Reenergized Puerto Rico FC Enters Weekend Action Atop Fall Season Standings

Photo credit: Jacksonville Armada FC/Todd Drexler

As so often happens under the split-season format in the NASL, Puerto Rico FC has taken advantage of its fresh start in the Fall Season and has come out looking like a completely new team.

The Spring Season bottom-dwellers now sit atop the Fall Season Standings after picking up their first road win of the year on Wednesday night against Jacksonville Armada FC. Much the opposite, Miami FC lifted the Spring Season trophy after an impressive run, but stumbled out of the gate in the Fall Season with two straight losses. Now, however, Miami has won two straight, including a midweek road victory of its own over North Carolina FC.

First-place Puerto Rico has a long trip ahead this weekend as it pays a visit to FC Edmonton on Sunday afternoon. Two points back of Puerto Rico is Miami, which also remains on the road to face Jacksonville on Sunday evening.

Kicking off the weekend is a matchup in the Big Apple between the New York Cosmos and Indy Eleven. Shortly after action gets underway in New York, the third-place San Francisco Deltas will get the ball rolling at Kezar Stadium against visiting North Carolina.

Continue below for a preview of each matchup taking place this weekend:

New York Cosmos vs. Indy Eleven

7:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, August 19

MCU Park | Brooklyn, N.Y.

Watch | beIN SPORTS USA (National – U.S., Canada), beIN SPORTS CONNECT (National – U.S., Canada), MSG Networks (Regional – NY/NJ/CT/PA), MYINDY TV-23 (Local – Indianapolis), NASL.com (Global except U.S.)

After posting a six-game unbeaten streak, Indy Eleven has dropped its last two contests by the same score – 3-1. The Boys in Blue will hope their recent fortunes change when they visit a New York Cosmos side that they have shown well against so far this year. Indy took four points from its two meetings against New York in the Spring Season, including a 2-1 victory at home on July 8. Goalkeeper Jon Busch, who had an outstanding month of July, has been under siege of late with six goals conceded in the last two games.

The Cosmos opened up the Fall Season with a statement win over Spring Season Champion Miami FC, but they took just one point from their two-game road trip to San Francisco and Edmonton. New York returns home to MCU Park, where it hasn’t lost since early June. Argentine midfielder Emmanuel Ledesma is back in the lineup and he proved his value once again last weekend, scoring a stunning second-half equalizer against FC Edmonton.

San Francisco Deltas vs. North Carolina FC

8 p.m. ET | Saturday, August 19

Kezar Stadium | San Francisco, Calif.

Watch | Twitter (Global), NASL.com (Global except U.S.)

The San Francisco Deltas have opened the Fall Season unbeaten in three games, and depending on how other results fall, the club could end the weekend at or near the top of the Fall Season Standings with a game in hand. Although it’s still early in the season, the Deltas have been showing promising signs that they’re a legitimate postseason contender. San Francisco knocked off the Cosmos in its last home game and followed that result up with an impressive road draw against league-leading Puerto Rico. The performance of emerging defender Patrick Hopkins, as well as Brazilian newcomer Dagoberto, has really elevated the club’s play over the last few weeks.

North Carolina FC was dancing its way towards the top of the table earlier this week, but a 1-0 home loss to Miami on Tuesday halted the club’s momentum a bit. Still, head coach Colin Clarke’s side carries a certain confidence that is necessary to get a coast-to-coast road result. Prior to the midweek loss to Miami, North Carolina had tallied five goals in two games, and from five different goalscorers as well: Jonathan Glenn, Marcel Kandziora, Christian Ibeagha, Lance Laing, and Dre Fortune.

FC Edmonton vs. Puerto Rico FC

4 p.m. ET | Sunday, August 20

Clarke Stadium | Edmonton, Alberta

Watch | ESPN3 (National – U.S.), Facebook (National – Canada), WAPA 2 (National – Puerto Rico), NASL.com (Global except U.S.)

The return of fan favorite Daryl Fordyce seems to have kickstarted the Eddies’ season. The Northern Irishman scored in the club’s 1-1 draw with the Cosmos last weekend and picked up an assist in its 3-1 road win over Indy on August 5. With a new level of confidence, the Canadian side will look to exact a bit of revenge against visiting Puerto Rico. The last meeting between the two clubs ended, 3-0, in favor of the Caribbean side, which will arrive in Edmonton atop the Fall Season Standings.

Puerto Rico’s success early in the Fall Season has come in the defensive half. Head coach Marco Velez’s side conceded the most goals in the league on its way to a last-place finish in the Spring Season, however, the club has pulled off a complete turnaround in that department. Puerto Rico has only given up two goals in the Fall Season so far, and has yet to concede a goal from open play in those four games. Young defender Seth Moses, who was used sparingly during the first half of the year, has been key for Puerto Rico in his four Fall Season starts, while goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg seems to finally be taking hold of the club’s starting job between the posts.

Jacksonville Armada FC vs. Miami FC

6 p.m. ET | Sunday, August 20

Hodges Stadium | Jacksonville, Fla.

Watch | ESPN3 (National – U.S.), CW17 (Local – Jacksonville), CW South Florida (Local – Miami), NASL.com (Global except U.S.)

During the Spring Season, Jacksonville was able to find its way onto the good side of close results. Through four Fall Season encounters, Armada FC has kept things tight, but hasn’t had the same luck. In addition to its two draws, the club has a pair of losses – each by a one-goal margin. That was the story on Wednesday night when Puerto Rico held off Jacksonville, 2-1, thanks to a late goal from midfielder Giuseppe Gentile. Armada FC had done well to erase Puerto Rico’s 1-0 lead thanks to a beautiful free kick from new signing Tony Taylor, who has scored in each of his first two games for Jacksonville, but it wasn’t enough in the end.

If you frame everything through the lense of Miami’s amazing Spring Season performance, things have returned to the status quo. Head coach Alessandro Nesta’s men dropped their first two games of the Fall Season, but have since rebounded to take a maximum six points from their last two outings. With top scorers Stefano Pinho and Enzo Rennella in and out of the lineup, forward Jaime Chávez has picked up the slack. The California native tallied a pair of assists in the club’s 3-1 win over Indy on August 5 and then went on to score the winner in Miami’s 1-0 triumph over North Carolina on Tuesday.