2011 North American Soccer League season

Last updated

North American Soccer League
Season 2011
Champions NSC Minnesota Stars
North American Supporters' Trophy Carolina RailHawks
Matches played112
Goals scored290 (2.59 per match)
Top goalscorer Etienne Barbara (20)
Biggest home win EDM 4–0 TB
MTL 4–0 ATL
Biggest away win EDM 0–5 MTL
Highest scoring7 goals:
ATL 3–4 PUR
Longest winning run10 matches:
Carolina Railhawks
Longest unbeaten run13 matches:
Carolina Railhawks
Longest winless run9 matches:
Atlanta Silverbacks
Montreal Impact
Longest losing run6 matches:
Atlanta Silverbacks
Highest attendance12,060
FC Tampa Bay @ Montreal Impact
Lowest attendance797
Puerto Rico Islanders @ FC Edmonton
Average attendance3,770 [1]
2012 →

The 2011 North American Soccer League season is the 44th season of second division soccer in the United States and the inaugural season of the newly created North American Soccer League.

Contents

Earlier in 2011, the league's likelihood of earning second tier sanctioning had been thrown into question when the U.S. Soccer Federation rejected the league in January due to its financial instability. [2] The USSF gave provisional sanctioning at the annual general meeting in Las Vegas on February 12, 2011. [3]

Competition format

The NASL debuted in 2011 with 8 teams playing a 28-game regular season schedule, with 14 home and 14 away games, playing each opponent four times. The NASL’s playoff format consisted of the top six teams, with the first two teams receiving a bye until the semifinal round and the remaining four teams playing in a single-game playoff to advance to the semifinals. The semifinals and the finals will each consist of a two-game home and home aggregate goal system. [4]

Regular season

Standings

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 Carolina RailHawks (X)2817385026+2454 Playoff semifinals
2 Puerto Rico Islanders 2815764132+952
3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 2811894136+541 Playoff quarterfinals
4 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2891183536−138
5 FC Edmonton 28106123540−536 [a]
6 NSC Minnesota Stars (C)2899103032−236 [a]
7 Montreal Impact 2898113527+835
8 Atlanta Silverbacks 2844202563−3816
Source: NASL Standings
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored. [5]
(C) Champions; (X) Regular season champion
Notes:
  1. 1 2 EDM: 8 pts; MIN: 2 pts

Results

Abbreviation and Color Key:
Atlanta Silverbacks – ATL • Carolina RailHawks – CAR • FC Edmonton – EDM • Ft. Lauderdale Strikers – FTL
NSC Minnesota Stars – MIN • Montreal Impact – MTL • Puerto Rico Islanders – PUR • FC Tampa Bay – TAM

Win •Loss •Draw •Home

ClubMatch
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728
Atlanta Silverbacks MINEDMFTLTAMEDMMINFTLCARMINMTLTAMPURCARPURFTLMTLTAMCARTAMPURMTLEDMCARPUREDMMINFTLMTL
1–20–11–21–10–20–30–00–20–22–12–31–31–53–43–22–22–10–10–40–20–40–32–42–01–20–21–10–4
Carolina RailHawks PURMTLEDMMINTAMFTLMTLPURATLTAMEDMTAMATLMTLMINEDMEDMATLFTLPURMINFTLATLTAMFTLMTLPURMIN
1–22–12–01–13–14–22–13–02–02–11–03–15–12–00–11–14–11–01–20–21–12–04–22–00–10–10–11–2
FC Edmonton FTLATLCARMTLATLTAMMINTAMMTLCARPURMINMTLMINCARTAMCARTAMFTLPURFTLATLPURPURMINATLFTLMTL
2–11–00–20–52–01–12–14–00–20–13–01–11–01–11–11–21–41–30–30–11–13–02–31–13–12–11–20–2
Fort Lauderdale Strikers EDMMINATLPURMINCARATLMTLPURMINMTLPURTAMTAMATLMTLPUREDMCARMINEDMCARTAMMTLCAREDMATLTAM
1–21–12–12–21–12–40–00–03–23–00–01–11–12–42–31–11–33–02–11–01–10–20–21–01–02–11–10–2
NSC Minnesota Stars ATLFTLPURCARFTLATLPUREDMTAMPURATLFTLEDMEDMCARPURMTLMTLFTLTAMCARMTLMTLEDMTAMATLTAMCAR
2–11–11–31–11–13–02–01–20–01–12–00–31–11–11–00–11–03–10–10–21–10–20–21–31–22–01–12–1
Montreal Impact TAMCARTAMEDMCARTAMFTLEDMATLPURFTLEDMPURCARFTLATLMINPURMINTAMATLMINMINFTLPURCAREDMATL
0–11–20–05–01–20–30–00–21–21–20–01–00–00–21–12–20–11–01–33–34–02–02–00–11–11–02–04–0
Puerto Rico Islanders CARTAMMINFTLMINCARMINFTLMTLEDMATLFTLMTLATLTAMMINFTLMTLEDMATLCARTAMEDMEDMATLMTLCARTAM
2–12–03–12–20–20–31–12–32–10–33–11–10–04–31–11–03–10–11–02–02–02–13–21–10–21–11–01–0
FC Tampa Bay MTLPURMTLATLCAREDMMTLMINEDMCARATLCARFTLFTLPUREDMATLEDMATLMTLMINPURFTLCARMINMINPURFTL
1–00–20–01–11–31–13–00–00–41–23–21–31–14–21–12–11–23–14–03–32–01–22–00–22–11–10–12–0

Source: NASL results table

Playoffs

The 6 qualifying teams will be given seeds 1 through 6 with the top team in the standings receiving the number 1 seed.

The format of the Playoffs will consist of a Quarterfinal Round, Semifinal Round and a Final Round. The Quarterfinal Round will be a single game while the Semifinal and Final Rounds will each be a 2-game series with each team playing at home once and the team with the greater number of aggregate goals in both games winning each series.

The number 1 seed and the number 2 seed will receive a bye directly to the Semifinal Round while the number 3 seed will host the number 6 seed and the number 4 seed will host the number 5 seed in the Quarterfinal Round.

For the Semifinal Round, the number 1 seed will be paired with the lowest seeded team to qualify from the Quarterfinal Round with the number 2 seed being paired with the highest seeded team to qualify from the Quarterfinal Round.

The winners of each series in the Semifinal Round will meet in the Final Round known as the Soccer Bowl. In the event of a draw in either Quarterfinal Round game, such game will progress to a 30-minute extra time period (the golden goal rule will not be in effect). If the teams are still locked in a draw following the extra time period, the winner will be determined by a penalty shootout.

In each Semifinal Round series and the Final Round series, if the teams are tied on the number of aggregate goals scored in the series at the conclusion of the second game, the teams will progress to a 30-minute extra time period. As in the Quarterfinal Round, the golden goal rule will not be in effect. If the teams are still locked in a draw following the extra time period, the winner of the series will be determined by a penalty shootout.

Bracket

Quarterfinals Semifinals Soccer Bowl 2011
1 Carolina RailHawks FC 0 4 4 (3)
3 FC Tampa Bay 0 6 NSC Minnesota Stars 1 3 4 (5)
6 NSC Minnesota Stars 16 NSC Minnesota Stars 3 0 3
4 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1 0 1
2 Puerto Rico Islanders 1 1 2
4 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 54 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3 2 5
5 FC Edmonton 0

Quarterfinals

October 1, 2011 (2011-10-01) FC Tampa Bay 0–1 NSC Minnesota Stars St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 pm EDT Andres Arango Yellow card.svg 14' Report Luke Mulholland Soccerball shade.svg27'
Jeff Cosgriff Yellow card.svg 50'
Kyle Altman Yellow card.svg 57'		Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 3,003

Semifinals

Tied 4–4 on aggregate. NSC Minnesota Stars win 5–3 on penalties.


Fort Lauderdale Strikers win 5–2 on aggregate.

Soccer Bowl 2011

NSC Minnesota Stars win Soccer Bowl 2011, 3–1 on aggregate.

Attendance

ClubGPTotalHighLowAverage
Montreal Impact 14161,10212,060-11,507
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1452,769--3,769
Carolina RailHawks 1446,942--3,353
FC Tampa Bay 1442,138--3,010
Atlanta Silverbacks 1440,117--2,866
Puerto Rico Islanders 1430,247--2,161
FC Edmonton 1425,434-7971,817
NSC Minnesota Stars 1423,463--1,676
Total112422,21212,0607973,770
Source: Kenn.com

Statistical leaders

Top scorers

RankPlayerNationClubGoals
1 Etienne Barbara Flag of Malta.svg  MLT Carolina RailHawks20
2 Pablo Campos Flag of Brazil.svg  BRA Carolina RailHawks11
Mike Ambersley Flag of the United States.svg  USA FC Tampa Bay11
Jonathan Faña Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  DOM Puerto Rico Islanders11
5 Shaun Saiko Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN FC Edmonton9
Aaron King Flag of the United States.svg  USA FC Tampa Bay9
7 Matt Horth Flag of the United States.svg  USA Atlanta Silverbacks8
8 David Foley Flag of England.svg  ENG Puerto Rico Islanders7
Kyle Porter Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN FC Edmonton7
Nicholas Addlery Flag of Jamaica.svg  JAM Puerto Rico Islanders7

Source: [6]

Top goalkeepers

(Minimum of 1260 Minutes Played)

RankGoalkeeperClubMINSSVSGAGAA
1 Flag of the United States.svg Evan Bush Montreal Impact 166871140.757
2 Flag of the United States.svg Brad Knighton Carolina RailHawks 2480115260.942
3 Flag of the United States.svg Matt Glaeser Fort Lauderdale Strikers 190575221.038
4 Flag of the United States.svg Ray Burse Puerto Rico Islanders 234098281.077
5 Flag of the United States.svg Joe Warren NSC Minnesota Stars 2430105301.111
6 Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Attinella FC Tampa Bay 2060128311.354
7 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Rein Baart FC Edmonton 214578331.387
8 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Maurer Atlanta Silverbacks 153193412.412

Source: [7]

Awards

League awards

NASL Best XI [11]
PositionPlayersTeam
Goalkeeper Flag of the United States.svg Brad Knighton Carolina RailHawks
Defense Flag of France.svg Hassoun Camara Montreal Impact
Defense Flag of Jamaica.svg Lance Laing Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Defense Flag of the United States.svg Kupono Low Carolina RailHawks
Defense Flag of Finland.svg Toni Ståhl Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Midfield Flag of England.svg David Foley Puerto Rico Islanders
Midfield Flag of Haiti.svg Pascal Millien FC Tampa Bay
Midfield Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Shaun Saiko FC Edmonton
Midfield Flag of England.svg Matt Watson Carolina RailHawks
Forward Flag of the United States.svg Mike Ambersley FC Tampa Bay
Forward Flag of Malta.svg Etienne Barbara Carolina RailHawks

References

  1. ↑ NASL Weekend in Review (18 July 2011).
  2. ↑ Quarstad, Brian (January 21, 2011). "NASL Releases Press Statement Concerning US Soccer's Decision to Decline Sanctioning". Inside Minnesota Soccer. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  3. ↑ "NASL Provisionally Sanctioned by USSF for 2011". North American Soccer League. February 12, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  4. ↑ "NASL Provisionally Sanctioned by USSF". North American Soccer League. November 21, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  5. ↑ "NASL Standings".
  6. ↑ "NASL Individual Leaders" . Retrieved September 25, 2013.
  7. ↑ "NASL Individual Leaders". Archived from the original on September 25, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Barbara Named NASL Golden Ball Winner". North American Soccer League. October 17, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 "NASL Announces Three Postseason Award Winners". North American Soccer League. September 27, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Minnesota Stars FC Coach Manny Lagos Named Field Turf 2011 NASL Coach of the Year". IMSoccer News. January 17, 2012. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  11. ↑ "NASL Announces 2011 Best XI Team". North American Soccer League. September 28, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
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