be crowned Spring Champion and earn the first spot into The Championship.

Minnesota, who has been on top of the standings for most of the Spring Season, earned its fourth consecutive victory at home when it topped Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3-1 last week in the while Carolina extended its 19-home game unbeaten streak by defeating Atlanta Silverbacks, 2-0.

"I think we're taking it on a game by game basis," said Minnesota coach Manny Lagos. "This is a good team we're playing, and they're coming off maybe their best game of the season against Atlanta. They're looking up at us in the table so it's going to be a great match up."

The RailHawks, who are currently in fifth place, hold a slight lead in the head-to-head series and are the last team to have beaten United at NSC Stadium.

"This is an important weekend for all teams in the Spring Season," said RailHawks coach Colin Clarke. "It's going to be a tough game going into Minnesota and them sitting at the top of the table. We are going to have to be prepared in order to get a result on the road."

Saturday's NASL Spring Week 7 encounters commence at 7:00 pm ET with defending champion New York Cosmos welcoming expansion club Indy Eleven at Hofstra University's James M. Shuart Stadium.

The Cosmos have won their last two encounters and are just three points from first, while Indy Eleven is searching for its first league victory in 2014.

"There's no doubt playing at the Cosmos is one of the tougher challenges in the league, but it is one our group is up for," said Indy Eleven coach Juergen Sommer. "New York's a team that is always cohesive, always on the same page, and that's where we are trying to get to right now."

The other NASL expansion club Ottawa Fury FC returns home to Carleton University's Keith Harris Stadium on Saturday, where they are unbeaten in their last three overall matches and will face fourth-place San Antonio Scorpions.

"We're approaching this game with the same level of intensity and the attacking style that we displayed during our recent home stretch and we're looking to translate that into some valuable points on the road," said Scorpions coach Alen Marcina, whose club is facing Fury FC for the first time. "Ottawa are a team that likes to play with a coaching staff that has a great pedigree in this league, and we look forward to the challenge."

Also on Saturday, the intrastate rivalry known as the #FloridaDerby MUaciJmLAbg&chhNWqGkV5lYuMCPMYcl3t6nMZfctDDwu6R6TORPKPsA6YwVKrqo56-w] has Tampa Bay Rowdies (seventh place) hosting Fort Lauderdale Strikers (third place) at Al Lang Stadium at 7:30 pm ET live on ESPN3. The two sides play for the Coastal Cup, a trophy that goes to the club with the best record in their three 2014 encounters.

The Rowdies, who have captured the last four Coastal Cups during the NASL's modern era, have won nine of 12 matches against the Strikers, including a perfect 6-0-0 at Al Lang Stadium.

"The rivalry with Fort Lauderdale is a great rivalry," said Rowdies coach Ricky Hill. "It's been fantastic over the course of many years. We always have difficult games against them because they're an attacking-minded team."

Strikers coach G-nter Kronsteiner added: "Tampa is better than their record says, and we always have a tough time there, but our guys are still feeling confident about themselves and about our season."

Rounding out Week 7 match-ups will be Atlanta Silverbacks traveling north of the border for the first time in 2014, as they take on FC Edmonton at Clarke Stadium at 7 pm MT (9 pm ET).

The Eddies lead the head-to-head series against the Silverbacks - however they are winless against Atlanta in the last three encounters.

"Traveling to Edmonton is never easy, and I think their team is really starting to find itself in recent weeks," said Silverbacks Technical Director, Eric Wynalda, whose club has been shutout in their last two matches. "We're going to have to be at the top of our game to get a result there.

"We need to get back on track and we need to start getting some confidence in front of goal. Putting some balls into the back of the net will alleviate a lot of the problems we have been having over the last few games."

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North American Soccer League Stories from May 23, 2014


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