2011 North American Soccer League season

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. The USSF gave provisional sanctioning at the annual general meeting in Las Vegas on February 12, 2011.

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.

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 HomeClubMatch1 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 28Atlanta 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 1–20–11–21–10–20–30–00–20–22–12–31–31–53–43–2 2–22–10–10–40–20–40–32–42–01–20–21–10–4Carolina RailHawksPUR MTL EDM MIN TAM FTL MTL PUR ATL TAM EDM TAM ATL MTL MIN EDM EDM ATL FTL PUR MIN FTL ATL TAM FTLMTLPURMIN1–22–12–01–13–14–22–13–02–02–11–03–15–12–00–11–14–11–01–20–21–12–04–22–00–10–10–11–2FC EdmontonFTL ATL CAR MTL ATLTAM MINTAM MTL CAR PURMIN MTL MIN CAR TAM CAR TAM FTL PUR FTL ATL PUR PURMIN ATL FTL MTL2–11–00–20–52–01–12–14–00–20–13–01–11–01–11–11–21–41–30–30–11–13–02–31–13–12–11–20–2Fort Lauderdale StrikersEDM MIN ATL PURMIN CAR ATLMTL PUR MIN MTL PUR TAM TAM ATL MTL PUR EDM CAR MIN EDM CAR TAM MTL CAR EDMATL TAM1–21–12–12–21–12–40–00–03–23–00–01–11–12–42–31–11–33–02–11–01–10–20–21–01–02–11–10–2NSC 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 2–11–11–31–11–13–02–01–20–01–12–00–31–11–11–00–11–03–10–10–21–10–20–21–31–22–01–12–1Montreal 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 0–11–20–05–01–20–30–00–21–21–20–01–00–00–21–12–20–11–01–33–34–02–02–00–11–11–02–04–0Puerto 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 TAM2–12–03–12–20–20–31–12–32–10–33–11–10–04–31–11–03–10–11–02–02–02–13–21–10–21–11–01–0FC 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 FTL1–00–20–01–11–31–13–00–00–41–23–21–31–14–21–12–11–23–14–03–32–01–22–00–22–11–10–12–0 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

Quarterfinals

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

Club Montreal Impact 14 161,10212,060-11,507 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 14 52,769--3,769 Carolina RailHawks 14 46,942--3,353 FC Tampa Bay 14 42,138--3,010 Atlanta Silverbacks 14 40,117--2,866 Puerto Rico Islanders 14 30,247--2,161 FC Edmonton 14 25,434-7971,817 NSC Minnesota Stars 14 23,463-- 1,676 Total 112 422,212 12,060 797 3,770

Statistical leaders

Top scorers RankPlayerNationClubGoals1Etienne Barbara Carolina RailHawks202Pablo Campos Carolina RailHawks11Mike Ambersley FC Tampa Bay11Jonathan Faña Puerto Rico Islanders115Shaun Saiko FC Edmonton9Aaron King FC Tampa Bay97Matt Horth Atlanta Silverbacks88David Foley Puerto Rico Islanders7Kyle Porter FC Edmonton7Nicholas Addlery Puerto Rico Islanders7 Source:

Top goalkeepers (Minimum of 1260 Minutes Played) RankGoalkeeperClubMINSSVSGAGAA1 Evan BushMontreal Impact166871140.7572 Brad KnightonCarolina RailHawks2480115260.9423 Matt GlaeserFort Lauderdale Strikers190575221.0384 Ray BursePuerto Rico Islanders234098281.0775 Joe WarrenNSC Minnesota Stars2430105301.1116 Jeff AttinellaFC Tampa Bay2060128311.3547 Rein BaartFC Edmonton214578331.3878 Jimmy MaurerAtlanta Silverbacks153193412.412 Source:

Awards

League awards Golden Ball (MVP): Etienne Barbara (Carolina RailHawks) Golden Boot: Etienne Barbara (Carolina RailHawks) Golden Glove: Evan Bush (Montreal Impact) Coach of the Year: Manny Lagos (NSC Minnesota Stars) Fair Play Award: FC Tampa Bay

NASL Best XIPositionPlayersTeam 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

References

External links Official website