The Championship Picture Could Become Clearer With Top Six Matchups This Weekend

The postseason picture will be clearer when the dust settles after this weekend’s matches. The top six NASL sides will face off in matches with crucial points up for grabs.

There are major implications in the race for the Fall Season title, postseason places, seeding, and the chance to play for the Soccer Bowl trophy by winning The Championship, the NASL’s four-team postseason tournament.

The New York Cosmos and Ottawa Fury FC have already booked their places in the postseason, but can claim the top overall seed and the home-field advantage that comes with it by finishing the season in first place in the Combined Standings.

Ottawa heads south to Tampa Bay, where the Rowdies are locked in a battle for the No. 4 seed and level on points with FC Edmonton and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

There has not been winner between Fury FC and the Rowdies in 2015 after draws in their first two meetings. The Rowdies fought back from a two-goal deficit to earn a draw the last time out against Fury FC. Tampa Bay, however, won’t look at past results, but instead focus solely on picking up three points.

“I'm not going to look too much into their record against us, given the fact that we need to get the three points,” Rowdies Coach Stuart Campbell said. “Ottawa is on a very good run and have been consistent this Fall Season. Regardless of who we are playing, we know it's very important to get the win.”

Ottawa has won its last four games, while Tampa Bay hasn’t won in its last three matches, but the Rowdies’ most recent win came at Al Lang Stadium, the site of Saturday’s match against against Fury FC.

The Cosmos, who earned their place in The Championship by winning the Spring Season title, are coming off a midweek win over the Atlanta Silverbacks that ended a four-game winless streak. New York returned to form in its dominant 3-0 win and will host FC Edmonton on Sunday.

The Eddies recently beat the Cosmos, 2-1, in Edmonton, Alberta, but lost to Canadian rival Ottawa last weekend. That loss ceded control of the fourth spot in the Combined Standings, and FC Edmonton will need to rebound as it begins a crucial three-game road trip that begins at Shuart Stadium.

“Same as we’ve done before on other road trips, we will take it one game at a time,” Eddies Coach Colin Miller said. “We know what is at stake for us now. We’ve got a points number that we would like to get on this road trip and I believe we are capable of getting it. We are playing well, Ottawa had three shots on goal and scored on two of them last weekend. We’re defending reasonably well for the most part. We weren’t as direct and dynamic as we would have liked to have been against Ottawa, but every team in the league has probably said that after they played them.”

Miller feels that will change with trips to New York, Carolina, and Jacksonville in the next week.

“With these teams that we will play on the road, we will get a wee bit more chance to attack if you like,” Miller said. “There is a freshness to the group and I’m excited about the trip. Hopefully it is not our last trip. We are still in the mix and we just have to be positive.”

In the other key clash of the weekend, Minnesota United hosts the Strikers needing a point to seal its place in The Championship. The Loons, who are currently on a 10-game unbeaten run, are in the hunt for the Fall Season title and top overall seed.

The Strikers are hoping for a run similar to last season when they rode a seven-game unbeaten streak into the postseason and reached the league final.

“We know how every one of the teams play,” Strikers Coach Günter Kronsteiner said. “This team [Minnesota] is unbelievably confident when it comes to ball possession. They don’t really give you chances to score against them. I think they’ve only lost one home game from all the games until now.”

The Strikers, though, are the only team to beat Minnesota at NSC Stadium this season – a 3-2 win on June 13 – and another win would solidify the club’s standing in the race for The Championship.

“It will not be easy, but we will be prepared,” Kronsteiner said.

One thing is for certain, though. A huge weekend is on tap around the NASL.