BEFORE THE WHISTLE | Race To The Championship Wide Open

Photo credit: Orovio Photography/Miami FC

The finish to the Fall Season is in distance and the race to The Championship is only heating up. Three potseason spots are up for grabs – Indy Eleven claimed one berth with its Spring Season title – and there is little separation between clubs vying to claim them. 

Here are some of the key storylines to watch for as Week 14 of the NASL Fall Season continues:

Focus On Florida’s Gulf Coast: Miami FC (8W-4D-4L, 28 points Fall; 9-8-9, 35 Combined) put a stop to a two-game losing streak when Vincenzo Rennella’s late header snatched three points in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Ottawa Fury FC. The win moved Alessandro Nesta’s men into second place in the Fall Season Standings, six points behind New York, with a game in hand. Next up is a trip across the Florida peninsula to face Tampa Bay (5-4-6, 19 Fall; 9-8-8, 35 Combined). The Rowdies have won two straight (powered most recently by Georgi Hristov’s hat trick) and are unbeaten in five games, moving within a point of fourth-place Minnesota in the Combined Standings, and a postseason berth. The two Florida clubs are also tied on 35 points in the race for a spot in The Championship, the NASL’s four-team postseason tournament. Miami FC has lost only once in eight games on the road in the Fall Season.

Three Points Or Bust: FC Edmonton (7-6-3, 27 Fall; 12-8-6, 44 Combined) has not scored a goal in five straight games but goalkeeper Matt VanOekel (who can set a league record with another shutout) and the Eddies’ defense have stopped the opposition from scoring in three of their last four games. Still, FC Edmonton has slipped down the Fall Season and Combined Standings, and returns home to Clarke Stadium (where the club has a 9-2-2 record) and is desperate for a win. Indy Eleven, the Spring Season Champion, is assured of hosting a semifinal game in The Championship. After a rough patch in which the Eleven went winless in five, Indy has roared back with two straight wins, including last week’s emphatic 3-0 win against the Cosmos. Indy needs three points to keep alive its hopes of a possible double, while the Eddies need three points to keep the Cosmos in sight.

Little Separation: Minnesota United (5-5-6, 20 Fall; 10-6-10, 36 Combined) has dropped two straight games and it has opened up the door for several teams to grab a postseason berth. The Loons currently sit in fourth place in the Combined Standings, but five teams are separated by just four points. Along with Miami and Tampa Bay, which are one point back, the Carolina RailHawks (5-4-7, 18 Fall; 9-6-11, 33 Combined) sit three points out of fourth place. The Fort Lauderdale Strikers (4-5-7, 17 Fall; 8-8-10, 32 Combined)  are also in the postseason hunt, trailing Minnesota by four points, as Week 14 offers a crucial opportunity for several clubs to make their move in the race to The Championship.

Cosmos Closing In On Fall Title: Depending on other results and the outcome of their home game against Fort Lauderdale, New York (10-4-3, 34 Fall; 16-4-7, 52 Combined) could place a stranglehold on first place in the Fall Season table and the berth in The Championship that goes with finishing first. Playing without their leading scorer Juan Arango (11 goals) on Wednesday night at Carolina, the Cosmos bounced back after a 3-0 loss at Indy last Saturday. A win against the Strikers at Shuart Stadium, where New York is 12-2-0 this year and can tie a league home unbeaten streak record with a result, coupled with favorable results elsewhere could give the Cosmos close to a double-digit lead.