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WEEK 15 RECAP | Minnesota Joins New York, Ottawa On List Of Postseason-Bound Clubs

Tampa Bay fights back at home to claim crucial point against league leaders
NASL Staff | Oct 10, 2015

Photo Credit: Minnesota United

Minnesota United defeated the visiting Fort Lauderdale Strikers, 2-1, on Saturday night, claiming a spot in The Championship, the league’s four-team postseason tournament, for the second straight year. With the victory, the Loons gained ground on Ottawa Fury FC in the Fall Season title race, while also pulling even on points with the Canadian side in the NASL Combined Standings.

Ottawa, which has already clinched a place in The Championship, allowed a late goal to 10-man Tampa Bay and had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Al Lang Stadium.

The Loons’ victory increased the team’s unbeaten streak to 11 games. Minnesota and Ottawa have identical overall records (13-10-4), are tied on points (49), and on goal differential (plus-16), but the Loons have scored a league-leading 50 goals to Fury FC’s 37.

Fort Lauderdale’s loss coupled with Tampa Bay’s rally to tie visiting Ottawa allows the Rowdies to take over, provisionally, the fourth and final berth in The Championship. The Gulf Coast club now leads the Strikers by a single point, but the latter still has a slight advantage because they have four matches to play while Tampa Bay has three remaining. FC Edmonton, which plays its second of four consecutive road matches against the New York Cosmos on Sunday afternoon, would move into fourth place in the Combined Standings with a victory.

Victories by Carolina and San Antonio kept those teams alive in the battle for a postseason berth. The RailHawks snapped a four-game winless streak as Nazmi Albadawi scored two goals and assisted on a third in a 3-0 win against visiting Jacksonville. The Armada FC played without three international players and again failed to win its first game on the road in the club’s first year in the league. San Antonio went to Indianapolis and came away with three points when the club’s newest signing, Kris Tyrpak, scored a goal for the second straight game in the Scorpions’ 2-1 win.

On Sunday, the New York Cosmos moved into the top spot in the Combined Standings with a 3-0 win over FC Edmonton. Sebastián Guenzatti scored his second goal in as many matches, while Raúl and his Spanish teammtate Ruben Bover added the other goals in the victory. New York now has a one-point lead for the top seed in the postseason. 

Carolina RailHawks 3, Jacksonville Armada FC 0

Carolina (4W-3D-9L, 15 points Fall; 7-8-13, 29 Combined) dominated play at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., through most of the first half and was rewarded in the 35th minute when Tiyi Shipalane scored his seventh goal of the season. Shipalane buried a shot from the top of the penalty area after Nazmi Albadawi slid a pass across to the South African veteran. The RailHawks doubled the lead three minutes before halftime on a quick combo on the right flank from Shipalane to Daniel Jackson, who then crossed to Albadawi for the goal. Albadawi capped off a Player of the Week-caliber performance with his second goal of the game, in the 90th minute.

The RailHawks kept alive their flickering hopes of qualifying for the postseason. Jacksonville (4-3-9, 15 Fall; 7-6-13, 27 Combined) played the match without three players – Mechack Jérôme, Pascal Millien (both with Haiti) and Shawn Nicklaw (Guam) – who were away on international duty. The Armada FC is now winless (0-2-12) on the road this year, with one game to go.

Indy Eleven 1, San Antonio Scorpions 2

San Antonio (4-5-7, 17 Fall; 7-8-11, 29 Combined) jumped in front in the 19th minute before 10,090 at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis. The Scorpions defense cleared the penalty area and sparked a counterattack that ended with Marvin Chávez springing Giuseppe Gentile on the left side. The Miami native tucked a low, left-footed shot inside the goalpost to open the scoring. Indy Eleven (3-5-9, 14 Fall; 6-9-12, 27 Combined) drew even in the 69th minute when the ball fell to Dylan Mares for an easy tap in after a scramble in front of the Scorpions’ goal. Ten minutes later, Kris Tyrpak scored his second goal in as many games as San Antonio regained the lead. San Antonio, the defending league champion, still has a mathematical chance of advancing to the postseason.

Tampa Bay Rowdies 1, Ottawa Fury FC 1

Tom Heinemann’s eighth goal of the season gave league-leading Ottawa (11-5-1, 38; 13-10-4, 49 Combined) the lead four minutes before halftime. Playing with 10 men and with time running out, Tampa Bay (4-4-9, 16 Fall; 9-8-10, 35 Combined) got the equalizer in the 88th minute. Freddy Adu controlled the ball at the top of the penalty area, spinning and moving, before scooping a pass to Brian Shriver, who ended Fury FC goalkeeper Romuald Peiser’s bid for a 14th shutout. Ottawa, the leader in the Fall Season Standings, has lost only once in its last 22 games and owns an NASL-record road unbeaten streak.

Minnesota United 2, Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1

Minnesota (10-5-2, 35 Fall; 13-10-4, 49 Combined) wasted little time adding to its league-leading goal total before 9,207 at NSC Stadium in Blaine, Minn. Kevin Venegas sent a long diagonal cross to Justin Davis on the left. Davis chested down the ball and took a shot that was deflected by Fort Lauderdale (6-5-5, 23 Fall; 9-7-10, 34 Combined) goalkeeper David Meves into the path of Pablo Campos, who tucked it into the back of the net for his seventh goal of the year. The Loons doubled their lead in the 27th minute when Campos carried the ball 20 yards and then crossed to a streaking Daniel Mendes for the goal. The Strikers pulled one back in the 78th minute as Stefano Pinho, the league’s leading goalscorer, turned provider to help PC score his fifth goal of the year. Minnesota upped its unbeaten streak to 11 games.

New York Cosmos 3, FC Edmonton 0

New York (8-6-4, 30 Fall; 13-11-4, 50 Combined) moved atop the Combined Standings with a convincing win over FC Edmonton. Sebastián Guenzatti opened the scoring in the 37th minute with a low strike that beat Eddies (7-4-6, 25 Fall; 9-7-11, 34 Combined) goalkeeper Matt VanOekel at the far post. In the 45th minute, Raúl doubled the lead with his seventh goal of the season. The Spanish great found space at the back post and rifled a shot into the top corner after Ayoze's corner bounced untouched in the box. Ruben Bover added the third Cosmos goal with his first for the club when he lofted the ball over VanOekel's head that kissed the post before hitting the back of the net. The loss for Edmonton hampered their postseason hopes, but the Canadian side is only one point behind for the fourth and final place in The Championship.

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