Photo by Minnesota United FC/NASL
By AARON CRANFORD
Week Four could be a make-or-break week for some teams, as preseason favorites Minnesota United FC and San Antonio Scorpions enter their showdown both searching for their first win of the 2015 Spring season.
The 2014 heavy-hitters have gotten off to a slow start, as the title contenders currently sit at the bottom of the standings.
One team that hasn’t failed to meet expectations is the New York Cosmos, which will head down to Georgia to meet the Atlanta Silverbacks, who have had their fair share of success to start the year as well.
FC Edmonton will sit out of play this week after taking down the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, 3-2, Sunday. The Strikers will continue their Canadian tour, heading to Ottawa to kick off Week Four’s action.
Here is a closer look at this weekend’s NASL action:
OTTAWA FURY FC vs. FORT LAUDERDALE STRIKERS (Saturday, 3 p.m.)
The SBI NASL Team of Week went down midweek, as FC Edmonton handed Fury FC a 3-1 loss in the Amway Canadian Championship.
To make matters worse, Ottawa will be without head coach Marc Dos Santos, who will be away from the game after suffering a loss in his family. Fury FC did produce an impressive win against Minnesota United Saturday, so they’ll hope the NASL winning streak continues. On the other side, the Strikers have looked lively the past two weeks in attack, scoring two goals in both games and being led by Leo Moura and Victor “PC” Giro.
ATLANTA SILVERBACKS vs. NEW YORK COSMOS (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.)
In Week Four’s most intriguing matchup, two of the league’s undefeated sides will square off in Atlanta.
Although he hasn’t been lighting up the scoreboard, Raul has been a nightmare for opposing defenses. He isn’t alone in the Cosmos attack, as Leo Fernandes and Marcos Senna have contributed to the team’s early success.
The Silverbacks will be hoping this year is the year they produce a result against the Big Apple side, as Atlanta was unable to even force a draw in all three 2014 meetings. One player who could step up for Atlanta is forward Shaka Bangura, who’s scored two goals for his side on the year. The Sierra Leone striker has come a long way and sacrificed a lot on his way to success, and he’ll be looking to continue that success against the Cosmos Saturday.
INDY ELEVEN vs. CAROLINA RAILHAWKS (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.)
Indy Eleven is one of three undefeated teams left in the competition, and it got their off the foot of SBI NASL Player of the Week Sergio Pena, who smashed in an impressive 45-yard game-winner against the San Antonio Scorpions on Saturday.
The RailHawks suffered their first defeat of season, and team-leading goalscorer Nacho Novo had to be subbed off early in their home loss to the Silverbacks. The forward has been dealing with a groin problem since the beginning of the season, so head coach Colin Clarke may look to Simone Bracalello to replace the injured Novo.
TAMPA BAY ROWDIES vs. JACKSONVILLE ARMADA FC (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.)
The Rowdies suffered their first loss of the season as well in Week Three when the Cosmos took it to Tampa Bay in a 2-0 defeat.
The Rowdies will head back to the friendly confines of Al Lang Stadium to host their new in-state rival Armada FC. Jacksonville sat Week Three out, and after losing their first in-state derby to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, it’ll want to show the Rowdies that it belongs in the Florida picture.
MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. SAN ANTONIO SCORPIONS (Saturday, 8 p.m.)
It may be too early to call this a must-win, but Minnesota United and the Scorpions enter Week Four’s final match with everything to play for.
San Antonio has suffered back-to-back home losses, and United’s Miguel Ibarra and Christian Ramirez have yet to find their rhythm in attack. Scorpions forward Omar Cummings has looked lively for the defending champions, but conceding five goals in two games has them sitting with no points on the year. The good news? The Spring Season race is not over by any means, so a win Saturday could kick off a good run for either side.