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BEFORE THE WHISTLE | Fall Season Kicks Off

Carmelo Anthony’s Puerto Rico FC debuts against visiting Indy Eleven and CBS Sports Network joins the NASL’s TV roster
Jack Bell (@JackBell} | Jul 1, 2016

Photo credit: Indy Eleven?Trevor Ruszkowski

Several teams added talent ahead of the Fall Season kicking off, including the return of Kwadwo Poku to the NASL. The 22-game slate for all 12 teams begins on Saturday night.

Here are some of the key storylines to watch during the first weekend of the Fall Season:

Back To The Island: Professional soccer returns to Puerto Rico with a huge assist from New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, the team’s owner who has deep family ties on the Caribbean island. Coach Adrian Whitbread, who directed the old Puerto Rico Islanders, and technical director Neil Sillett have constructed a roster with an eye for local talent, like Hector Ramos, Joseph Marrero and Jorge Rivera.

Indy Eleven Ready For An Encore: Eamon Zayed’s inspired hat trick helped to propel Indy to the Spring Season title and the club’s first piece of silverware in its third year in the NASL. The additions of Mexican international Gerardo Torrado (who is not eligible to face Puerto Rico FC on Saturday night) and Souleymane Youla put even more arrows in the quiver of Coach Tim Hankinson. Since the advent of the split season, no team has won both the Spring and Fall Seasons. Indy Eleven has designs on being the first.

CBS Sports Network Joins The Lineup: The first of 12 Fall Season matches -- FC Edmonton at Rayo OKC – will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network, the NASL’s newest TV partner. CBS Sports Network joins beIN SPORTS, ONE World Sports and ESPN3 in the league’s strong TV and streaming lineup.

South Florida Derby: The Fort Lauderdale Strikers, fresh from a thrilling victory against Orlando City of MLS to advance to the quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, get the first crack at a revamped and revitalized Miami FC. Coach Alessandro Nesta has been handed a calvacade of riches with the additions of Richie Ryan and Michael Lahoud before the break and the acquisition of Kwadwo Poku and Gabriel Farfán.

Florida Coast Derby: The NASL’s other two Florida clubs – Jacksonville Armada FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies – will convene on the Gulf Coast, in a rematch of their closing game of the Spring Season, a 1-1 draw on the Atlantic Coast. Powered by the play of the English midfielder Joe Cole, the Rowdies are unbeaten in their last three games, while Jacksonville has drawn three straight. Armada FC added four players – the Swedes Alexander Andersson and Nicklas Maripuu; and Karl Ouimette and Zach Steinberger, both via loan deals.

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