2015 North American Soccer League season
The 2015 North American Soccer League season was the 48th season of Division II soccer in the United States and the fifth season of the North American Soccer League. It was contested by eleven teams including two from Canada. Jacksonville Armada FC made their NASL debut this season. The defending Soccer Bowl champions were the San Antonio Scorpions, while Minnesota United FC were the defending North American Supporters' Trophy winners. A split season format was used for the 2015 season.
| Season | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Champions | New York Cosmos |
| Spring Champions | New York Cosmos |
| Fall Champions | Ottawa Fury |
| Matches played | 165 |
| Goals scored | 453 (2.75 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Stefano Pinho (16) |
| Biggest home win | 6 goals: FTL 7–1 IND (Aug 29) |
| Biggest away win | 4 goals: JAX 0–4 CAR (May 30) |
| Highest scoring | 8 goals: FTL 7–1 IND (Aug 29) |
| Longest winning run | 5 games: Ottawa Fury (Jul 19 – Aug 8) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 12 games: Ottawa Fury (May 9 – Aug 8) Ottawa Fury (Aug 26 – Oct 31) |
| Longest winless run | 8 games: Atlanta Silverbacks (Apr 25 – Jul 4) Jacksonville Armada (May 16 – Jul 15) |
| Longest losing run | 4 games: Atlanta Silverbacks (May 24 – Jul 4) Carolina RailHawks (Aug 12 – 30) FC Edmonton (Oct 4 – 17) |
| Highest attendance | 16,167 JAX 3–1 FCE (Apr 4) |
| Lowest attendance | 1,112 FCE 4–0 SAS (Jul 5) |
| Total attendance | 975,558 |
| Average attendance | 5,912 |
← 2014 2016 → | |
Teams, stadiums, and personnel
Stadiums and locations
Personnel and sponsorship
| Team | Head coach | Captain | Kit producer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Silverbacks |  Gary Smith |
Simon Mensing |
Reto Sports | |
| Carolina RailHawks | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Colin Clarke |
 Connor Tobin |
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 |
Nike | Azul Airlines |
| Indy Eleven | Tim Regan (interim) |
 Kristian Nicht |
Diadora | Honda |
| Jacksonville Armada FC | Eric Dade (interim) |
 Marcos Flores |
Nike | Winn-Dixie |
| Minnesota United FC | Manny Lagos |
Aaron Pitchkolan |
Inaria | Atomic Data / Mall of America |
| New York Cosmos |  Giovanni Savarese |
Carlos Mendes |
Nike | Emirates |
| Ottawa Fury FC | Marc Dos Santos |
 Richie Ryan |
Admiral | The Heart and Crown |
| San Antonio Scorpions | Alen Marcina |
Adrian Cann |
Nike | Toyota |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies |  Stuart Campbell |
 Marcelo Saragosa |
Nike | Hard Rock |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Silverbacks |  Alejandro Pombo |
End of interim period | November 2, 2014 | Pre-Season | Gary Smith |
December 23, 2014 |
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers | Günter Kronsteiner |
Not Returning | December 5, 2014 | Pre-Season | Marcelo Neveleff |
January 19, 2015 |
| Jacksonville Armada | Expansion team | José Luis Villarreal |
June 14, 2014[1] | |||
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | Ricky Hill |
Fired | November 18, 2014 | Pre-Season |  Thomas Rongen |
December 3, 2014[2] |
| Jacksonville Armada | José Luis Villarreal |
Resigned | May 22, 2015 | 6th | Guillermo Ángel Hoyos |
June 14, 2015[3] |
| Indy Eleven | Juergen Sommer |
Fired | June 2, 2015 | 11th | Tim Regan (interim) |
June 2, 2015[4] |
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers | Marcelo Neveleff |
Resigned | June 7, 2015 | 10th | Iván Guerrero (interim) |
June 7, 2015[5] |
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers | Iván Guerrero (interim) |
End of interim period | June 30, 2015 | 8th | Günter Kronsteiner |
June 30, 2015[6] |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | Thomas Rongen |
Fired | August 21, 2015 | 10th | Stuart Campbell |
August 26, 2015[7] |
| Jacksonville Armada | Guillermo Ángel Hoyos |
Fired | September 21, 2015 | 11th | Eric Dade (interim) |
September 21, 2015[8] |
Spring season
The Spring season began on April 4 and ended on June 13. The schedule featured a single round robin format with each team playing every other team in the league a single time. Each team hosted 5 home games and played 5 road games. The winner of the Spring season earned one of four berths in the playoffs, known as The Championship.[9]
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Cosmos (S) | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 9 | +9 | 20 | Playoffs |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 19 | |
| 3 | Carolina RailHawks | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 10 | +5 | 14 | |
| 4 | Minnesota United | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 14 | |
| 5 | Indy Eleven | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 13 | |
| 6 | Jacksonville Armada | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 18 | −3 | 12 | |
| 7 | San Antonio Scorpions | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 15 | −4 | 12 | |
| 8 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 13 | −1 | 11 | |
| 9 | Ottawa Fury | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 11 | |
| 10 | FC Edmonton | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 22 | −6 | 9 | |
| 11 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 13 | −6 | 8 |
Source: NASL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total goal differential; 3) total goals scored; 4) head-to-head record; 5) away goal differential; 6) away goals scored
(S) Spring season champion
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total goal differential; 3) total goals scored; 4) head-to-head record; 5) away goal differential; 6) away goals scored
(S) Spring season champion
Results
Fall season
The Fall season began on July 4 and ended on November 1. The schedule featured each team playing every other team in the league once at home and once away. The winner of the Fall season earned one of four berths in The Championship.[10]
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ottawa Fury (F) | 20 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 37 | 15 | +22 | 45 | Playoffs |
| 2 | Minnesota United | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 39 | 26 | +13 | 39 | |
| 3 | New York Cosmos | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 31 | 21 | +10 | 36 | |
| 4 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 20 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 37 | 27 | +10 | 30 | |
| 5 | FC Edmonton | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 24 | +1 | 26 | |
| 6 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 20 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 24 | 27 | −3 | 25 | |
| 7 | Carolina RailHawks | 20 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 29 | 39 | −10 | 21 | |
| 8 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 28 | −10 | 20 | |
| 9 | Indy Eleven | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 36 | −13 | 20 | |
| 10 | San Antonio Scorpions | 20 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 30 | 37 | −7 | 19 | |
| 11 | Jacksonville Armada | 20 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 18 | 31 | −13 | 19 |
Source: NASL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total goal differential; 3) total goals scored; 4) head-to-head record; 5) away goal differential; 6) away goals scored
(F) Fall season champion
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total goal differential; 3) total goals scored; 4) head-to-head record; 5) away goal differential; 6) away goals scored
(F) Fall season champion
Results
Playoffs
The Championship, culminating with Soccer Bowl 2015, was 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 No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, with the higher seed going to the team with the better full-season record. The two next-best teams earned the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. The semi-finals had the No. 1 seed hosting the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed hosting the No. 3 seed. The winners met in the Soccer Bowl 2015 hosted by the team with the higher seed.[11]
Combined standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Cosmos (C, X) | 30 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 49 | 30 | +19 | 56 | Championship qualifiers[lower-alpha 1] |
| 2 | Ottawa Fury | 30 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 42 | 23 | +19 | 56 | Championship qualifiers[lower-alpha 2] |
| 3 | Minnesota United | 30 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 54 | 39 | +15 | 53 | Championship qualifiers[lower-alpha 3] |
| 4 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 49 | 40 | +9 | 41 | |
| 5 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 33 | 37 | −4 | 39 | |
| 6 | Carolina RailHawks | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 44 | 49 | −5 | 35 | |
| 7 | FC Edmonton | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 41 | 46 | −5 | 35 | |
| 8 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 30 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 31 | 40 | −9 | 33 | |
| 9 | Indy Eleven | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 36 | 48 | −12 | 33 | |
| 10 | San Antonio Scorpions | 30 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 41 | 52 | −11 | 31 | |
| 11 | Jacksonville Armada | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 33 | 49 | −16 | 31 |
Source: NASL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total goal differential; 3) total goals scored; 4) head-to-head record; 5) away goal differential; 6) away goals scored
(C) Champions; (X) Regular season champion
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total goal differential; 3) total goals scored; 4) head-to-head record; 5) away goal differential; 6) away goals scored
(C) Champions; (X) Regular season champion
Notes:
- As spring season champions
- As fall season champions
- As next best teams in overall standings
Participants
- New York Cosmos (Spring season champion)
- Ottawa Fury (Fall season champion)
- Minnesota United
- Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Bracket
| Semifinals | Soccer Bowl | ||||||||
| 1 | New York Cosmos | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | New York Cosmos | 3 | |||||||
| 2 | Ottawa Fury | 2 | |||||||
| 2 | Ottawa Fury (a.e.t.) | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Minnesota United | 1 | |||||||
Semifinals
| New York Cosmos | 2–1 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers |
|---|---|---|
Cellerino  37'  74'Senna 58'Raúl 61'Szetela 71' |
Report Report |
PC 16' Thomas 33' |
Attendance
| Club | GP | Total | High | Low | Average | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indy Eleven | 15 | 147,139 | 10,524 | 8,500 | 9,809 | -6.3% |
| Minnesota United | 15 | 131,499 | 9,418 | 5,890 | 8,767 | 9.9% |
| Jacksonville Armada | 15 | 118,905 | 16,164 | 5,652 | 7,927 | N/A |
| San Antonio Scorpions | 15 | 101,043 | 8,053 | 4,105 | 6,736 | -0.3% |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | 15 | 84,739 | 7,010 | 4,219 | 5,649 | 24.2% |
| Ottawa Fury | 15 | 77,464 | 6,899 | 3,023 | 5,164 | 24.5% |
| New York Cosmos | 15 | 75,927 | 12,550 | 3,326 | 5,062 | 7.6% |
| Carolina RailHawks | 15 | 68,080 | 7,217 | 3,055 | 4,539 | -0.1% |
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 15 | 67,067 | 11,691 | 1,278 | 4,471 | 9.9% |
| Atlanta Silverbacks | 15 | 60,366 | 5,511 | 2,302 | 4,024 | -0.7% |
| FC Edmonton | 15 | 43,329 | 4,240 | 1,112 | 2,889 | -14.6% |
| Total | 165 | 975,558 | 16,164 | 1,112 | 5,912 | 7.5% |
Source: NASL
Statistical leaders
Top scorers
Source:[12] |
Top assists
Source:[12] |
Clean sheets
Source: NASL |
Hat-tricks
|
Awards
Monthly awards
| Month | NASL Player of the Month | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Stats | Ref | |
| April | Jimmy Maurer |
New York Cosmos | 12SV, 1GA | [13] |
| May |  Raúl |
New York Cosmos | 3G | [14] |
| June |  Romuald Peiser |
Ottawa Fury | 9SV, 0GA | [15] |
| July | Christian Ramirez |
Minnesota United | 4G, 2A | [16] |
| August | Stefano Pinho |
Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 6G, 1A | [17] |
| September | Romuald Peiser |
Ottawa Fury | 11SV, 2GA | [18] |
| October | Stefano Pinho |
Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 4G, 3A | [19] |
Weekly awards
League awards
- Golden Ball (MVP): Stefano Pinho (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) [20]
- Golden Boot: Stefano Pinho (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) [21]
- Golden Glove: Romuald Peiser (Ottawa Fury) [22]
- Coach of the Year: Marc Dos Santos (Ottawa Fury) [23]
- Goal of the Year: Junior Burgos (Atlanta Silverbacks) [24]
- Young (U24) Player of the Year: Leo Fernandes (New York Cosmos) [25]
- Humanitarian of the Year: Drew Beckie (Ottawa Fury) [26]
- Fair Play Award: Ottawa Fury[27]
| NASL Best XI[28] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Team | ||||
| Goalkeeper | Romuald Peiser | Ottawa Fury | ||||
| Defense | Rafael Alves | Ottawa Fury | ||||
| Defense | Justin Davis | Minnesota United | ||||
| Defense | Carlos Mendes | New York Cosmos | ||||
| Defense | Kevin Venegas | Minnesota United | ||||
| Midfield | Richie Ryan | Ottawa Fury | ||||
| Midfield |  Lance Laing | FC Edmonton | ||||
| Midfield | Ibson | Minnesota United | ||||
| Midfield |  James Marcelin | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | ||||
| Forward | Stefano Pinho | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | ||||
| Forward | Christian Ramirez | Minnesota United | ||||
References
- "Jacksonville Armada FC Names José Luis Villarreal as Inaugural Head Coach". armadafc.com. June 14, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- "Rowdies name Rongen new head coach". Tampa Bay Times. December 3, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- "VILLARREAL TO DEPART ARMADA FC AT END OF NASL SPRING SEASON". Jacksonville Armada. May 22, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
- "Regan in as Interim Head Coach". Indy Eleven. June 2, 2015. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- "Strikers announce technical staff changes". Fort Lauderdale Strikers. June 7, 2015. Archived from the original on June 8, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
- "Strikers name gunter kronsteiner head coach". Fort Lauderdale Strikers. June 30, 2015. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- "Rowdies Name Stuart Campbell Head Coach". rowdiessoccer.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
- "General Manager Dario Sala, Head Coach Guillermo Hoyos and Assistant Coaches Dismissed". armadafc.com. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
- "OOPS! SORRY, SOMETHING WENT WRONG". nasl.com. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
- "OOPS! SORRY, SOMETHING WENT WRONG". nasl.com. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
- "NASL Clubs To Compete For 'The Championship'". February 27, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
- "2015 NASL statistics". Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- "Player of the Month New York Cosmos Goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer". North American Soccer League. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- "Player of the Month New York Cosmos Forward Raúl". North American Soccer League. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- "Player of the Month Ottawa Fury FC Goalkeeper Romuald Peiser". North American Soccer League. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- "Player of the Month Minnesota United Forward Christian Ramirez". North American Soccer League. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- "Player of the Month Fort Lauderdale Strikers Forward Stefano Pinho". North American Soccer League. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- "Player of the Month Ottawa Fury FC Goalkeeper Romuald Peiser". North American Soccer League. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
- "PLAYER OF THE MONTH - FORT LAUDERDALE FORWARD STEFANO PINHO". North American Soccer League. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- "Fort Lauderdale Strikers Forward Stefano Pinho Claims NASL Golden Ball". North American Soccer League. November 10, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- "Fort Lauderdale Strikers Forward Stefano Pinho Wins NASL Golden Boot Award". North American Soccer League. November 10, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- "Ottawa Fury FC Goalkeeper Romuald Peiser Claims NASL Golden Glove Award". North American Soccer League. November 10, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- "Ottawa Fury FC Head Coach Marc Dos Santos Named NASL Coach of the Year". nasl.com. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
- "Fans Vote Atlanta Silverbacks Midfielder JuniorBurgos' Freekick As NASL Goal of the Year". nasl.com. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- "New York Cosmos Midfielder Leo Fernandes Named NASL Young Player of the Year". nasl.com. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- "Ottawa Fury FC Defender Drew Beckie Named NASL Humanitarian of the Year". North American Soccer League. November 12, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- "Ottawa Fury FC Wins 2015 Fair Play Award". North American Soccer League. November 10, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- "North American Soccer League Announces 2015 Best XI". nasl.com. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
External links
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