Photo credit: Indy Eleven/Trevor Ruszkowski
Beginning on Saturday, four NASL clubs will vie for the Soccer Bowl Trophy when The Championship, the league’s four-team postseason tournament, kicks off with a pair of highly anticipated semifinal clashes. The New York Cosmos and Indy Eleven will host games on Saturday, starting with a midday kickoff between the Eleven and FC Edmonton. Indy earned the right to host after an unbeaten Spring Season while the Cosmos wrapped up the Fall Season title and the No. 1 seed in the postseason thanks to the club’s finish atop the Combined Standings.
The Cosmos have reached the postseason in four consecutive years as the other three clubs in The Championship have just one previous postseason appearance combined. The defending champion Cosmos will host Rayo OKC, which became the first club to reach the postseason in its first season since the Cosmos did it in 2013. New York will now look to hold off a red-hot Rayo OKC side that hasn’t lost in its last 10 games.
In the earlier semifinal, FC Edmonton and its rugged defense heads to Carroll Stadium looking to stun Indy and its passionate home crowd. The Eddies have played well during their two previous trips, but they will have to do something no team has done in 2016 to reach The Championship Final: defeat Indy at home. The Boys in Blue will host their first postseason matchup after Eamon Zayed’s dramatic hat trick helped seal the Spring Season title. Despite having limited postseason history as a club, the Eleven have plenty of calm heads with the most veteran squad in the NASL this year.
With a win, the Cosmos would host The Championship Final, but Indy Eleven or FC Edmonton can also host the league’s title game depending on Saturday’s results.
Indy Eleven vs. FC Edmonton
3 p.m. ET | Saturday, November 5
Carroll Stadium | Indianapolis, Ind.
Watch | ESPN3 (National – U.S.) NASL.com (National – Canada), WISH-TV (Local – Indianapolis)
Under head coach Tim Hankinson, Indy has grown tremendously and now the club is set for its first postseason appearance. The Boys in Blue will line up in front of their home fans, who have yet to see Indy lose all year after the club posted a 13W-3D-0L record at Carroll Stadium. Indy earned a 1-1 draw and 1-0 win against its semifinal opponent, FC Edmonton. Zayed, who scored 15 goals during his first NASL campaign, and the presence of steady veteran leadership, including club captain Colin Falvey and goalkeeper Jon Busch, have led the club in its charge towards reaching The Championship. Indy, not built to be an particularly attack-minded side, has delivered in front of the net heading into the postseason. The club scored three goals apiece in three of its last four games in the Fall Season and will hope they can continue that run of form to give the home fans plenty to cheer about on Saturday.
FC Edmonton returns to the postseason for the first time since 2011 and it will be the club’s first appearance under head coach Colin Miller. Miller has been steadfast in building a culture at the club on the characteristics of hard work and attention to the defensive side of the game. Those attributes were on full display over the course of the 2016 season as the club conceded just 21 goals in 32 league contests. Goalkeeper Matt VanOekel has been recently touted as one of the best ‘keepers in North America, and has broken league records for shutouts (16) and goals against average (0.55). The Eddies have also shown a knack for counterattacking, showcasing it perfectly in Ben Fisk’s game-winning goal in the last meeting between the two teams.
New York Cosmos vs. Rayo OKC
7 p.m. ET | Saturday, November 5
Shuart Stadium | Hempstead, N.Y.
Watch | ONE World Sports (National – U.S.), ESPN3 (National – U.S.), NASL.com (National – Canada)
The Cosmos are back in the postseason as the No. 1 seed as they look to defend their 2015 crown. Venezuelan star Juan Arango has been the catalyst, finishing the regular season with 15 goals and seven assists – he finished tied for second in the league in both categories. The club’s attack as a whole, though, has been in great form over the course of both the Spring and Fall Season. The Cosmos finished with a league record 59 goals scored. New York has had an incredible year at Shuart Stadium as well, finishing without a loss – 14-2-0. In fact, counting last year’s postseason, the Cosmos haven’t lost a home game in their last 21 outings. The Cosmos were played tough by their postseason opponent, Rayo OKC, during a pair of games at Shuart Stadium, ending with a 1-0 win and a 1-1 draw between the sides.
Rayo OKC enters The Championship as the hottest club in the league. The side storms into the postseason on the heels of a 10-game unbeaten run and a five-game winning streak. Head coach Gerard Nus has turned his veteran lineup into a possession-oriented, high-pressing team and the club has reaped the benefits. Michel, who has shown his composure in dead-ball situations, has also taken his opportunities during the run of play to finish the regular season with 14 goals. At the back for Rayo OKC, Futty Danso and Sebastien Ibeagha have been important defenders, but the pair has also played a role in the team’s goalscoring efforts. Danso has three goals on the year, while Ibeagha scored one of the club’s most crucial tallies of the season, finding the back of the net in the 2-0 win over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers that moved the club into the driver’s seat for the final postseason spot. The club, of course, hasn’t looked back, playing with confidence and a free spirit going its trip to New York. Coming full circle, Nus’ first game in charge was against New York (1-1 draw). He also has a win against the Cosmos to his name, with the club posting a convincing 3-0 win in the only meeting at Miller Stadium during the year.