NASL Week 1 Previews

Armada FC v FC Edmonton
by Roberto Cavendish

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. at EverBank Field the NASL season launches a new chapter in Jacksonville. Match 1 of the Spring Season of the all-new Armada FC is upon us, and the Eddies of FC Edmonton are in Northeast Florida to welcome the new side and new fans to the league.

Much pomp is afoot. A day-long music and beer festival, the Can-Doo, will serve as the undercard to the matchup at nearby Metropolitan Park. A new supporters group bearing Battling Octopus iconography, Section 904 (Jacksonville’s telephone area code), will lead a march from the festival to the stadium shortly before tv cameras roll. The Armada are aiming for a new-era NASL attendance record, a number that would approach 15,000 clicks of the turnstile.

Ticketing is available by visiting SetTheRecordJAX.com or telephoning 1.844.2.Armada.

As to the match itself, Armada fans and team owner Mark Frisch have naturally high hopes. Tonight’s effort should feature all of the highlights the team flashed at various points in the pre-season, and if they show, and if the forgettable low points from the friendlies can be minimized, Jacksonville should have every chance at a win that would be a savory and history-making victory.

For its part, Jacksonville has scorers and speedy threats at hand. The new side has a swashbuckling keeper in Miguel Gallardo. Whether the sweeping attack Coaches José Luis Villarreal and Guillermo Hoyos wish to unleash will actually ignite will depend on cohesion between fleet forward-right striker Alhassane Keita and the rest of the vanguards, as well as keeping the Edmonton defenders spread across the field through maintaining a plausible threat at the left wing, a quiet and sometimes hollow battery thus far. The men in navy blue also have a reserve scoring threat in Pascal Millien, and if he can spell Keita without losing offensive rapport, the shots on goal count could climb quite high.

Edmonton was a split personality in 2014, showing not much offense in the Spring but then raising a claw and tooth campaign of gutty games to finish in the top third of the table during Fall.

Eddies midfielder Ritchie Jones is a field boss who should fence all evening with the Armada’s Marcos Flores. The theme of the night for the visitors, who have spent much time in Jacksonville during the preseason, will be defense and counterattack, as they attempt to mount galloping raids down the center lane if Jacksonville can get caught scoreless at the goalie’s mitts.

The North American Soccer League kicks off in Jacksonville tonight at 7:30 p.m., televised on local broadcast channel CW 17 and streamed live on ESPN3.

San Antonio Scorpions v.s. Tampa Bay Rowdies

By: Kevin Collins

Welcome to the 2015 NASL season! It’s like Christmas come early! I know supporters of both teams are eager to get the season started and watch their team on the field. The Rowdies come into the 2015 season with an entirely new look; they have a new head coach in Thomas Rongen and have revitalized their squad from top to bottom. San Antonio comes in as the defending league champions and while they lost a few key players, the Scorpions have filled in those spots with some really good talent, including 2014 World Cup player, Marvin Chávez.
2014 head-to-head review
San Antonio went 2-0-1 versus Tampa Bay in 2014. The lone loss was in the Spring season, 0-1. The Fall was a different story though. After a 2-0 road win for the Scorpions, the 2014 champions routed Tampa Bay in the return game at Toyota Field, 7-0. Those 7 goals helped with the goal differential in the standings, allowing San Antonio to capture the Fall Championship over Minnesota United, even though they were even on points.
What to watch for
For Tampa Bay, look to the defense to step up and improve from their league tying 50 goals conceded last season. Gale Agbossoumonde, a new signee this off-season, will be instrumental in trying to shore up their defense. The Rowdies have been in pre-season mode for a few months now, so they should be in great shape to start the season.

For San Antonio, look for Chávez and Palomenque to be more aggressive in the attacking third trying to score those all-important goals. I think either one of those guys, and Elizondo, need to step up to be our go-to scorer. Be on the look-out for the back line chemistry as well. The additions of Attakora and Zea should really help fill the void left by Greg Janicki and Johnny Borrajo. Working together as one unit will be the biggest improvement needed for this group.
Prediction
The Scorpions will raise their championship banner and present the team with their championship rings. Midst all the pageantry and excitement, I predict a 2-2 draw to start out the 2015 NASL season. Of course I want all 3 points, but a draw is better than a loss and we can’t afford to come away empty-handed.

The game is this Saturday, April 4th at 7:30 pm CST at Toyota Field. #SASvTBR

Atlanta Silverbacks v.s Indy Eleven
The Silverbacks have added some talented players so it is going to be interesting to see how they gel together. The star signing this past offseason has been Hans Deinnsen , people were surprised he went to Atlanta but Atlanta is a good fit for him. Hans comes to a team that is trying to find a new identity under a new manager. Hans has been injured last year with New York but Silverback fans are hoping he is the same player that he was when he played for the Scorpions. Will Hans want to score all the goals or be a playmaker and pass the ball , that is going to be interesting to see how he plays and what type of style the Silverbacks play against the Eleven.

Indy Eleven have added NASL championship defender with the Scorpions last season , Greg Janicki , 6.3′ has nice height and makes for a dangerous defender. Greg and the rest of Indy Eleven’s defense is really strong , it is going to be tough to see the Silverbacks have that many chances on target. Indy Elevens midfield is strong with Kleberson and the forwards with Charlie Rugg . Those are very interesting players to watch out for . A forward battle between Charlie Rugg and Hans , is going to be interesting to see.
Atlanta Silverbacks 1 Indy Eleven 1

New York Cosmos v.s Fort Lauderdale Strikers
This is probably the biggest rivalry besides the Florida derbies , in the league . This rivalry goes back to the old NASL, the good old days. This match is exciting off the pitch and on the pitch because the Strikers are expecting a very big crowd. The new ownership group in Fort Lauderdale have made some renovations to the historic Lockhart Stadium . The renovations consist of new seats , a new video board , cup holders and more leg room.

Back to the excitement on the pitch ; the hype around the arrival of Raul to New York , and now he is going to make his NASL debut against the Strikers. What is going to be interesting to see is who is going to be Raul’s striking partner . Probably Mads Stokklien who led the club last year in goals . The Cosmos defense is their weakest spot on the pitch. Their midfield has a lot of depth , from Marcos Senna , Andres Flores , and to MLS veteran Adam Moffat.
The Strikers have made a lot of moves as well. They have a new coach in Marcelo Neveleff , and it is going to be interesting to see how they play against the Cosmos . Are the Strikers going to sit back and defend and than counter attack , or just be an aggressive side. The Strikers have added a goalkeeper with NASL experience Joe Nasco . The last time Joe Nasco played against the Cosmos was the Soccer Bowl final during their reboot campaign. Joe only let one goal in the back of the net and that was the game winner , so tonight is probably hoping he doesn’t give up anything.

The Strikers have also added Flamengo legend Leo Moura. During Moura’s 10 years with Flamengo he played in the defense as a right back . With the Strikers he is expected to play in the midfield . How is he going to fit in there? How much could you get out of Leo since he joined the club later in preseason , and is playing out of position? Those are questions that are going to be answered tonight.
Players to Watch out for :

Raul – A legend in Spain with Real Madrid and with the National squad , how is he going to fit in with the Cosmos , and is he going to have an immediate impact on the team.
Leo Moura– A natural defender now playing in the midfield for the Strikers , how is that going to work out? It could only go 2 ways work out or back fire.

Prediction: Cosmos 2 Strikers 1