Fall Season Week 13: Top Performers

Week 13 of the North American Fall Season didn’t feature as many goals as previous weeks, but the tightly contested matches produced some results that had a big impact on the race for the remaining three spots in The Championship, the league’s four-team postseason tournament. There were several individual performances that stuck out across the league, particularly the ones turned in by defenders and goalkeepers. Here are some of the top performers from this past weekend:

Mark Anderson, midfielder, Fort Lauderdale Strikers

Saturday’s home game against the Carolina RailHawks was one that the Fort Lauderdale Strikers had to have. Gunter Kronsteiner’s men answered the call, fighting their way to a 1-0 win and gaining three points on the RailHawks in the Combined Standings. Midfielder Mark Anderson scored the game’s lone goal, which would prove to be enough thanks to a stout defensive performance by his teammates. Anderson had a penalty kick saved in the first half, but stayed focused and bounced back by finding the net with one of the Strikers’ biggest goals of the year.

James Marcelin, midfielder, Fort Lauderdale Strikers

One reason why the visiting RailHawks were limited in the attack is because of the strong midfield work by the Strikers' James Marcelin. The Haitian international used his big body and impressive athleticism to prevent the RailHawks from getting in any sort of rhythm in the midfield. The Strikers will need Marcelin’s physical presence down the stretch if they want to lock down a place in The Championship.

Kamil Contafalsky, goalkeeper, Fort Lauderdale Strikers

Knowing how much the Strikers needed a three-point performance on Saturday night, veteran goalkeeper Kamil Contafalsky rose to the occasion, keeping a clean sheet against a RailHawks team that has been scoring a lot of goals in recent weeks. The Slovakian made saves when he needed to and barked out orders to a Strikers back line that stood tall all night long.

Brent Kallman, defender, Minnesota United FC

United defender Brent Kallman received a great birthday gift on Saturday night – his first NASL start. The center back played a big part in the Loons’ clean sheet against the Atlanta Silverbacks, winning several battles in the air and putting his body on the line to block shots and thwart the visitors’ attack.

Christian Ramirez, forward, Minnesota United FC

Ramirez’s teammate (and roommate), Miguel Ibarra, may be getting all the attention this week with his call-up to the U.S. Men’s National Team Camp, but don’t forget about the league’s leading scorer. Ramirez scored yet again on Saturday, finding the net in a 1-0 win over the Silverbacks. The goal all but seals his place as the league’s Golden Boot Winner, serving as another example of the incredible year he has had since joining United.

Vini Dantas, forward, Ottawa Fury FC

Brazilian forward Vini Dantas has developed somewhat of a reputation as a “super sub.” The big-bodied veteran has done most of his damage off the bench this year, but in the only mid-week game of Week 13, Dantas got the start and found the net in Fury FC’s 2-0 win over the Silverbacks. Over the weekend, he returned to his familiar role off the bench and helped Fury FC find a late equalizer on the road against the San Antonio Scorpions.

Ryan Richter, defender, Ottawa Fury FC

On-loan defender Ryan Richter put in an impressive shift against the Scorpions on Saturday night. The outside back was up and down the wing all game long, and helped hold the Scorpions to very few attacking opportunities. Richter’s biggest moment in the game came just seconds before the final whistle when he buried a shot into the roof of the net to clinch a share of the spoils in dramatic fashion.

Chad Burt, forward, FC Edmonton

The crowd at Al Lang Stadium doesn’t usually cheer when the opposing team scores a goal, but some of the fans in attendance did just that when FC Edmonton’s Chad Burt found the net in the first half of Saturday’s game in St. Petersburg, Fla. So why did those fans cheer? Well, Burt is a native of St. Petersburg and actually played for the Rowdies (then FC Tampa Bay) from 2010-2011. Burt’s goal was a big reason why the Eddies were able to leave Al Lang Stadium with a point.

Albert Watson, defender, FC Edmonton

Widely regarded as one of the toughest and most talented central defenders in the NASL, FC Edmonton’s Albert Watson put in another big performance over the weekend. The only goal the Eddies conceded at Al Lang Stadium was a penalty kick, and Watson was a big reason why that was all the Rowdies could come up with offensively. The Northern Ireland native limited the hosts’ attack and embodied his team’s gutsy performance on Saturday night.

Erick Norales, defender, Indy Eleven

The New York Cosmos have won a lot of the games over the course of the last year, beating almost every team in the league at one point or another. Indy Eleven continues to be the thorn in the Cosmos’ side as the two teams played to a third consecutive draw on Saturday night in Hempstead, N.Y. Honduran defender Erick Norales was perhaps Indy’s top defender in the game, shutting down a Cosmos attack that was hungry for three points. While his team didn’t find the net themselves, leaving Shuart Stadium with a point was a strong result for the embattled Indy side.