BY COLE KELLOGG
After drawing the Spring Season champions on the road at the start of July, Indy Eleven will face a now-winless New York Cosmos team at home this weekend as the Fall Season continues.
The Cosmos will be looking to bounce back after its first NASL defeat in 2015 against the Jacksonville Armada last weekend. Indy Eleven will hope to forget its last result as well, after giving up four goals against Ottawa Fury FC.
Elsewhere around the league, Florida teams face off as the Tampa Bay Rowdies and newcomer Freddy Adu host the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
Sitting atop the table, both of the Canadian clubs are facing tough matchups against opponents in the top half of the table, with FC Edmonton hosting the Atlanta Silverbacks and the Ottawa Fury hosting the Carolina RailHawks.
Minnesota United will travel to the San Antonio Scorpions after having last week off.
Here’s a closer look at this weekend’s action:
INDY ELEVEN vs NEW YORK COSMOS (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., WatchESPN)
Just three weeks back, these teams faced off in the opening week of the Fall Season. The Eleven led for the majority of the match courtesy of a Wojciech Wojcik strike. Walter Restrepo equalized late for the Spring Season champions, securing a point at home.
Since then, the Eleven beat the RailHawks, 2-1, and lost to Ottawa, 4-2. In that time, Wojcik scored another, with Judson McKinney, Don Smart, and Erick Norales also getting on the board.
The Cosmos have only gotten one point out of two games this Fall. New York lost to the Armada last weekend by the hands of a Tommy Krizanovic goal and a fantastic performance by goalkeeper David Sierra.
TAMPA BAY ROWDIES vs FORT LAUDERDALE STRIKERS (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., WatchESPN)
Saturday evening could mark the NASL debut of Freddy Adu.
Having signed with the club in mid July, Adu could take the field for the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday against the rival Fort Lauderdale Strieers.
The Rowdies have collected three points from three matches this Fall, winning its first time out against the Atlanta Silverbacks before falling to the Scorpions and FC Edmonton.
Fort Lauderdale, meanwhile, also holds three points, but from three draws. The Strikers first drew 1-1 in Carolina, with Stefano Pinho scoring a late equalizer. The Strikers then drew against a strong FC Edmonton side at home by the same scoreline, with Walter Ramirez finding the back of the net.
The team hosted the Silverbacks last weekend, but drew the second Fall matchup between the sides 2-2. Ramirez tallied again after Marlon Freitas scored his first of the campaign.
SAN ANTONIO SCORPIONS vs MINNESOTA UNITED (Saturday, 8:30 p.m., WatchESPN)
Two of last year’s more dominant teams will now look to continue their rebound following disappointing Spring campaigns.
After getting thrashed, 4-0, in the team’s opening match against FC Edmonton, the San Antonio Scorpions have managed to go 1-1-1 in the team’s last three matches, scoring plenty of goals in the process
The Scorpions beat the Rowdies at home its second time out, winning, 3-0, while against FC Edmonton, the Scorpions drew, 2-2. Last weekend, the team lost a closely contested 3-2 match on the road to the RailHawks.
Minnesota United, meanwhile, hammered the Armada 4-0 in its last match, with four different goalscorers in Ibson, Christian Ramirez, Daniel Mendes, and Juliano Vicentini. The match before that, a Ramirez goal helped United draw Edmonton at home, as the star forward helps the club move past the departure of Miguel Ibarra.
OTTAWA FURY vs CAROLINA RAILHAWKS (Sunday, 3 p.m., WatchESPN)
Ottawa is flying high atop the Fall Season standings, having collected 10 points in just four matches. The Fury have recorded wins against the Armada, Indy Eleven, and the Silverbacks as well as a draw against Minnesota.
In that time, the Fury has scored nine goals while conceding only four. Richie Ryan and Tom Heinemann have been the stars in Ottawa, scoring three goals apiece.
The Carolina Railhawks, meanwhile have recorded big-time wins against Minnesota United and the Scorpions, with a draw against the Strikers and a loss to Indy in between. Nacho Novo, Austin da Luz, and Neil Hlavaty each have two goals so far this Fall.
FC EDMONTON vs ATLANTA SILVERBACKS (Sunday, 4 p.m., WatchESPN)
FC Edmonton sits just behind its Canadian counterpart in the standings, with eight points collected from four matches.
In the first game back for the Fall, Edmonton put four past a toothless San Antonio Scorpions side. The team went on a three-game road trip in which it collected five points. Edmonton drew at Fort Lauderdale and San Antonio before sliding past Tampa Bay in a 1-0 victory last weekend.
Atlanta has a win against Jacksonville and a draw in Fort Lauderdale, along with two losses this Fall. With Gary Smith highlighting the team’s lack of goals as a major focus, Michael Reed, Jaime Chavez, Pedro Mendes, Junior Burgos and Rauwshan McKenzie each have one goal in the second half of the season, signaling a bit of diversity in the goalscoring front.
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What do you think about this weekend’s NASL action? Can Indy get another result against the Cosmos? Will the Canadian teams continue to roll?
Share your thoughts below.