Wins by Minnesota United FC, New York Cosmos Headline Thrilling Night of NASL Fall Season Week 10 Ac

September 13, 2014 - North American Soccer League (NASL) News Release


NEW YORK (September 13, 2014) - The New York Cosmos and Minnesota United FC each grinded out difficult home wins on an exciting night of North American Soccer League (NASL) Fall Season action. 16 goals were scored between the five Week 10 games, resulting in several back-and-forth battles that would end up impacting the league standings.

With its win, Minnesota United FC reclaimed their spot atop the NASL Combined Standings, while the New York Cosmos continue to solidify themselves as a solid contender for a place in The Championship, the league's four-team postseason tournament. The San Antonio Scorpions and Tampa Bay Rowdies suffered two of the more disappointing results on the night, with the Scorpions seeing their lead in the Fall Season Standings shrink to just one point. The Rowdies, meanwhile, were passed in the Combined Standings by the Carolina RailHawks, who now sit in a position that would put them into The Championship.

Minnesota United FC 2, Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1

Minnesota United FC climbed back into the top position in the Combined Standings, coming from behind to knock off the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, 2-1, at NSC Stadium in Blaine, Minn. The Strikers got on the board first through midfielder Pecka, who struck a spectacular volley past United goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel in the 31st minute. The home side came up with an answer just seven minutes later when forward Christian Ramirez added to his league-leading goal total to even things up. Midfielder Miguel Ibarra then followed up Ramirez's 15th goal of the season with a strike of his own, clinching all three points for United.

"I think Miguel's goal really got us going, and I think we were a lot better in the second half," said United Head Coach Manny Lagos. "I still think we could have possessed more, but they're a good team and we're glad to get the three points. We really needed them."

New York Cosmos 3, Atlanta Silverbacks 2

The New York Cosmos earned their second straight home win, edging the Atlanta Silverbacks, 3-2, in a rematch of last year's championship game. Forward Mads Stokkelien struck just 40 seconds into the game, and midfielder Sebastian Guenzatti followed it up with a goal of his own to give the Cosmos a 2-0 lead just nine minutes into the game. The Silverbacks were determined to climb back into the game, and they did just that through goals from midfielders Junior Sandoval and Pablo Cruz on each side of halftime. Midfielder Danny Szetela made sure the Cosmos took all three points, however, finding the net just a few minutes before the final whistle.

"Besides the goal that we scored at the end, I felt that our guys really battled an Atlanta team that was throwing everything forward," said Cosmos Head Coach Giovanni Savarese. "Our guys did a very good job and at the end of the day, we won a very, very important game."

Carolina RailHawks 3, San Antonio Scorpions 1

The San Antonio Scorpions may have headed to Carolina sitting atop both the Fall Season and Combined Standings, but playing on the road has been their achilles heel in recent weeks. The story continued at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., where the Scorpions were beaten handily by the Carolina RailHawks, 3-1. Midfielders Nazmi Albadawi, Leo Osaki, and Enzo Martinez all found the net for the RailHawks, while forward Tomasz Zahorski had a consolation goal for the visiting Scorpions.

"It was a great performance. We got goals out of our midfield, which is good, and we created a lot of chances," said RailHawks Head Coach Colin Clarke. "They are a good team. They are at the top of the league for a reason, but we dealt with that and moved the ball pretty well."

Tampa Bay Rowdies 0, Ottawa Fury FC 2

The Tampa Bay Rowdies' progress in both the Fall Season and Combined Standings hit a snag on Saturday night. Ottawa Fury FC came down to Al Lang Stadium and shut out the Rowdies, 2-0, in one of its best performances of the season. Forward Oliver tallied his second goal in as many games in the first half and midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic put the icing on the cake, finding the net just minutes before the final whistle.

"We were a team today. Ottawa Fury FC has been working so hard to build this team and bring these guys together," said Fury FC Head Coach Marc Dos Santos. "We feel that in a lot of games, we came up short, but today we were a team and we got it done."

Indy Eleven 1, FC Edmonton 1

Despite going up a goal in the 16th minute, Indy Eleven walked off the field on Saturday night still searching for their first ever home win. Juergen Sommer's side got off to a great start thanks to a strike from forward Victor Pineda, but nine minutes later, FC Edmonton midfielder Neil Hlavaty found the net with a well-taken free kick to even the score at 1-1. Indy Eleven may not have won on the field, but they certainly won off it, posting yet another sellout crowd of 10,567 fans.

"Overall, I'm very pleased. We came here to get three points, and I thought it was an exciting game," said FC Edmonton Head Coach Colin Miller. "We were missing five starters, so I'm very pleased with the guys that stepped in. It could prove to be a very valuable point for us."

NASL Fall Season Week 10 Scores

New York Cosmos 3, Atlanta Silverbacks 2

Carolina RailHawks 3, San Antonio Scorpions 1

Tampa Bay Rowdies 0, Ottawa Fury FC 2

Indy Eleven 1, FC Edmonton 1

Minnesota United FC 2, Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1



North American Soccer League Stories from September 13, 2014


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.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central