Split-Season Format Proving Advantageous For Many Clubs

Winning a championship is the goal of every club at the start of each new season. With just four postseason spots up for grabs in the NASL, the competition is fierce.

As is the nature of sports, some teams start off the year with a bang, while others take awhile to heat up and find their top form in the second half. Under the NASL’s split-season format, both types of teams have the opportunity to reach The Championship, the league’s four-team postseason tournament.

In the NASL, two teams clinch postseason berths by winning a season championship (Spring or Fall), and another two teams make it by virtue of best combined record. So whether you’re a team that puts together a burst strong enough to win the Spring or Fall or a team that maintains a high level of consistency throughout the year, there are multiple ways to earn yourself a trip to The Championship.

In this year’s case, all one has to do is look at the current standings to see the full effect of the split seasons.

“I think the way the rules are set up in the NASL, there’s always something to be playing for, which is great news of course,” Atlanta Silverbacks head coach Gary Smith said. “In terms of competing in the Fall Season, we have as good a chance as anybody at this point for the top spot.” 

The NASL’s split-season format, which is similar to those of several Central and South American countries, ensures that every time the players step on the pitch the games matter. The Silverbacks aren’t the only Spring Season bottom-dweller that is enjoying the benefits of the fresh start in the Fall Season. Ottawa’s strong start in the second half of the season has the club atop both the Fall and Combined Standings. FC Edmonton, who also finished in the bottom half of the Spring Season Standings, currently sits in second place in the Fall Season.

“I think the break is the most important thing,” Fury FC head coach Marc Dos Santos said. “It makes you look at every detail when it comes to making your team improve.”

Atlanta and Ottawa are two examples of teams that are having success in the Fall Season after using the break to make key changes in either personnel or formation (or both).

The Silverbacks added several new faces, two of which, Junior Burgos and Pedro Mendes, have really stuck out in Fall Season play. The two previously played in Atlanta and they have managed to recapture their form to give the Silverbacks’ attack a new dimension. Smith has also recently employed a new 3-5-2 formation – something that wasn’t used in the Spring Season.

Ottawa brought in forward Aly Hassan, who scored his first goal for the club in its 2-1 win against the Carolina RailHawks last week. The former Fort Lauderdale Strikers man is one of the players at the forefront of a much-improved attack that is beginning to compliment the team’s already stout defensive unit.

While only one team can win the Fall Season title, two other places, by virtue of overall records, will be awarded. And those places could certainly go down to the final day. As of this week, a mere seven points separates fourth and eleventh place in the Combined Standings. 

“I think that shows the parity of the league,” Smith added.