The San Antonio Scorpions and Tampa Bay Rowdies were the best two teams in the regular season this year, so it should come as no surprise that their players make up more than half of NASL’s 2012 Best XI.
NASL announced the best players of the campaign on Tuesday morning and both the Scorpions and Rowdies had three players, the highest total from any of the eight teams in the league. The three Scorpions were forward Pablo Campos, midfielder Walter Ramirez and former Houston Dynamo defender Ryan Cochrane. The Rowdies’ three players were goalkeeper Jeff Attinella, defender Takuya Yamada and midfielder Luke Mulholland.
In all, six of the eight teams had players on the Best XI. The two clubs that did not were the seventh-placed Atlanta Silverbacks and the Puerto Rico Islanders, who ended the regular season in third.
Here is the complete Best XI from the 2012 NASL season:
Forwards: Mark Anderson (Ft. Lauderdale Strikers), Pablo Campos (San Antonio Scorpions)
Midfielders: Luke Mulholland (Tampa Bay Rowdies), Walter Ramirez (San Antonio Scorpions), Walter Restrepo (Ft. Lauderdale Strikers), Nick Zimmerman (Carolina RailHawks)
Defenders: Kyle Altman (Minnesota Stars FC), Ryan Cochrane (San Antonio Scorpions), Paul Hamilton (FC Edmonton), Takuya Yamada (Tampa Bay Rowdies)
Goalkeeper: Jeff Attinella (Tampa Bay Rowdies)
What do you think of the NASL 2012 Best XI? Agree with most of the selections? Should someone have been on that isn’t?
Share your thoughts below.
Respect the former Rowdies netminder Sattler. Quality keeper and guy.
Nick Zimmerman sounds familiar. I don’t follow the NASL and could be thinking of an actor tho haha.
Jeff Attinella has done a terrific job with the Rowdies but you can go either way with him or Scorpions netminder Daryl Sattler (who led the NASL in GAA).
Pablo Campos is this years Etienne Barbara in terms of dominating the NASL Div 2 League. He lead the league in goals with 20 and has been in MLS with Real Salt Lake. A player I will heavily consider is Rowdies goalkeeper Jeff Attinella. He has the potential to battle a roster spot for any MLS team that needs to fill that void at that position.
Pablo Campos is this years Etienne Barbara in terms of dominating the NASL Div 2 League. He lead the league in goals with 20 and has been in MLS with Real Salt Lake. I will take a look at Rowdies goalkeeper Jeff Attinella a pontential roster spot for any MLS team to that need at that position.
Mulholland looks like he might be worth keeping an eye on.
He played at a D-II college then was all-league as a rookie in USL Pro last year. Now he’s all-league in the second division.
Would think that CV would get him an invite to an MLS camp this winter, though he’s a Brit, so that might limit his opportunities.
he got a look in new england after a successful loan stint in minnesota last season.
I know Yamada, Antinella and Mulholland. …and Cochrane and Restrepo.
Yamada is 37 and still rules.
Antinella a/k/a El Jeffe
Stick in Rowdies.
I agree, I only know Ryan cochrane because he played with the Dynamo a few seasons until he was too old
My comments? I don’t know any of these players.
It would be more helpful to me if you pulled a few of these names out and gave a little background on their potential and/or history. Thanks.