LEAGUE PREVIEW | First-Place Cosmos Visit Unbeaten Silverbacks To Headline Week 4 Matchups

Week 4 of the North American Soccer League (NASL) Spring Season will unfold in one, action-packed match day, with all five clashes scheduled for Saturday afternoon and evening.

Atlanta Silverbacks Park will be home to this weekend’s headliner, as the first-place New York Cosmos visit one of their fellow unbeaten sides, the Atlanta Silverbacks, in a rematch of the 2013 NASL Final.

Elsewhere, last year’s Spring Season Champion, Minnesota United FC, hosts last year’s Fall Season and League Champions, the San Antonio Scorpions, in a battle between two highly-touted clubs that have struggled out of the gate this season.

Here is a look at all five Week 4 matchups:

Ottawa Fury FC vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers

3 p.m. ET | Saturday, April 25
TD Place | Ottawa, Ontario
Watch | ESPN3 (National - U.S.), OttawaFuryFC.com (National - U.S./Canada), Rogers TV (Local - Ottawa)

After last weekend’s shutout win over Minnesota United, things were looking up for Fury FC, but then came the team’s mid-week matchup with FC Edmonton in the Amway Canadian Championship. Ottawa carried a 1-0 lead going into the final stages of the match, but then conceded three times before the final whistle, leaving them with a bad taste in their mouth heading into this weekend.

The Strikers know just how Fury FC feels, having been on the receiving end of a FC Edmonton comeback in their last match. Fort Lauderdale looked lively throughout the match, but conceded twice down the stretch to fall, 3-2, to the Eddies. Saturday’s matchup at TD Place represents an opportunity to get back on track – something both sides need in this short NASL Spring Season.

Atlanta Silverbacks vs. New York Cosmos

7:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, April 25
Atlanta Silverbacks Park | Atlanta, Ga.
Watch | ESPN3 (National - U.S.), ONE World Sports (National - U.S.)

Although the Silverbacks have never beaten the Cosmos, Atlanta boss Gary Smith has to feel some level of confidence going into Saturday’s affair. Last week, the Silverbacks went into one of the league’s toughest places to play, WakeMed Soccer Park, and knocked off the Carolina RailHawks, who were sitting atop the table at the time.

Confidence is something the Cosmos have plenty of at the moment. Heading to Atlanta Silverbacks Park - a place where they have won each time they have visited - the first-place Cosmos have to like their chances. Gio Savarese’s men are coming off an exhilarating 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies – a result that was seen by a record crowd at Shuart Stadium in New York.  

Indy Eleven vs. Carolina RailHawks

7:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, April 25
Carroll Stadium | Indianapolis, Ind.
Watch | ESPN3 (National - U.S.), WISH-TV (Local - Indianapolis), WRAL2 (Local - Carolina)

The league’s only other unbeaten team is Indy Eleven, who plays host to the RailHawks on Saturday. Head coach Juergen Sommer’s side should be feeling good about itself heading into this weekend’s match, having earned a massive road win over the defending champs in San Antonio last Saturday. Honduran midfielder Sergio Peña’s late wonder strike caught the headlines, but perhaps the more important story is the fact that Indy Eleven has already gathered more points in three games this Spring Season than they did in all of last year’s opening campaign.

The visiting RailHawks will certainly present the home side with a challenge, though. Carolina’s squad features a good mix of veteran leaders and dynamic playmakers, with Mark Anderson, Tiyi Shipalane, and Nazmi Albadawi particularly sticking out. 

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Jacksonville Armada FC

7:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, April 25
Al Lang Stadium | St. Petersburg, Fla.
Watch | ESPN3 (National - U.S.), Great 38 (Local – Tampa Bay), CW17 (Local – Jacksonville)

The Coastal Cup rolls on with another inaugural match that will surely be the beginning of an intense rivalry between two Florida sides. Jacksonville Armada FC should be well-rested following an off week, while the Tampa Bay Rowdies return home from a loss in New York needing to lick their wounds and get back to the form that caught everyone’s attention in the first two weeks.

Both clubs will look at Saturday night’s match as an opportunity to earn the three points needed to jump right back into the upper portion of the table. Armada FC is looking to avoid a second consecutive Coastal Cup loss, having been clipped by Fort Lauderdale a few weeks ago. The Rowdies, winners of four of the five total Coastal Cups, hope to give their rejuvenated fan base their first home victory in the newly renovated Al Lang Stadium. 

Minnesota United FC vs. San Antonio Scorpions

8 p.m. ET | Sunday, April 25
NSC Stadium | Blaine, Minn.
Watch | ESPN3 (National - U.S.), KSTC45-TV (Local – Minnesota)

In Saturday night’s finale, United will play its first home game of the Spring Season, butting heads with their rivals, the Scorpions. While one of their stars, Miguel Ibarra, continued his rise this offseason, the Loons were praised for several key offseason acquisitions. Perhaps that is why the outcomes of their opening two matches have been so surprising. Manny Lagos’ side hasn’t scored a goal in 180 minutes of play this year, and they have only managed to take one point from those first two matches.

A point is something the Scorpions don’t have just yet, having dropped their first two home matches of the year to the Rowdies and Indy Eleven, respectively. Newcomer Omar Cummings has notched a goal in each of the Scorpions’ two matches, but his efforts haven’t been enough to get them results. Both the Loons and Scorpions will look at Saturday’s matchup – maybe not as a “must win” – but certainly as an opportunity to put themselves back within striking distance of the league leaders.