After this weekend, it’s safe to say that FC Edmonton is on a roll and stopping doesn’t seem like something they want to do.
This past weekend’s win marks the 9th straight home victory for the NASL Canadian side. The New York Cosmos hold the league record with ten home wins in a row, but the boys in blue aren’t far off, only trailing by one. But what has made FC Edmonton so dominant in the NASL this year? It has been their discipline with and without the ball.
Edmonton have only conceded 10 goals in 18 games between the Spring and Fall Seasons. According to the math, that’s about .6 goal(s) per game.
18 games. 10 goals against. @FCEdmontonNow's incredible defensive effort is producing the club's best season yet. pic.twitter.com/cUetjiydHT
— NASL (@naslofficial) August 16, 2016
Adding to that impressive resume of stats this season is Matt VanOekel, the man between the posts. VanOekel leads the league in shutouts with nine. He is also tied for first in saves with sixty and possesses the lowest Goals Against Average with .56.
Moving to the other side of the ball, you’re probably wondering what kind of magic is at hand after browsing through Edmonton’s lineup. To me, the only recognizable players are Sainey Nyassi and Nik Ledgerwood. From an outsider’s perspective or from an international footballer’s viewpoint, they might agree with me or they might not even know anyone at all.
The point is FC Edmonton’s coach Colin Miller is making lemonade out of sour lemons. Not to say these players are bad or terrible at playing the game, they just aren’t well known.
Combining the Spring and Fall seasons, Edmonton have only scored 17 goals, that is seven more than they have conceded. No doubt they have a positive goal differential, but the thing to keep an eye on is where their goals come from. The goal scoring ‘wealth’ is spread out between eight different players, with five goals being the most and one the least by a single player. In fact, five players out of the eight have two or more goals, categorizing them as potential ‘goal threats’.
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In other words, goals aren’t coming frequently-maybe once or twice every couple games-but when they come, they are deserved, celebrated, and defended until the last whistle.
And the best part is, it works.
Edmonton just knocked off the talent-filled Minnesota United, which include the likes of Jeb Brovsky, Ben Speas, Danny Cruz, and the league leading goal scorer, Christian Ramirez.
Looking at it a bit closer, FC Edmonton might just be your next playoff contender.
Finishing 3rd in the league table in the Spring season, this past weekend’s win bumped them into a first place, tied with Indy Eleven with one game in hand.
With the Tampa Bay Rowdies up next, FC Edmonton look to keep their streak alive as well as add to their impressive array of statistics.