2017 NASL Weekend Preview
By Daniel Garza
The 2017 North American Soccer League kicks off this weekend as six clubs begin their journey towards the final.
Saturday night will feature three different matches as six clubs begin their seasons, including defending champions New York Cosmos. Here’s a brief preview of each match-up.
North Carolina FC vs. Miami FC
Formerly know as the Carolina Railhawks, the new look North Carolina FC is set to host their first match of 2017 as regional opponents Miami FC come to town. Both clubs will be looking to build off their solid finishes in the fall season, where Miami finished fifth and the Railhawks finished seventh.
Miami will have plenty of attacking options this season as they added Stefano Pinho to the squad, he will be joined by former New York City FC player Kwando Poku, who was signed in the summer last season. The club will be hungry for goals and three points to start their spring season on the right note. They had a decent away record in the fall season in 2016, winning four matches, they also outscored their opponents 19 to 15 in their 11 away fixtures.
For North Carolina, the club welcomes a few new signings as well, including Lance Laing, who is a versatile winger. They return most of their squad from last season and have plenty of talent in their own right to launch a successful spring campaign.
How to Watch: beIN SPORTS (National – U.S.) beIN SPORTS CONNECT (National – U.S.), NASL.com (National – Canada)
Puerto Rico FC vs. New York Cosmos
The defending NASL champions kick-off their 2017 season against last year’s expansion club Puerto Rico FC. It will be the first of three meetings between the two sides in the spring season.
It’s been a solid preseason for the Cosmos as they went undefeated in their four friendly matches this month. New signing, Irvin Herrera, led the way with three goals in preseason. He will be one to watch for this season as well as Amauri.
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Puerto Rico have a fairly young roster and have added a few new players. Leading scorer Hector Ramos returns to the line-up and former D.C. United player Conor Doyle is a key new offensive addition. Former Barcelona academy product, Jordi Quintillá, is another signing to be excited about.
The Cosmos were 5-3-3 on the road in the fall season and conceded 16 goals while also scoring 16 goals. Puerto Rico were their best at home last season, taking 14 of their 24 points in Puerto Rico. Both of last season’s meetings were won by the Cosmos, as they outscored their opponents 5-1.
How to watch: beIN SPORTS (National – U.S.) beIN SPORTS CONNECT (National – U.S.), NASL.com (National – Canada)
San Francisco Deltas vs. Indy Eleven
It will be the first NASL match for the San Francisco Deltas as they play host to 2016 runners-up Indy Eleven.
The Deltas have some former MLS players on their squad, including former Houston Dynamo player Danny Cruz. Up top, they signed former Ottawa Fury player Tommy Heinemann, who should be one of the key players for the Deltas this seasons.
As for the Eleven, the club has a similar roster to last season as they begin their road to potentially another NASL final. The club will look to Eamon Zayed for goals once again this year, he netted 14 in 2016.
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The Eleven were a dismal 1-3-7 on the road in the 2016 fall season, conceding 20 goals and only scoring 11. A win on Saturday night will most certainly be a welcome result to begin 2017.
How to Watch: Twitter (National – U.S., Canada)