Breaking Down The Remaining Schedule

As the NASL’s regular season races to its conclusion, here’s a capsule look at where the league’s 11 teams will be playing over the next four weeks (with total number of games in parentheses):

Ottawa Fury FC (4; 1 home, 3 away): At Tampa Bay, vs. San Antonio, at Jacksonville, at Atlanta

Three away games should not be daunting for Ottawa. Fury FC (11W-4D-1L, 37 points; 13-9-4, 48 Combined) is unbeaten on the road in the Fall Season and has won six straight away from TD Place, including during a recent, grueling three-game road trip. Ottawa has clinched a postseason berth, the only question is its final seeding.

Minnesota United (4; 3 home 1 away): Vs. Fort Lauderdale, at Indy, vs. Atlanta, vs. San Antonio

The Loons (9-5-2, 32 Fall; 12-10-4, 46 Combined), hot on the heels of Ottawa in the Fall Season (trailing by five points) and Combined Standings (two points back), play three of four games at NSC Stadium where they have not lost this season.

New York Cosmos (4; 2 home, 2 away): At Atlanta, vs. Edmonton, at San Antonio, vs. Tampa Bay

New York (6-6-4, 24 Fall; 11-11-4, 44 Combined) has lost four games this year, all in the Fall Season, with three of those losses coming away from Shuart Stadium. The Cosmos have already claimed their spot in The Championship, the NASL’s four-team postseason tournament, by virtue of winning the Spring Season. The only issue now is getting back on track after a four-game winless (0-2-2) streak.

Fort Lauderdale Strikers (5; 2 home, 3 away): At Minnesota, vs. Carolina, vs. San Antonio, at Indy, at Jacksonville

The Strikers (6-5-4, 23 Fall; 9-7-9, 34 Combined) have a slight advantage among the three teams tied on points for the fourth and final berth in The Championship – they have a game in hand on FC Edmonton and Tampa Bay. After a difficult test at Minnesota this coming weekend, Fort Lauderdale faces four teams that are at or near the bottom of the Fall Season Standings. Running the table would put the Strikers, a finalist last year, into the postseason regardless of other results.

FC Edmonton (4; 1 home, 3 away): At New York, at Carolina, at Jacksonville, vs. Jacksonville

If the Eddies (7-4-5, 25 Fall, 9-7-10, 34 Combined) are to make the postseason they will have to steel themselves for a difficult three games over six days on the road (beginning on Sunday), where they have a 2-3-2 record in the Fall (seven goals for and seven goals against).

Tampa Bay Rowdies (4; 2 home, 2 away): Vs. Ottawa, at Atlanta, vs. Carolina, at New York

Tampa Bay (4-3-9, 15 Fall; 9-7-10, 34 Combined) has had its ups and downs in the Fall Season, but still remains in the hunt for The Championship. What it comes down to is that the Rowdies’ second-place finish (one point behind the Cosmos) in the Spring Season has kept the club in the running. Ottawa is unbeaten on the road and Atlanta has lost once at home.

Atlanta Silverbacks (4; 3 home, 1 away): Vs. New York, vs. Tampa Bay, at Minnesota, vs. Ottawa

A win at home and two draws on the road have kept Atlanta (6-5-5, 23 Fall; 7-10-9, 31 Combined) in the mix for the No. 4 seed in The Championship. The Silverbacks can ill afford to drop points the rest of the way and probably face the most difficult route to the postseason with games against the three teams at the top of the Combined Standings, through two of those three games will be at home.

Jacksonville Armada FC (5; 3 home, 2 away): At Carolina, vs. Edmonton, vs. Ottawa, at Edmonton, vs. Fort Lauderdale

Jacksonville (4-3-8, 15 Fall; 7-6-12, 27 Combined), like each of the league’s 11 teams, remains alive in the scramble for the No. 4 seed. That said, the Armada FC would have to win out for its shot at the postseason, facing two matches on the road, a place where the expansion team has yet to win a game this year (though it is unbeaten at home in the Fall Season).

Indy Eleven (4; 1 home, 3 away): Vs. San Antonio, vs. Minnesota, vs. Fort Lauderdale, at Carolina

Indy Eleven (3-5-8, 14 Fall; 6-7-11, 27 Combined) is another side alive in the scramble for the No. 4 seed, but will need to start stringing wins together now for a berth in The Championship. The club is 2-2-2 in its last six games, but only 0-2-1 in its last three road games.

Carolina RailHawks (5; 3 home, 2 away): Vs. Jacksonville, vs. Edmonton, at Fort Lauderdale, at Tampa Bay, vs. Indy

The RailHawks (3-3-9, 12 Fall; 6-8-11, 26 Combined) are winless in four matches and had last weekend off. Carolina has fallen on difficult times, allowing the opposition to score three goals in eight games during the Fall Season and has allowed the most goals (32). The RailHawks will need to take advantage of its games at WakeMed Soccer Park, since the side has struggled away from home of late, posting a 0-1-7 record in road matches in the Fall Season.

San Antonio Scorpions (5; 1 home, 4 away): At Indy, at Ottawa, at Fort Lauderdale, vs. New York, at Minnesota

San Antonio (3-5-7, 14 Fall; 6-8-11, 26 Combined), the defending league champion, is winless on the road (0-2-4) in the Fall Season where the club will play the majority of its remaining games. That trend will need to change to make a final push towards The Championship.