STATS CORNER | More Than A Target Man
Goalscoring was at the forefront in Week 2 of the Spring Season and throughout the first two weekends of the new campaign, Indy Eleven's Ben Speas and Puerto Rico FC's Pito Ramos have been in the mix for goal creation and goals of their own. Also, FC Edmonton's Abdoulaye Diakité has picked off right where he left off from last year.
Here's some key stats from the previous round of results:
Early Impact
During the preseason, Indy coach Tim Hankinson referred to Ben Speas as one of the missing links as the club looks to return to The Championship Final in 2017. To start the year, Speas has been every bit as impactful as Hankinson would’ve hoped for. Through the first two games, the attacking player has created the most chances in the NASL with seven, while adding a goal and an assist. Speas also showed a good early connection with forward Justin Braun when Speas’ perfectly-timed run was met with a lofted pass by Braun. The result? The NASL Play of the Week.
Target Man And Much More
Puerto Rico FC’s Pito Ramos led the club's attack with eight goals in the Fall Season a year ago and he has continued his strong play to lead the front line. The forward combines strength with good ability on the ball and through the first two games, Ramos is second in chances created with six. He scored his first goal of the year in the 3-3 draw with Indy and his strength was certainly on display when he muscled off a defender before laying the ball into Conor Doyle’s path for a goal.
Reading The Play
Abdoulaye Diakité earned NASL Young Player of the Year honors in 2016 for his performance in the heart of the FC Edmonton defense. During his run to the award, he clocked in at third on the list of interceptions (86) in 2016. The Senegal native displayed his keen eye to stop attacks when he racked up eight interceptions on Sunday, the most for any player in a single game through the first two weeks. The Eddies were unable to get a result in the 1-0 loss to Jacksonville Armada FC, but Diakité’s finesse partnered with Albert Watson’s strength (eight of nine duels won) looks like it will once again be a force to be reckoned with for opposing attackers.
