Lets start this off simply: The 2013 Carolina RailHawks were the most consistent and impressive team during the entirety of the NASL season. The RailHawks finished second in both the Spring and Fall Seasons, but finished atop the overall standings with 43 points when the Fall campaign came to a close. They were undefeated at home in 2013, and had the best goal differential in the two halves combined (not including the Cosmos who were only active for the Fall Season.) Their road record did leave something to be desired, and perhaps having more than one road victory during the season would have led them to the Soccer Bowl.
A big part of their success last season was due to their top goal scorer, Brian Shriver and his impressive play. Shriver won the NASL Golden Boot after he scored 15 goals for the RailHawks. Shriver, on his day, was one of the best attacking players in the league and was a handful for defenses. However, the Florida native decided to take what is believed to be a massive NASL deal and join the Tampa Bay Rowdies near his hometown.
The RailHawks were hard done by to not take anything tangible away from the 2013 season and their fans have every right to be upset. Most of the blame should be on the strange format that the league adopted prior to the start of the campaign. If the recent season format that was just announced last month were in place in 2013, the RailHawks would have easily clinched one of the four “Championship” spots. Like the Atlanta Silverbacks, the RailHawks have suffered more significant losses than inspiring additions during the course of the offseason, but many pieces from their strong 2013 squad are still in place and Colin Clarke will be confident with his side heading into 2014.
Interesting Storyline
The storyline that most fans of the RailHawks and the NASL in general should be focusing on is: Can Carolina cope with the loss of their leading scorer? If recent history is anything to go by, RailHawks fans should be crossing their fingers. The San Antonio Scorpions had a Golden Boot winner in 2012 in Pablo Campos before seeing him leave to Minnesota United. The following season, the Scorpions were a major disappointment, finishing last overall in the Fall Season. Of course you can’t blame all of that on losing Campos, but it certainly didn’t help the situation. The bright side for Carolina is that, even without Shriver, they still have the core of their squad intact and have made one or two solid signings as well.
Key Additions
Connor Tobin – Tobin joins the RailHawks from Minnesota United FC where he served as the team’s captain for many games after the departure of Kyle Altman. Tobin is a strong and smart defender who had a very solid season in 2013. After 28 appearances with Minnesota, he is a big piece to the Carolina defense after the departure of Julius James.
Daniel Scott – The RailHawks made another addition to their defense during the offseason, adding Daniel Scott who spent the previous three seasons with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Albeit not as impressive as Tobin, Scott did help his Rowdies side claim the 2012 NASL championship and made 24 appearances for Tampa. He didn’t get much time on the field in 2013, but Carolina is hoping he can resurrect his form on the east coast.
Key Departures
Brian Shriver – As discussed earlier in the article, the RailHawks lost their leading scorer to the Rowdies and have yet to tab an obvious replacement. Shriver was excellent last season, but now the club will have to find goals elsewhere. One potential bright side however is the fact that Nick Zimmerman looks to finally be healthy again. Zimmerman scored 16 goals in over 2,000 minutes for the RailHawks in 2012 but missed the entire 2013 season due to injury. The Providence native will be one major option to replace what they are losing in Shriver.
Austin Da Luz – In another departure that may have gone relatively unnoticed when compared to the Shriver move, Austin Da Luz signed with USL Pro and future MLS club, Orland City. Da Luz was not only one of the most creative players for Carolina, but in the NASL as well. Da Luz scored four goals and tallied four assists for the RailHawks in 2013 in almost 1,400 minutes.
Potential breakout player
Aaron King – It’s difficult to call a productive season from Aaron King a “breakout” one. King has played and scored at this level with Miami FC and the Rowdies and brings decent experience to the RailHawks roster. However, King, who has spent time with the RailHawks before, has sputtered in recent seasons in the USL as well as Finland. With the gaping hole that Shriver left up front, King has a chance to have a breakout season of sorts and return to the player he once was at this level.
Biggest Strength
The RailHawks were a solid defensive team in 2013, and it looks as if that should continue in 2014 if not improve. The additions of Scott and Tobin add to the mainstays of Kupono Low and goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald will only boost their defensive credentials. Fitzgerald remains one of the best in the NASL and is expected to continue his great play in 2014. Their midfield is packed with speed and agility and should continue to be a problem for opposing defenses.
Most Glaring Weakness
Goals. Shriver and Da Luz have both departed and the club hasn’t made obvious moves to replace them. They have possibilities, but those possibilities are mostly surrounded by question marks. Zimmerman was impressive in 2012 but can he stay healthy? King can score goals at this level, but can he recapture his form? Can Zach Schilawski handle the extra burden of scoring more goals in 2014? The answers remain to be seen, but as of now the RailHawks will need to get creative in finding the back of the net.
Outlook
The RailHawks suffered some big time losses in the offseason, but have added a couple of solid pieces and kept the majority of their team intact. It will be interesting to see whether or not they add any other striking options or if some of the above can step up, but the RailHawks still have the consistency to be a competitor in this league.
Their road record HAS to improve from last season, but Carolina would certainly take another undefeated home slate. Under Colin Clarke, this squad has developed to be one of the strongest in the league at home, so if they can figure out their road woes and win a couple of extra games out of town, they should be competing for one of the four postseason spots come the end of the campaign.
I see the RailHawks being in contention to make the Championship tournament at the end of the year. If they miss out on the postseason, it wont be decided until very late in the campaign, meaning I cant see the RailHawks having a totally wasted season. They were too impressive in parts of last season to be completely written off in 2014 due to some major departures. Unlike Atlanta, who also lost some big pieces after a successful 2013, the RailHawks were competitive for a much longer period of time than the Silverbacks were. Maybe they add another striker in the coming weeks or maybe Zimmerman returns to form, but either way the RailHawks have figured it out before, so expect no different in 2014.
(image courtesy of carolinarailhawks.com)
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