Week 11 Lineup Headlined By Clash Of Top Two Teams In Jacksonville

The NASL Spring Season has moved past its midway point with Miami FC maintaining its lead atop the standings. Alessandro Nesta’s side will be tested this weekend, however, as it heads into a crucial matchup against second-place Jacksonville Armada FC. The top-of-the-table clash on Saturday night at Hodges Stadium will kick off the Week 11 slate.

Also on Saturday, the San Francisco Deltas return home after a draw with the Cosmos in New York in their last outing in league play. The Deltas face off with Indy Eleven after the two clubs played to a 1-1 draw in San Francisco’s inaugural game. FC Edmonton, after a home win against Indy, heads to the Caribbean to take on Puerto Rico FC.

The action in Week 11 comes to a close on Sunday afternoon at Sahlen’s Stadium. North Carolina FC and the Cosmos, who are unbeaten in their last six league games, have a chance to climb even further up the table. The clubs currently sit in third and fourth place, respectively.

Continue below for a preview of each Week 11 encounter:

Jacksonville Armada FC vs. Miami FC
7 p.m. ET | Saturday, June 3
Hodges Stadium | Jacksonville, Fla.
Watch | ESPN3 (National – U.S.), NASL.com (National – Canada), THIS TV (Local – Jacksonville), CW South Florida (Local – Miami)

The top two teams in the Spring Season go head to head for the first time in 2017 as Jacksonville Armada FC hosts Miami FC. Armada FC midfielder Zach Steinberger enters the contest in scintillating form. He has scored a pair of goals in each of his past two games – both wins for Jacksonville – on his way to NASL Player of the Month honors. Armada FC was cooled slightly by a 1-0 midweek loss to the Charleston Battery of the United Soccer League (USL), but the side has a chance to rebound on the biggest occasion of the season so far. Jacksonville won its last league contest, 2-1, at home against North Carolina FC.

As good of form as Steinberger is in, Miami FC’s Vincenzo Rennella is just as hot. The forward has scored in five of his last six games overall, including Miami’s 2-0 win in the Open Cup over the USL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies. Miami is unbeaten in its last six league games, but saw its four-game win streak come to an end in a 1-1 draw with Puerto Rico FC last weekend. Miami is also unbeaten in its last four road contests in league play, winning its last three.

Puerto Rico FC vs. FC Edmonton
7:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, June 3
Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | Bayamón, P.R.
Watch | beIN SPORTS USA (National – U.S., Canada), beIN SPORTS CONNECT (National – U.S., Canada), WAPA 2 (National – Puerto Rico)

Puerto Rico FC and FC Edmonton have had their tough moments to start the season, but both received boosts in confidence a weekend ago. Puerto Rico FC went on the road and got a 1-1 draw against league-leading Miami FC. Defender Ramón Soria fired in from close range as Jordi Quintillà earned his second assist in as many games. While Giuseppe Gentile hasn’t been on the scoresheet too often yet, he has been looking dangerous in recent weeks and could provide a stern test for the Eddies’ back line.

FC Edmonton secured a 2-1 win over Indy Eleven last weekend at home before heading on the road to Puerto Rico. Dustin Corea scored from the penalty spot and later sent in a well-placed free kick to pick out Adam Straith for the Canadian international’s first goal with the club. The Eddies may have a slight mental edge heading to the Caribbean as the club’s first win of the season came against Puerto Rico – Quintillà scored Puerto Rico’s goal in the contest. Corea, a Salvadoran international, has been Edmonton’s creative force this season and will look to carry that momentum into this weekend’s clash.

San Francisco Deltas vs. Indy Eleven
10 p.m. ET | Saturday, June 3
Kezar Stadium | San Francisco, Calif.
Watch | Twitter (National – U.S., Canada)

The San Francisco Deltas scored their first ever NASL goal and earned their first point against Indy Eleven at Kezar Stadium. The sides will do battle once more in San Francisco this Saturday night. Kyle Bekker scored San Francisco’s goal in the 1-1 draw with Indy back in March and also scored in the club’s dramatic 2-1 win in the Open Cup on Wednesday against Phoenix Rising FC of the USL. The Deltas most recent league game ended in a stalemate, drawing the Cosmos, 0-0, at MCU Park in Brooklyn.

After six straight draws to the start the campaign, Indy has lost its last three. The most recent defeat came on a trip to Edmonton, losing to the Eddies, 2-1. Indy now heads west again aiming to pick up its first win of the year. Recent signing Jason Plumhoff scored his first goal for the club in last weekend’s loss and has provided a bit of a spark since joining the Boys in Blue.

North Carolina FC vs. New York Cosmos
4 p.m. ET | Sunday, June 4
Sahlen’s Stadium | Cary, N.C.
Watch | ESPN3 (National – U.S.)*, NASL.com (National – Canada), Spectrum SportsChannel (Regional – North/South Carolina), WRAL2 (Local – Cary/Raleigh), MSG Networks (Regional – NY/NJ/CT/PA), MSG GO (Regional – NY/NY/CT/PA)

North Carolina FC was flying high, but Colin Clarke’s side was cut down by Jacksonville Armada FC in a 2-1 loss last weekend. Tiyi Shipalane scored just before the final whistle, but it wasn’t enough at Hodges Stadium. North Carolina bounced back in a big way, however, and had no trouble scoring in a 4-1 win over the USL’s Charlotte Independence in the Open Cup on Wednesday night. Nazmi Albadawi scored twice and was joined on the scoresheet by James Marcelin and Connor Tobin. North Carolina now turns its attention to the Cosmos in a matchup between the third and fourth-place sides in the Spring Season Standings.

New York heads into the matchup this weekend with growing confidence. The Cosmos are unbeaten in their last six league games after last Saturday’s 0-0 draw with the San Francisco Deltas. New York is unbeaten in its last eight road games, dating back to last year, which includes a 2-0 win in Cary. Overall, the Cosmos have gotten the better of North Carolina FC in recent matchups, winning the last five contests between the sides. 

*In the NY/NJ/CT/PA area, the match can be seen on MSG GO, not ESPN3