Photo by NASL/New York Cosmos

By AARON CRANFORD

Out of the five NASL Week Two matches, four ended in a draw, but some performances were better than others and helped teams move up in the third edition of the SBI NASL Power Rankings.

The Jacksonville Armada’s first match, a 3-1 win over FC Edmonton, was a dream start for the club, but in Week 2, they were brought back down to Earth, as the Fort Lauderdale Strikers handed the new side their first ever loss on their way to winning the only Week Two matchup.

Meanwhile, some teams did grind out a draw in tough away venues. The New York Cosmos — led by Raul’s first goal of 2015 — tied Indy Eleven, 1-1, leaving them as one of five undefeated sides left in the NASL.

The Carolina RailHawks also claimed an important point when they went up north and drew FC Edmonton, 1-1. RailHawks forward Nacho Novo and midfielder Tiyi Shipalane combined in dangerous spots once again, and Novo grabbed his second goal of the season, which leads the NASL.

Here is a closer look at the SBI NASL Power Rankings following Week Two:

SBI NASL Power Rankings (Week Two)

1. (2) NEW YORK COSMOS (1-0-1)

LAST WEEK: Tied Indy Eleven, 1-1, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday

OUTLOOK: Last week, questions swirled around the health of Raul and whether he would suit up for the Cosmos’ second match of the season. Raul played and scored, showing a glimpse what he can offer for the New York club going forward. The Cosmos are still undefeated and will head back home for Week Three, where they will meet the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the most intriguing match of the weekend.

2. (1) MINNESOTA UNITED (0-0-1)

LAST WEEK: Tied Tampa Bay Rowdies, 0-0, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: At Ottawa Fury FC on Saturday

OUTLOOK: Minnesota United did not start their 2015 campaign the way they wanted, but traveling to Florida and keeping a Tampa Bay Rowdies squad should be applauded. Remember, the Rowdies dominated the 2014 NASL champion San Antonio Scorpions in Week One. The deadly 2014 strikeforce of Miguel Ibarra and Christian Ramirez did not combine for a goal in Week Two, but the skill set is there for this team to do well.

3. (3) TAMPA BAY ROWDIES (1-0-1)

LAST WEEK: Tied Minnesota United, 0-0, on Saturday

THIS WEEK: At New York Cosmos on Saturday

OUTLOOK: A scoreless draw won’t push the Rowdies up in the rankings, but they’ve produced good results in back-to-back weeks to start 2015. The Rowdies dominated 2014 Soccer Bowl champion San Antonio Scorpions in Week One and followed up by holding the impressive scoring tandem of Miguel Ibarra and Christian Ramirez at bay.

4. (6) FORT LAUDERDALE STRIKERS (1-1-0)

LAST WEEK: Won, 2-1, against Jacksonville Armada last Saturday

THIS WEEK: At FC Edmonton on Sunday.

OUTLOOK: The Strikers played aggressively at home in last week’s loss to the New York Cosmos, and it seemed like just a matter of time before things came together. The Strikers looked aggressive once again in Week Two and came away with a better result, topping their newest Florida rival and earning a move up in the rankings.

5. (5) CAROLINA RAILHAWKS (1-0-1)

LAST WEEK: Tied FC Edmonton, 1-1, last Sunday

THIS WEEK: vs. Atlanta Silverbacks on Sunday

OUTLOOK: The RailHawks have had to go through both Canadian sides in back-to-back weeks, and they sailed through the competition. Nacho Novo and Tiyi Shipalane combined well for the second game in a row, but their biggest test of the season will undoubtedly come this next weekend when they host Atlanta.

6. (4) SAN ANTONIO SCORPIONS (0-1-0)

LAST WEEK: BYE

THIS WEEK: vs. Indy Eleven on Saturday

OUTLOOK: San Antonio had the week off to think about their horrible opening performance against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in Week One. The Scorpions are still winless in the league and other teams have stepped up, which is why they drop two spots this week.

7. (7) JACKSONVILLE ARMADA (1-1-0)

LAST WEEK: Lost, 1-2, to Fort Lauderdale Strikers last Saturday

THIS WEEK: BYE

OUTLOOK: The Armada could not have imagined a better start to their season, but they were humbled when the Florida rival Fort Lauderdale Strikers topped them 2-1 Saturday. The team needs to learn from the physical affair, in which players on both teams saw red, and work out some of their defensive kinks over the bye week.

8. (8) INDY ELEVEN (0-0-2)

LAST WEEK: Tied New York Cosmos, 1-1, last Saturday

THIS WEEK: At San Antonio Scorpions on Saturday

OUTLOOK: It’s hard to see where this team stands after two weeks of play. On the one hand, Indy Eleven forced a road draw against the Atlanta Silverbacks in Week One, but they probably felt like they should have taken down the New York Cosmos at home.

9. (9) ATLANTA SILVERBACKS (0-0-2)

LAST WEEK: Tied Ottawa Fury FC, 1-1, last Saturday

THIS WEEK: At Carolina RailHawks on Saturday

OUTLOOK: Like Indy Eleven, the Atlanta Silverbacks are still unbeaten, but two home draws is not the start to 2015 that they hoped for. Head coach Gary Smith has to deal with a completely new side after an offseason overhaul, which can be viewed as one of the reasons for the slow start, so this side will be an interesting one to watch.

10. (11) OTTAWA FURY FC (0-1-1)

LAST WEEK: Tied, 1-1, to Atlanta Silverbacks last Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota United on Saturday

OUTLOOK: Fury FC took advantage of the new-look Atlanta Silverbacks side and forced a moderately impressive 1-1 draw on the road, but the Spring Season is all about clicking and winning from the start, and Fury FC will have to face tougher opponents in the next few weeks.

11. (10) FC EDMONTON (0-1-1)

LAST WEEK: Tied, 1-1, to Carolina RailHawks last Saturday

THIS WEEK: vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers on Sunday

OUTLOOK: FC Edmonton sits in last place in the SBI NASL Power Rankings after Week Two, and it’s because of the many missed chances they had against the RailHawks on Sunday. The Canadian side looked middling in their 1-3 loss to the Jacksonville Armada in Week One, and they should have done more against the RailHawks, especially playing at home.

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What do you think of this week’s power rankings? Do you think any team is ranked too high? Any too low?

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