2011 North American Soccer League season explained

Competition:North American Soccer League
Season:2011
Winners:NSC Minnesota Stars
Shieldtitle:North American Supporters' Trophy
Shield:Carolina RailHawks
Matches:112
Total Goals:290
League Topscorer:Etienne Barbara (20)
Biggest Home Win:EDM 4–0 TB
MTL 4–0 ATL
Biggest Away Win:EDM 0–5 MTL
Highest Scoring:7 goals:
ATL 3–4 PUR
Longest Winless:9 matches:
Atlanta Silverbacks
Montreal Impact
Longest Losses:6 matches:
Atlanta Silverbacks
Highest Attendance:12,060
FC Tampa Bay @ Montreal Impact
Lowest Attendance:797
Puerto Rico Islanders @ FC Edmonton
Average Attendance:3,770[1]
Prevseason:2010 D2 Pro
Nextseason: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.

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

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
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28<--Win : bgcolor=#DFE7FFscore 3 pts.Loss: bgcolor=#FFDFDFscore 0 pts.Draw: bgcolor=#FFFFDDscore 1 pt.-->
Atlanta SilverbacksMIN EDM FTL TAM EDM MIN FTL CAR MIN MTL TAM PUR CAR PUR FTL MTL TAM CAR TAM PUR MTL EDM CAR PUR EDM MIN FTL MTL
  style="background:#ffdfdf;"1–20–11–21–10–20–30–00–20–22–12–31–31–53–43–2 2–22–10–10–40–20–40–32–42–01–20–21–10–4
Carolina RailHawksPUR MTL EDM MIN TAM FTL MTL PUR ATL TAM EDM TAM ATL MTL MIN EDM EDM ATL FTL PUR MIN FTL ATL TAM FTLMTLPURMIN
  style="background:#ffdfdf;"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 EdmontonFTL ATL CAR MTL ATLTAM MINTAM MTL CAR PURMIN MTL MIN CAR TAM CAR TAM FTL PUR FTL ATL PUR PURMIN ATL FTL MTL
  style="background:#dfe7ff;"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 StrikersEDM MIN ATL PURMIN CARATLMTL PUR MIN MTL PUR TAM TAM ATL MTL PUR EDM CAR MIN EDM CAR TAM MTL CAR EDMATL TAM
  style="background:#ffdfdf;"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 StarsATL FTL PUR CAR FTL ATL PUR EDM TAM PUR ATL FTL EDM EDM CAR PUR MTL MTL FTL TAM CAR MTLMTL EDM TAM ATL TAM CAR
  style="background:#dfe7ff;"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 ImpactTAM CAR TAM EDM CAR TAM FTL EDM ATL PUR FTL EDM PUR CARFTL ATL MIN PUR MIN TAM ATL MIN MIN FTL PUR CAR EDM ATL
  style="background:#ffdfdf;"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 IslandersCAR TAM MIN FTL MIN CAR MIN FTL MTL EDM ATL FTLMTL ATL TAM MIN FTL MTL EDM ATLCAR TAM EDM EDM ATL MTLCAR TAM
  style="background:#dfe7ff;"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 BayMTLPUR MTLATL CAR EDM MTL MIN EDM CAR ATL CAR FTL FTL PUR EDM ATL EDM ATL MTL MIN PUR FTL CAR MIN MIN PUR FTL
  style="background:#dfe7ff;"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

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

width=160Clubwidth=45width=45width=45width=45
align=center 14 161,10212,060style="text-align:center;"-11,507
align=center 14 52,769align=center -style="text-align:center;"-3,769
align=center 14 46,942align=center -style="text-align:center;"-3,353
align=center 14 align=center 42,138align=center -style="text-align:center;"-3,010
align=center 14 40,117align=center -style="text-align:center;"-2,866
align=center 14 30,247align=center -style="text-align:center;"-2,161
align=center 14 align=center 25,434align=center-7971,817
align=center 14 23,463align=center -style="text-align:center;"- 1,676
Total 112 422,212 align=center 12,060797 3,770

Statistical leaders

Top scorers

RankPlayerNationClubGoals
1Etienne BarbaraCarolina RailHawks20
2Pablo CamposCarolina RailHawks11
Mike AmbersleyFC Tampa Bay11
Jonathan FañaPuerto Rico Islanders11
5Shaun SaikoFC Edmonton9
Aaron KingFC Tampa Bay9
7Matt HorthAtlanta Silverbacks8
8David FoleyPuerto Rico Islanders7
Kyle PorterFC Edmonton7
Nicholas AddleryPuerto Rico Islanders7
Source:[5]

Top goalkeepers

(Minimum of 1260 Minutes Played)

RankGoalkeeperClubMINSSVSGAGAA
1 Evan BushMontreal Impact166871140.757
2 Brad KnightonCarolina RailHawks2480115260.942
3 Matt GlaeserFort Lauderdale Strikers190575221.038
4 Ray BursePuerto Rico Islanders234098281.077
5 Joe WarrenNSC Minnesota Stars2430105301.111
6 Jeff AttinellaFC Tampa Bay2060128311.354
7 Rein BaartFC Edmonton214578331.387
8 Jimmy MaurerAtlanta Silverbacks153193412.412
Source:[6]

Awards

League awards

NASL Best XI[10]
PositionPlayersTeam
Goalkeeper Brad KnightonCarolina RailHawks
Defense Hassoun CamaraMontreal Impact
Defense Lance LaingFort Lauderdale Strikers
Defense Kupono LowCarolina RailHawks
Defense Toni StåhlFort Lauderdale Strikers
Midfield David FoleyPuerto Rico Islanders
Midfield Pascal MillienFC Tampa Bay
Midfield Shaun SaikoFC Edmonton
Midfield Matt WatsonCarolina RailHawks
Forward Mike AmbersleyFC Tampa Bay
Forward Etienne BarbaraCarolina RailHawks

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=885 NASL Weekend in Review
  2. News: NASL Releases Press Statement Concerning US Soccer’s Decision to Decline Sanctioning . Brian . Quarstad . Inside Minnesota Soccer . January 21, 2011 . January 24, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110122080449/http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2011/01/21/nasl-releases-press-statement-concerning-us-soccers-decision-to-decline-sanctioning/ . January 22, 2011 . dead .
  3. News: NASL Provisionally Sanctioned by USSF for 2011 . . February 12, 2011 . February 12, 2011.
  4. News: NASL Provisionally Sanctioned by USSF . . November 21, 2010 . November 23, 2010.
  5. Web site: NASL Individual Leaders . September 25, 2013.
  6. Web site: NASL Individual Leaders . September 25, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130925203742/http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=297&orderby=gaa&order=ASC&getTeam=&getYear=2011 . September 25, 2013 . dead .
  7. Web site: Barbara Named NASL Golden Ball Winner. North American Soccer League. October 17, 2012. November 10, 2015.
  8. Web site: NASL Announces Three Postseason Award Winners. North American Soccer League. September 27, 2011. November 10, 2015.
  9. Web site: Minnesota Stars FC Coach Manny Lagos Named Field Turf 2011 NASL Coach of the Year. IMSoccer News. January 17, 2012. November 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20141129060347/http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2012/01/17/minnesota-stars-fc-coach-manny-lagos-named-field-turf-2011-nasl-coach-of-the-year/. November 29, 2014. dead.
  10. Web site: NASL Announces 2011 Best XI Team. North American Soccer League. September 28, 2011. November 10, 2015.

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