By RYAN TOLMICH
With a new franchise set to enter the fold, the NASL’s Spring format is set to look largely similar to previous years.
The league revealed its Spring Season schedule Monday with each of the league’s 11 teams playing a 10 game schedule. Play is set to kickoff on April 4, highlighted by a matchup between the debuting Jacksonville Armada and FC Edmonton.
“The Jacksonville market has welcomed Armada FC with open arms, and we know that the fans are anxious to fill the stadium and support their team on April 4,” NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson said. “We’re expecting big things in Jacksonville as they enter their first NASL season.”
In addition, the New York Cosmos will kickoff the Raul era against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, while reigning Soccer Bowl champions San Antonio Scorpions host the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
The league’s format will mirror that which it has used in previous years, with the Spring and Fall champions each earning a postseason spot along with the two sides with the most combined points.
“Our competition format is a byproduct of the number of teams we have in the league at this time,” Peterson said. “The schedule will balance out when we reach 16 or 17 teams, but in the meantime, we think the Spring Season will always be a dog fight and something that will be extremely fun for all of our fans to watch.”
Have a look at the full NASL Spring Schedule below:
Week 1
Saturday, April 4 Atlanta Silverbacks vs. Indy Eleven
Saturday, April 4 Carolina RailHawks vs. Ottawa Fury FC
Saturday, April 4 Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. New York Cosmos
Saturday, April 4 Jacksonville Armada FC vs. FC Edmonton
Saturday, April 4 San Antonio Scorpions vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Week 2
Saturday, April 11 Atlanta Silverbacks vs. Ottawa Fury FC
Saturday, April 11 Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Jacksonville Armada FC
Saturday, April 11 Indy Eleven vs. New York Cosmos
Saturday, April 11 Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Minnesota United FC
Sunday, April 12 FC Edmonton vs. Carolina RailHawks
Week 3
Saturday, April 18 Carolina RailHawks vs. Atlanta Silverbacks
Saturday, April 18 San Antonio Scorpions vs. Indy Eleven
Saturday, April 18 New York Cosmos vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, April 18 Ottawa Fury FC vs. Minnesota United FC
Sunday, April 19 FC Edmonton vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Week 4
Saturday, April 25 Atlanta Silverbacks vs. New York Cosmos
Saturday, April 25 Indy Eleven vs. Carolina RailHawks
Saturday, April 25 Minnesota United FC vs. San Antonio Scorpions
Saturday, April 25 Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Jacksonville Armada FC
Saturday, April 25 Ottawa Fury FC vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Week 5
Saturday, May 2 Carolina RailHawks vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, May 2 Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Atlanta Silverbacks
Saturday, May 2 Jacksonville Armada FC vs. San Antonio Scropions
Saturday, May 2 New York Cosmos vs. Ottawa Fury FC
Sunday, May 3 FC Edmonton vs. Minnesota United FC
Week 6
Saturday, May 9 Jacksonville Armada FC vs. Indy Eleven
Saturday, May 9 Minnesota United FC vs. Atlanta Silverbacks
Saturday, May 9 San Antonio Scorpions vs. Carolina RailHawks
Saturday, May 9 Ottawa Fury FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Sunday, May 10 New York Cosmos vs. FC Edmonton
Week 7
Saturday, May 16 Atlanta Silverbacks vs. Jacksonville Armada FC
Saturday, May 16 Carolina RailHawks vs. New York Cosmos
Saturday, May 16 Indy Eleven vs. Minnesota United FC
Saturday, May 16 Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Sunday, May 17 FC Edmonton vs. San Antonio Scorpions
Week 8
Saturday, May 23 Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Carolina RailHawks
Saturday, May 23 Minnesota United FC vs. Jacksonville Armada FC
Saturday, May 23 New York Cosmos vs. San Antonio Scorpions
Saturday, May 23 Ottawa Fury FC vs. Indy Eleven
Sunday, May 24 FC Edmonton vs. Atlanta Silverbacks
Week 9
Friday, May 29 Ottawa Fury FC vs. FC Edmonton
Saturday, May 30 Indy Eleven vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, May 30 Jacksonville Armada FC vs. Carolina RailHawks
Saturday, May 30 Minnesota United FC vs. New York Cosmos
Saturday, May 30 San Antonio Scorpions vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Week 10
Saturday, June 6 Atlanta Silverbacks vs. San Antonio Scorpions
Saturday, June 6 Carolina RailHawks vs. Minnesota United FC
Saturday, June 6 Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Indy Eleven
Saturday, June 6 Jacksonville Armada FC vs. Ottawa Fury FC
Saturday, June 6 Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. FC Edmonton
Week 11
Saturday, June 13 Indy Eleven vs. FC Edmonton
Saturday, June 13 Minnesota United FC vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Saturday, June 13 New York Cosmos vs. Jacksonville Armada FC
Saturday, June 13 San Antonio Scorpions vs. Ottawa Fury FC
Saturday, June 13 Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Atlanta Silverbacks
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What do you think of this news? Which matchups are you looking forward to? What do you think about the league’s approach to keep a separate spring and fall season?
Share your thoughts below.
No home match until week 4 for the Loons? Oh well, at least some of the snow may be melted by then.
East and West conferences is an absolute NO NO. The single table is perfectly fine w/ me and with 90% of organized football around the world.
Looking forward to seeing Raul play in Tampa, but based on the schedule, will have to wait for late summer for that.
I am curious as to how the Jacksonville team does, both on and off the field.
The Tampa Rowdies are putting a lot of money into renovating Al Lang Field, and with a new coach, hopefully the results will follow.
Minnesota and San Antonio both looked solid last season. Let’s see if that continues in 2015.
How about NASL matures and starts acting like a d2. Get the west and east conference set up like MLS and uslpro, and maybe copy MLS with some rules, because in reality, MLS needs their rules and NASL needs MLS rules.
Their acting backwards and NASL needs the training wheels, while MLS needs to get off them.
If we want pro & reg, then NASL must really get the west and east set up and expand to 22 teams or 24.
Do you think a league can magically expand by 100% overnight? Give the league some time. It’s only 4 or 5 years old.
That being said, I was expecting to hear an official announcement about a Los Angeles NASL team by now. There’s been a lot of speculation and rumors, but no dice. We will see an East and a West at some point, but before we have a Western conference, we need some teams in the west, other than San Antonio.
Why would they expand to a market with the most successful MLS team and another one coming back in 2017? Why not expand into markets without an MLS team so that they actually have a chance?
Why indeed? Just what I’ve read on the rumor-net.
http://www.indyweek.com/sports/archives/2014/11/25/sources-north-american-soccer-league-poised-to-announce-la-expansion