2022 National Independent Soccer Association season
The 2022 NISA season is the fourth season of the National Independent Soccer Association's third-division soccer competition. After three years of split seasons, NISA switched to a full season format, with a single table and a playoff competition to determine the 2022 champion.[1]
| Season | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Dates | Mar. 26 – Oct. 15 (regular season) Oct. 21 – Nov. 6 (playoffs) |
| Champions | Michigan Stars FC |
| Regular season title | California United Strikers FC |
| Matches played | 94 |
| Goals scored | 239 (2.54 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Markus Naglestad (19) |
| Biggest home win | MAR 6–1 FCU (April 2) CAL 5–0 LAF (Jun 26) |
| Biggest away win | FCU 0–5 CHA (Jul 16) |
| Highest scoring | CAL 4–3 BCFC (April 23) |
| Longest winning run | 9 games CAL |
| Longest unbeaten run | 10 games CAL |
| Longest winless run | 9 games FCU |
| Longest losing run | 5 games FCU |
← 2021 2023 →
All statistics correct as of October 15, 2022. | |
Teams
Six of the teams that participated in the 2021 Fall season returned, and were joined by four expansion clubs: Bay Cities FC, Flower City Union, Syracuse Pulse, and Valley United FC. From the existing 2021 teams, San Diego 1904 FC were rebranded to Albion San Diego, after merging with the youth club with the same name,[2] while Chicago House AC, New Amsterdam FC and Stumptown AC will be on hiatus for 2022, and current title holders Detroit City FC moved to USL Championship.[3]
Stadiums and locations
Locations of announced clubs
Participating club
Personnel and sponsorship
- Note: The league has signed a deal with Hummel to be the official kit manufacturer, but it still allows clubs to find their own provider.[4]
| Team | Head coach | Captain(s) | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albion San Diego |  Jeff Korytoski |
Ozzie Ramos |
Capelli |
Nova Easy Kombucha |
| Bay Cities FC | Anders Perez |
 Hummel |
Premia | |
| California United Strikers FC | Don Ebert |
Xavier Fuerte |
Nike |
Taco Bell |
| Chattanooga FC | Rod Underwood |
 Juan Hernandez |
Hummel |
Louisiana Hot Sauce, VfL Wolfsburg |
| Flower City Union | Colton Bly (interim) |
Hummel |
||
| Los Angeles Force |  Thales Peterson |
Joshua Culwell |
Xara |
— |
| Maryland Bobcats FC | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Sylvain Rastello |
Kay Banjo |
Hummel |
Jimmy's Famous Seafood |
| Michigan Stars FC | Trevor Banks |
Hummel |
HTC | |
| Syracuse Pulse | Peter Fuller |
Shaun Russell |
 Givova |
Montreal Construction, SOS |
| Valley United FC | Nico Gaitan |
Capelli |
||
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flower City Union | Zach Agliata[5] |
Resigned | May 3, 2022 | 4th in East | Colton Bly (interim) |
May 3, 2022[5] |
| Valley United | Adrian Gaitan[6] |
Resigned | May 19, 2022 | 2nd in East | TBD |
Regular season
The season started on March 26, and will see each team play 26 games over 30 weeks: four times against each opponent in the same division and two times against each opponent in the opposite division.
East Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chattanooga FC | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 12 | +18 | 31 | Qualification for the semi-finals |
| 2 | Michigan Stars FC | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 18 | 9 | +9 | 24 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | Maryland Bobcats FC | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 19 | +5 | 21 | |
| 4 | Syracuse Pulse | 16 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 23 | −5 | 17 | |
| 5 | Flower City Union | 19 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 50 | −40 | 8 |
Updated to match(es) played on August 20, 2022. Source: nisasoccer.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal differential; 3) goals scored; 4) head-to-head
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal differential; 3) goals scored; 4) head-to-head
West Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California United Strikers FC | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 6 | +18 | 35 | Qualification for the semi-finals |
| 2 | Albion San Diego | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 16 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | Bay Cities FC | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 15 | |
| 4 | Los Angeles Force | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 14 | −7 | 10 | |
| 5 | Valley United FC[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Withdrew from the league |
Updated to match(es) played on August 20, 2022. Source: nisasoccer.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal differential; 3) goals scored; 4) head-to-head
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal differential; 3) goals scored; 4) head-to-head
Notes:
- Valley United FC withdrew from the league and their playing record of P9 W1 D1 L7 GF4 GA21 was expunged.[7]
Standings (August 27–October 15)
Due to Bay Cities FC's withdrawal from this season, NISA has revised the 2022 schedule and table with the eight remaining clubs. As a result, this standings had been condensed into a single table format and used an average-points per game total (points earned divided by matches played).[8]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California United Strikers FC | 21 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 35 | 12 | +23 | 46 | 2.19 | Qualification for the semi-finals |
| 2 | Chattanooga FC | 24 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 44 | 21 | +23 | 49 | 2.04 | |
| 3 | Michigan Stars FC | 23 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 27 | 15 | +12 | 38 | 1.65 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 4 | Albion San Diego | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 28 | 23 | +5 | 32 | 1.60 | |
| 5 | Maryland Bobcats FC | 23 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 32 | 28 | +4 | 30 | 1.30 | |
| 6 | Syracuse Pulse | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 26 | 32 | −6 | 25 | 1.14 | |
| 7 | Los Angeles Force | 20 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 31 | −17 | 14 | 0.70 | |
| 8 | Flower City Union | 23 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 13 | 57 | −44 | 9 | 0.39 |
Source: nisasoccer.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal differential; 3) goals scored; 4) head-to-head
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal differential; 3) goals scored; 4) head-to-head
Results
Playoffs
The playoffs began on October 21, and featured the top six teams from the regular season. The top two teams from the regular season table received a bye into the league semifinals. Teams finishing third through sixth played in the quarterfinals, with the winners being re-seeded before playing in the next round. The 2022 Final took place on November 6. All postseason games were broadcast online on Eleven Sports.
Originally, the East and West division winners would have been assigned the top two seeds and received byes to the semifinals. The second place teams in each division were to be seeded 3 and 4, while the third place finishers would be seeded 5 and 6. Following the restructuring of the table on August 27, the division aspect was dropped.
| Quarterfinal October 21 (Eleven Sports) | ||||
| 3 | Michigan Stars FC | 2 | ||
| 6 | Syracuse Pulse | 0 | ||
| Quarterfinal October 21 (Eleven Sports) | ||||
| 4 | Albion San Diego | 2 | ||
| 5 | Maryland Bobcats FC | 0 | ||
| Semifinals October 29/30 (Eleven Sports) | NISA Championship Final November 5 (Eleven Sports) | ||||||||
| 1 | California United Strikers FC | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Albion San Diego | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | Albion San Diego | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Michigan Stars FC | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Chattanooga FC | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Michigan Stars FC | 1 | |||||||
Quarterfinals
| October 21, 2022 | Michigan Stars FC | 2–0 | Syracuse Pulse | Washington, Michigan |
| 7:00 p.m. EDT |
|
Report Broadcast |
Stadium: Romeo Stadium Referee: Kevin Fikar |
| October 21, 2022 | Albion San Diego | 2–0 | Maryland Bobcats FC | Pacific Highlands Ranch, San Diego |
| 6:00 p.m. PDT |
|
Report Broadcast |
Stadium: Canyon Crest Stadium |
Semifinals
| October 29, 2022 | California United Strikers FC | 2–4 | Albion San Diego | Irvine, California |
| 7:00 p.m. PDT |
|
Report Broadcast |
|
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium |
| October 30, 2022 | Chattanooga FC | 0–1 | Michigan Stars FC | Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| 5:00 p.m. EDT | Report Broadcast |
|
Stadium: Finley Stadium |
NISA Championship Final
| November 6, 2022 | Michigan Stars FC | 1–0 | Albion San Diego | Washington, Michigan |
| 4:00 p.m. EDT |
|
Report Broadcast |
Stadium: Romeo Stadium Attendance: 1,178 Referee: Alex Beehler |
Player statistics
- As of October 15, 2022
Awards
Individual awards
| Award | Winner | Team | Reason | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot |  Markus Naglestad |
Chattanooga FC | 19 goals in 23 games | [10] |
| Golden Glove |  Jean Antoine |
California United Strikers FC | 12 shutouts in 16 matches; 5 goals against | [10] |
| Coach of the Year | Rod Underwood |
Chattanooga FC | 14-7-3 record | [10] |
| Golden Ball (Most Valuable Player) | Markus Naglestad |
Chattanooga FC | 19 goals, 5 assists | [10] |
NISA Best XI
| First team[11] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
| Jean Antoine (CUS) |
Matt Constant (MIC) Garrett Hogbin (CUS) Vasilios Zogos (MIC) |
 Minjae Kwak (SYR) Alex McGrath (CHA) |
Alioune Diakhate (ASD) Darwin Espinal (MAR) Taylor Gray (CHA) Markus Naglestad (CHA) Omar Nuño (CUS) |
| Second team[11] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
 Tatenda Mkuruva (MIC) |
 Jonathan Firmino (MIC) Franky Martinez (CHA) Edwin Rivas (LAF) |
Ian Cerro (CHA) Richard Dixon (CHA) Manuel Gonzalez (MAR) Steven Juncaj (MIC) Tony Lopez (CUS) Walter Varela (ASD) |
Kaleb Jackson (SYR) |
NISA Independent Cup
The NISA Independent Cup will start on June 25. It features nine of the ten NISA clubs, with California United Strikers FC opting not to participate the tournament. They will be joined by 27 invited amateur teams and divided geographically into nine regions of four clubs each. Each region will play a single round robin tournament between three amateur teams using a 10-point system. The winner of that round-robin will play against the NISA teams for the regional championship. Like last year, there will be no interregional play or national champion.
Participating Clubs
Nine NISA teams play in nine regions respectively, as California United Strikers FC did not participate. Midwest, New England and South Central region replaced with Empire, Northeast and SoCal region due to lack of NISA teams (despite Michigan Stars based from Midwest but plays in Great Lakes as NISA's 2022 season did not have Midwest based clubs other than Michigan Stars).
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Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NY Braveheart SC (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 19 | Qualification for the regional final |
| 2 | Lansdowne Yonkers FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 10 | |
| 3 | Allentown United FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | −7 | 1 |
Regional final
| July 30, 2022 | Syracuse Pulse | 6–2 | NY Braveheart SC | Utica, New York |
| 4:00 PM EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Charles A. Gaetano Stadium |
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metro Louisville FC (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 16 | Qualification for the regional final |
| 2 | FC Milwaukee Torrent | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 11 | |
| 3 | Lansing Common FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0 |
Regional final
| July 29, 2022 | Michigan Stars FC | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Metro Louisville FC | Washington, Michigan |
| 6:30 PM EDT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Michigan Stars Sports Center Referee: Nicole Green |
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Virginia FC (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 19 | Qualification for the regional final |
| 2 | Soda City FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | |
| 3 | Rockville SC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 2 |
Regional final
| July 30, 2022 | Maryland Bobcats FC | 5–2 | Northern Virginia FC | Boyds, Maryland |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Report | Stadium: Maryland SoccerPlex |
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey Alliance FC (Q) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 13 | Qualification for the regional final |
| 2 | Steel Pulse FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 1 | +9 | 10 | |
| 3 | NY Contour United | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | −10 | 5 |
Regional final
| July 24, 2022 | Flower City Union | 2–0 | New Jersey Alliance FC | Rochester, New York |
| 5:00 PM EDT | Report | Stadium: Rochester Community Sports Complex Stadium |
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wenatchee All-Stars FC (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 17 | Qualification for the regional final |
| 2 | Battleborn FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 11 | |
| 3 | Modesto City FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0 |
Regional final
| July 23, 2022 | Bay Cities FC | 0–1 | Wenatchee All-Stars FC | Redwood City, California |
| 6:00 PM PDT | Report | Stadium: Sequoia Stadium |
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capo FC (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 17 | Qualification for the regional final |
| 2 | AFC South Bay | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 9 | |
| 3 | Soul 2 Sole | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 4 |
Regional final
| July 24, 2022 | Capo FC | 1–3 | Albion San Diego | San Juan Capistrano, California |
| 7:00 PM PDT | Report | Stadium: Jserra Stadium |
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Club de Lyon FC (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 18 | Qualification for the regional final |
| 2 | Miami Beach CF | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 10 | |
| 3 | Brevard Fire SC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 1 |
Regional final
| July 23, 2022 | Chattanooga FC | 3–2 | Club de Lyon FC | Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Report | Stadium: Finley Stadium |
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valley FC Raiders (Q) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 15 | Qualification for the regional final |
| 2 | East Valley United | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 14 | |
| 3 | SC Saguaros | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 1 |
Regional final
| August 6, 2022 | Valley United FC | Cancelled | Valley FC Raiders | Mesa, Arizona |
| TBD MST | Stadium: Bell Bank Park | |||
| Note: Due to Valley United FC suspended all operations for the balance of the 2022 season including southwest regional final between Valley United FC and Valley FC Raiders, Valley FC Raiders was awarded the southwest regional title as a group stage winner.[7] | ||||
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inland Empire Republic FC (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 17 | Qualification for the regional final |
| 2 | Peak XI FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 10 | |
| 3 | Olympiacos CA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 |
Regional final
| July 24, 2022 | Los Angeles Force | 2–0 | Inland Empire Republic FC | Covina, California |
| 6:00 PM PDT | Report | Stadium: Covina District Field |
Notes
- Albion played its home match vs Maryland on August 17 at California State University San Marcos
- Bay Cities played its home match vs Flower City on June 1 at Cañada College
- Flower City Union played its home matches of May 4 vs California United Strikers and June 15 vs Los Angeles Force at Vandetta Stadium in Batavia, New York due to date conflicts.
- LA Force played their first home matches at Garey Stadium, second home at Orange County Great Park Turf 10, third hone at Ayala Park Stadium at Chino, fourth home at Championship Soccer Stadium and now fifth, and sixth home at Covina District Field at Covina. The seventh match, also meant for Covina, was postponed and is listed as of August 22, 2022 as to be decided. The final four matches, excluding the postponed match, are to be held at Los Angeles Harbor College.
- Valley United withdrew from 2022 season after roster controversy around a club. As a result, a team who against Valley United in previous matches will not take a result and points for standings.[7]
- Forfeited by Syracuse due to financial issues
- Forfeited by Valley United due to roster violations[6]
References
- NISA. "NISA Announces 2022 Season Schedule". Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- Mark Zeigler (December 15, 2021). "San Diego pro men's soccer team 1904 FC merges with youth club Albion". www.sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- Detroit City to join USL Championship for 2022 season | USL Championship
- "NISA announces kit sponsorship deal". Twitter.com. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- "Agliata resigns, Bly as interim". Flower City Union. May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- "Updated to NISA & VUFC statement". NISA. May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- "UPDATE TO NISA / VUFC STATEMENT". Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- "Financial Constraints Force NISA Club Bay Cities FC to Suspend Operations". nisasoccer.com. August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
- "NISA player statistics". nisasoccer.com. NISA. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- "NISA Announces 2022 Annual Award Recipients". NISAofficial.com. National Independent Soccer Association. November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- "NISA Announces 2022 BestT XI". NISAofficial.com. National Independent Soccer Association. November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
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