TEAM OF THE WEEK | Fall Season Week 3

Minnesota United forward Christian Ramirez, Carolina RailHawks forward Nacho Novo, and Ottawa Fury FC midfielder Richie Ryan each found the back of the net over the weekend to help lift their team to victory. The trio, along with several other outstanding performers, earned spots on this week’s edition of NASL Team of the Week.

Here is the full Team of the Week:

GK: Sammy Ndjock (Minnesota United) – 25 goals were scored across seven league matches this past week, and Minnesota’s Sammy Ndjock was the only goalkeeper that escaped the week unblemished. The Cameroonian international made five saves in the Loons’ 4-0 victory over Jacksonville Armada FC.

DEF: Paul Black (Atlanta Silverbacks) – The Englishman played an important role in the Silverbacks’ 2-2 draw against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Black’s pinpoint corner kick picked out his countryman, Simon Mensing, who flicked a header for Jaime Chavez to power home.  

DEF: Mallan Roberts (FC Edmonton) – The Eddies capped off a strong road trip with a 1-0 win against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and it was Roberts that helped shut down the hosts’ attack and create the lone goal of the match. It was his header that eventually came off Rowdies defender Stefan Antonijevic for an own goal.

DEF: Rafael Alves (Ottawa Fury FC) – Alves helped nullify Indy Eleven’s attack throughout his 90 minutes on the field, while also providing a spark in the attack with a goal of his own. The Brazilian center back headed home Sinisa Ubiparipovic’s free kick for the opening tally in Fury FC’s 4-2 win against the Boys in Blue.

MID: Neil Hlavaty (Carolina RailHawks) – The RailHawks continue to get results and a large reason why has been the play of Hlavaty. The Illinois native connected with Nacho Novo’s cross to help Carolina earn a 3-2 win over the San Antonio Scorpions.

MID: Marlon Freitas (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) – The young Brazilian has been putting in inspired performances in the Strikers’ midfield and that continued in the team’s draw with the Silverbacks on Saturday. Freitas combined well with fellow Brazilian PC to score the game’s first goal.

MID: Richie Ryan (Ottawa Fury FC) – Ottawa’s captain returned to the lineup recently, and once again he made a big impact in Fury FC’s win over Indy. The Irishman struck twice from free kicks to help pace Fury FC to its biggest win of the season and keep the team’s eight-match unbeaten streak alive.

MID: Jaime Castrillón (Jacksonville Armada FC) – With Jacksonville in a bit of a skid, the Colombian midfielder helped seal a crucial win that could put the club back on track. Castrillón flicked the ball forward to set up Tommy Krizanovic for the game’s only goal – a tally that ended the New York Cosmos’ 11-match unbeaten streak.

FWD: Billy Forbes (San Antonio Scorpions) – After breaking the Scorpions’ consecutive games played record, Forbes turned in yet another noteworthy performance against FC Edmonton on Wednesday. He set up both of the Scorpions’ goals in their 2-2 draw with the Eddies.

FWD: Nacho Novo (Carolina RailHawks) – The Spanish forward put on a show against the Scorpions, scoring twice and playing in an inch-perfect cross to Hlavaty for the other goal as the RailHawks continued their stellar season. For his efforts, Novo was also honored as the NASL Player of the Week.

FWD: Christian Ramirez (Minnesota United) – Has the 2014 version of Ramirez finally arrived? The forward is currently brimming with confidence after ending Ottawa’s shutout streak a week ago. The California native added another goal and an assist in the Loons’ dismantling of the Armada FC.