2014 North American Soccer League season
The 2014 North American Soccer League season was the 47th season of Division II soccer in the United States and the fourth season of the revived North American Soccer League. It was contested by ten teams including two from Canada. Joining the NASL in the Spring of 2014 were two new franchises, Indy Eleven and Ottawa Fury FC; originally Virginia Cavalry FC were to begin play this season but now plan to join in the 2016 season.[1] The defending Soccer Bowl champions are the New York Cosmos, while the Carolina Railhawks are the defending North American Supporters' Trophy winners. A split season format was used again for the 2014 season.[2]
| Season | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Champions | San Antonio Scorpions |
| North American Supporters' Trophy | Minnesota United FC |
| Matches played | 135 |
| Goals scored | 374 (2.77 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Christian Ramirez (20) |
| Biggest home win | SAN 7 vs TB 0 (10/11) |
| Biggest away win | NYC 3 @ TB 0 (5/17) NYC 3 @ FTL 0 (5/31) |
| Highest scoring | CAR 5 vs NYC 4 (9/20) |
| Longest winning run | MIN (4 games) (4/12 – 5/3) (9/13-10/4) |
| Longest unbeaten run | SAN (9 games) (5/10 – 7/26) |
| Longest winless run | IND (9 games) (4/12 – 6/7) |
| Longest losing run | ATL (6 games) (9/6 – 10/4) |
| Highest attendance | 34,047 OTT @ MIN (8/2) |
| Lowest attendance | 2,158 CAR @ OTT (4/26) |
| Total attendance | 742,695 (Spring & Fall) |
| Average attendance | 5,501 |
← 2013 2015 → | |
Teams, stadiums, and personnel
Stadiums and locations
Personnel and sponsorship
| Team | Head coach | Captain | Kit producer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Silverbacks |  Jason Smith |
Mike Randolph |
Nike | People HRO |
| Carolina RailHawks | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Colin Clarke |
 Kupono Low |
Adidas | Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC |
| FC Edmonton | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Colin Miller |
Albert Watson |
Adidas | The Fath Group |
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers |  Günter Kronsteiner |
 Iván Guerrero |
Acerbis | |
| Indy Eleven | Juergen Sommer |
 Kristian Nicht |
Diadora | Honda |
| Minnesota United FC | Manny Lagos |
Aaron Pitchkolan |
Admiral | Atomic Data / Mall of America |
| New York Cosmos |  Giovanni Savarese |
Carlos Mendes |
Nike | Emirates |
| Ottawa Fury FC | Marc Dos Santos |
 Richie Ryan |
Admiral | Heart and Crown[3] |
| San Antonio Scorpions | Alen Marcina |
Adrian Cann |
Nike | Toyota |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies |  Ricky Hill |
Frankie Sanfilippo |
Admiral | Hard Rock |
Player transfers
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Silverbacks |  Brian Haynes |
Contract not renewed | 9 December 2013[4] | Pre-Season | Eric Wynalda |
7 January 2014[5] |
| Atlanta Silverbacks | Eric Wynalda |
Voluntary move to team technical director | 17 July 2014[6] | 8th | Jason Smith |
18 July 2014[7] |
| Atlanta Silverbacks | Jason Smith |
Fired | 5 October 2014[8] | 10th |  Alejandro Pombo – Interim Head Coach |
5 October 2014[8] |
| San Antonio Scorpions | Alen Marcina |
End of interim period | 22 November 2013 | Pre-Season | Alen Marcina |
22 November 2013[9] |
| Indy Eleven | Expansion team | Juergen Sommer |
11 June 2013[10] | |||
| Ottawa Fury FC | Expansion team | Marc Dos Santos |
23 May 2013[11] | |||
Spring season
The Spring season lasted for 9 games beginning on April 12 and ending on June 8. The schedule featured a single round robin format with each team playing every other team in the league a single time.[12] Half the teams will host 5 home games and play 4 road games whereas the other half of the teams will play 4 home games and 5 road games. The winner of the Spring season earns one of four berths in the playoffs, now known as The Championship.[13]
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota United (S) | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 9 | +7 | 20 | Playoffs |
| 2 | New York Cosmos | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 3 | +11 | 19 | |
| 3 | San Antonio Scorpions | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 17 | |
| 4 | Carolina RailHawks | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 15 | −4 | 14 | |
| 5 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 13 | |
| 6 | Ottawa Fury | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 13 | +1 | 10 | |
| 7 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 16 | −5 | 10 | |
| 8 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 20 | −8 | 10 | |
| 9 | FC Edmonton | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 8 | |
| 10 | Indy Eleven | 9 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 20 | −6 | 4 |
Results
Fall season
The Fall season will begin following a break for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on July 19 and ending on November 2, with each team playing the others twice, once home and once away. The winner of the Fall season will earn automatic berth in The Championship.[13]
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio Scorpions (F) | 18 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 30 | 15 | +15 | 35 | Playoffs |
| 2 | Minnesota United | 18 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 31 | 19 | +12 | 35 | |
| 3 | FC Edmonton | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 18 | +5 | 29 | |
| 4 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 20 | 21 | −1 | 27 | |
| 5 | Carolina RailHawks | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 27 | 28 | −1 | 24 | |
| 6 | New York Cosmos | 18 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 24 | −1 | 23 | |
| 7 | Indy Eleven | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 21 | 26 | −5 | 23 | |
| 8 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 34 | −9 | 20 | |
| 9 | Ottawa Fury | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 25 | −5 | 17 | |
| 10 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 18 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 30 | −10 | 13 |
Results
Playoffs
The playoffs were contested by the winners of the spring and fall seasons hosting the next best two teams in the full year regular season table. The half-season champions earned the top two seeds, with the higher seed going to the team with the better full-season record. The two next-best teams earned the third and fourth seeds. The semifinals took place on November 8 and 9, with the #1 seed hosting the #4 seed and #2 hosting #3. The winners met in Soccer Bowl 2014 on November 15, hosted by the team with the higher seed.[15]
Combined standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota United (X) | 27 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 47 | 28 | +19 | 55 | Championship qualifiers |
| 2 | San Antonio Scorpions (C) | 27 | 16 | 4 | 7 | 43 | 24 | +19 | 52 | |
| 3 | New York Cosmos | 27 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 37 | 27 | +10 | 42 | |
| 4 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 27 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 38 | 39 | −1 | 40 | |
| 5 | Carolina RailHawks | 27 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 38 | 43 | −5 | 38 | |
| 6 | FC Edmonton | 27 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 | 29 | +5 | 37 | |
| 7 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 27 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 36 | 50 | −14 | 30 | |
| 8 | Ottawa Fury | 27 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 34 | 38 | −4 | 27 | |
| 9 | Indy Eleven | 27 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 35 | 46 | −11 | 27 | |
| 10 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 27 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 32 | 50 | −18 | 23 |
Participants
- Minnesota United (Spring season champion)
- San Antonio Scorpions (Fall season champion)
- New York Cosmos
- Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Semifinals
| Minnesota United | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Fort Lauderdale Strikers |
|---|---|---|
Ibarra  34'Mendes  50' |
Report Report |
Kronsteiner  71'Anderson 83'Nuñez 87' 90+1'Marcelin 105'Brito 118' |
| Penalties | ||
Venegas  Calvano  Ibarra Vicentini Campos Pitchkolan |
4 – 5 | Hassan Anderson Picault Núñez Brito Pecka |
| San Antonio Scorpions | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | New York Cosmos |
|---|---|---|
| Castillo 19' 55' DeRoux 83'Restrepo 110' |
Report Report |
Stokkelien 17' |
Attendance
| Season | Spring Season Weekly Averages | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | CAR | EDM | FTL | IND | MN | NY | OTT | SA | TB | League avg. | ||
| Week 1 | - | - | - | 3,105 | 11,048 | - | 7,906 | - | 7,381 | 7,003 | 7,289 | |
| Week 2 | 5,000 | 4,007 | 4,399 | - | 10,421 | - | - | 3,457 | - | - | 5,457 | |
| Week 3 | - | - | - | 3,515 | - | 5,287 | 4,130 | 2,158 | - | 4,670 | 3,952 | |
| Week 4 | 3,922 | 4,066 | 3,276 | - | - | 4,913 | - | - | 5,595 | - | 4,354 | |
| Week 5 | - | - | - | 3,109 | 10,285 | - | 3,091 | 2,164 | 5,834 | - | 4,897 | |
| Week 6 | - | 5,527 | - | - | 10,285 | 5,325 | - | - | 7,087 | 4,855 | 6,616 | |
| Week 7 | - | - | 2,961 | - | - | 6,784 | 3581 | 2,432 | - | 4,331 | 4,018 | |
| Week 8 | 5,000 | 7,856 | - | 5,572 | 10,285 | - | - | 3,207 | - | - | 6,384 | |
| Week 9 | 5,000 | - | 3,641 | - | - | - | 6,495 | - | 6,484 | 4,132 | 5,150 | |
| Spring Total | 18,922 | 21,456 | 14,277 | 15,310 | 52,324 | 22,309 | 21,622 | 13,418 | 32,381 | 24,991 | 237,010 | |
| Spring Avg | 4,730 | 5,364 | 3,569 | 3,825 | 10,465 | 5,157 | 4,323 | 2,684 | 6,476 | 4,998 | 5,267 | |
| Bold denotes league's highest attendance for the week[18] | ||||||||||||
| Season | Fall Season Weekly Averages | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | CAR | EDM | FTL | IND | MN | NY | OTT | SA | TB | League avg. | ||
| Week 1 | - | 3,080 | 3,609 | 3,092 | - | - | 3,806 | - | - | 3,896 | 3,497 | |
| Week 2 | 3,011 | - | - | - | 10,555 | 7,287 | - | 14,593 | 6,958 | - | 8,481 | |
| Week 3 | 4,810 | - | 3,152 | 3,257 | - | - | - | - | 7,884 | 4,868 | 4,711 | |
| Week 4 | - | 4,294 | 2,849 | 2,648 | 10,285 | 34,047 | 4,649 | - | - | - | 10,896 | |
| Week 5 | 3,842 | - | - | - | 10,285 | 5,112 | 4,524 | 4,814 | - | - | 5,652 | |
| Week 6 | - | 3,140 | - | - | - | 5,420 | - | 4,277 | 7,847 | 4,273 | 4,209 | |
| Week 7 | - | 4,666 | - | 2,409 | - | - | - | - | - | 4,212 | 5,454 | |
| Week 8 | - | - | 3,111 | - | 10,285 | - | 3,928 | 4,206 | 5,734 | - | 4,755 | |
| Week 9 | 5,000 | 3,106 | 2,796 | 3,006 | 10,659 | 7,024 | - | 5,269 | - | - | 5,303 | |
| Week 10 | - | - | - | - | - | 6,202 | 3,626 | - | 5,594 | 4,340 | 5,761 | |
| Week 11 | 3,071 | 3,193 | - | - | - | - | 4,502 | - | - | - | 4,896 | |
| Week 12 | 3,062 | 5,593 | 4,392 | 3,112 | - | - | - | 5,094 | 8,313 | 4,313 | 5,568 | |
| Week 13 | - | - | 3,830 | 3,052 | 10,285 | 5,744 | - | 3,105 | - | 3,865 | 4,734 | |
| Week 14 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6,225 | - | 5,963 | - | 5,009 | |
| Week 15 | 2,905 | - | 2,903 | - | 10,285 | - | 4,411 | - | 5,683 | 2,565 | 5,090 | |
| Week 16 | 3,061 | 4,179 | - | 5,756 | 10,982 | 5,817 | - | 3,935 | - | - | 5,989 | |
| Week 17 | 5,000 | - | - | 5,756 | - | 6,454 | 8,565 | 4,172 | - | - | 5,989 | |
| Week 18 | - | 6,460 | 3,035 | 5,505 | - | - | - | - | 8,205 | 6,377 | 5,914 | |
| Fall Total | 33,762 | 37,621 | 29,677 | 37,593 | 94,188 | 83,107 | 44,236 | 44,651 | 62,181 | 38,669 | 505,685 | |
| Fall Avg | 3,751 | 4,180 | 3,297 | 4,177 | 10,465 | 9,234 | 4,915 | 4,961 | 6,909 | 4,300 | 5,619 | |
| Bold denotes league's highest attendance for the week[18] | ||||||||||||
Statistical leaders
Top scorers
Source:[19] |
Top assists
Source:[19] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Individual awards
Monthly awards
| Month | NASL Player of the Month | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Nation | Club | Link | |
| April | Zack Schilawski | USA |
Carolina RailHawks | 3G |
| May/June | Christian Ramirez | USA |
Minnesota United FC | 3G 3A |
| July | Rafael Castillo |  COL |
San Antonio Scorpions | 3G |
| August | Christian Ramirez | USA |
Minnesota United FC | 6G 1A |
| September | Miguel Ibarra | USA |
Minnesota United FC | 4G 1A |
| October/November | Christian Ramirez | USA |
Minnesota United FC | 4G |
League awards
- Golden Ball (MVP): Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC) [20]
- Golden Boot: Christian Ramirez (Minnesota United FC) [21]
- Golden Glove: John Smits (FC Edmonton) [22]
- Coach of the Year: Manny Lagos (Minnesota United FC) [23]
- Goal of the Year: Christian Ramirez (Minnesota United FC) [24]
- Young (U24) Player of the Year: Christian Ramirez (Minnesota United FC) [25]
- Humanitarian of the Year: Chris Nurse (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) [26]
- Fair Play Award: Tampa Bay Rowdies[27]
| NASL Best XI[28] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Players | Team | ||||
| Goalkeeper | Jimmy Maurer | New York Cosmos | ||||
| Defense |  Tiago Calvano | Minnesota United FC | ||||
| Defense | Justin Davis | Minnesota United FC | ||||
| Defense | Darnell King | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | ||||
| Defense | Carlos Mendes | New York Cosmos | ||||
| Midfield | Miguel Ibarra | Minnesota United FC | ||||
| Midfield | Rafael Castillo | San Antonio Scorpions | ||||
| Midfield |  Lance Laing | FC Edmonton | ||||
| Midfield | Walter Restrepo | San Antonio Scorpions | ||||
| Forward |  Fafà Picault | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | ||||
| Forward | Christian Ramirez | Minnesota United FC | ||||
References
- "Virginia Cavalry FC To Begin Play In 2015". Retrieved December 14, 2013.
- "NASL 2014 Season Format Announced". Retrieved July 26, 2013.
- OSEG Communications Heart and Crown Partners with OSEG and Fury FC" Archived 2014-04-13 at the Wayback Machine, Ottawa Fury FC, Ottawa, 11 April 2014. Retrieved on 11 April 2014.
- "Club Declines Contract Extension on Haynes". Archived from the original on January 18, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
- "Club Eliminates Coaching Position, Wynalda To Manage From Technical Director Role". Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
- Wynalda calls Silverbacks decision very difficult ajc.com Archived 21 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- "Smith named head coach". Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
- "Jason Smith relieved of head coaching duties". Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
- "Alen Marcina Named Scorpions Head Coach". North American Soccer League. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- "Juergen Sommer to Lead Indy Eleven as Head Coach". indyeleven.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- "Ottawa Fury to name Canadian Marc Dos Santos as head coach – reports". Canadian Soccer News. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- Soccer Bowl Rematch Highlights 2014 NASL Season Openers Archived 20 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- "Oops! Sorry, Something Went Wrong | Nasl".
- "Schedule". NASL. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- "NASL Clubs To Compete For 'The Championship'". February 27, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
- "| NASL".
- Wagner, Joe (November 16, 2014). "Scorpions Raise Soccer Bowl Trophy With 2-1 Win Over Strikers". nasl.com/.
- "Schedule | NASL".
- "NASL Individual Leaders". Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- "Minnesota United's Migual Ibarra Honored With The 2014 Golden Ball Award". North American Soccer League. November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
- "Minnesota Uniteds Christian Ramirez Wins 2014 Golden Boot Award". North American Soccer League. November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- "FC Edmonton Goalkeeper John Smits Claims 2014 Golden Glove Award". North American Soccer League. November 13, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
- "Minnesota United's Manny Lagos Named 2014 Coach of the Year". North American Soccer League. November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
- "Fans vote Christian Ramirez's Bicycle Kick as NASL Goal of the Year". North American Soccer League. November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
- "Forward Christian Ramirez Named Young Player of the Year". North American Soccer League. November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
- "Striker's Chris Nurse Named 2014 Humanitarian of the Year". North American Soccer League. November 12, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- "Rowdies Win Fair Play Award". North American Soccer League. November 11, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- "NASL Names 2014 Best XI". North American Soccer League. November 13, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
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