NASL Week in Review for 4/8/2011

It’s been a long, cold winter for NASL fans, who had many anxious moments as the NASL’s status as the D2 league in the United States was provisionally sanctioned, then had sanctioning removed, before it was reinstated in February.  For NASL fans who have been waiting for what will be the league’s first season, spring is finally here.

All eight NASL teams kick off on Saturday, April 9, with the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers hosting the inaugural match against FC Edmonton, while last year’s USSF D2 finalists, the Carolina RailHawks and Puerto Rico Islanders, face off in Cary. The re-born Atlanta Silverbacks will try to hold down the NSC Minnesota Stars under second-year coach Manny Lagos, while FC Tampa Bay play host to MLS-bound Montreal at their new Al Lang Stadium home.

Meanwhile, a few NASL teams are still tweaking their rosters in preparation.  The Puerto Rico Islanders, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and Atlanta Silverbacks all added two more players this week.

Puerto Rico Islanders

La Tropa Naranja have signed goalkeeper Richard Martin, along with rookie attacker Jared VanShaik. Martin, 23, is an Englishman and veteran of lower division football in his native country.  His career began at Brighton & Hove Albion in 2004.  His good play on loan prompted Premier League side Manchester City to sign him in 2007, where he played mostly for the reserve team but played with the first squad in a friendly match. He signed with Yeovil Town in 2009 and has made 43 first team professional appearances before signing with the Islanders.

Jared VanShaik played his college soccer at the University of Portland.  He scored 17 goals during his four-year career at Portland in 77 games and was chosen by Real Salt Lake in the MLS SuperDraft. ”Jared is a skilled player that will bring depth to our midfield.  He is very good offensively and we are very happy to have him on our team,” said Islanders assistant coach Adrian Whitbread.

Fort Lauderdale Strikers

The Strikers added to Coach Daryl Shore’s backline by signing defenders Toni Stahl and rookie Scott Gordon. Stahl, 25, is from Finland and played for two Finnish sides before beginning his collegiate career as a UConn Husky in 2006.  The 6’3″ centerback was drafted by the Philadelphia Union in 2010 and got in one MLS match while also spending time in 2010 on loan with the Harrisburg City Islanders.

Scott Gordon, 23, played his college ball at Lynn University in his hometown of Coral Gables, Florida.  The 6’4″ backliner was drafted by FC Dallas in 2011. “Scott has the potential to be a successful player in the MLS,” Lynn head coach John Rootes.  “He is not just an outstanding athlete but an outstanding person with great character.”

Atlanta Silverbacks

Atlanta’s Director of Soccer Rodrigo Rios has obtained midfielder Raphael Cox and defender Josh Casarona to bolster the Silverbacks in 2011. Cox, 5’7,” played at the University of Washington and spent time with Real Salt Lake, scoring a goal against the Columbus Crew in 2009.  Cox, 24, played last season with his hometown side the Tacoma Tide, and also has PDL experience with the Colorado Rapids U-23 in 2007.

Josh Casarona is an 18-year-old who has spent two seasons playing with lower division clubs in Buenos Aires. An Alabama native, Casarona, 5’10,” has also trained in England with the U.S. ODP Region III and got to work out at the Chelsea training facility and play in reserve games against English EPL clubs.

“Raphael and Josh are fantastic additions to our team,” said Silverbacks Assistant Coach Alex Pineda Chacón. “When you look at where they have played previously and what they have gained from those experiences, it’s easy to see how valuable they can be to our team.”

NASL News

The Carolina RailHawks and veteran midfielder Khano Smith seem to have reached a contract impasse, according to an article in “The Royal Gazette” by Derek Dechabert.  Smith, a 30-year-old attacker from Bermuda, played 100 games for the New England Revolution in MLS, but is unhappy with the contract offered by Carolina.  As a free agent, Smith has been trialing with the RailHawks but seemingly will not join the team because of a dispute over the wording of the contract offer.

Frankie Sanfilippo has been named as captain of FC Tampa Bay, coach Ricky Hill announced this week.  Sanfilippo is a veteran of D2, having begun his professional career in 2004. Also, David Hayes, hired as an assistant coach by the club earlier this winter, will also be placed on the roster as an active player.  Hayes. 34,  is a defender who began his career in 1999 with DC United and played in 14 matches with Carolina last season.  Although he’s been placed on the active roster, Hayes’ primary duties will continue to be as assistant coach.

The Puerto Rico Islanders defeated the Charleston Battery 1-0 last Tuesday in a friendly match between 2010 champions. In addition to their NASL schedule, the Islanders will begin their defense of the Caribbean Football Union club championship on April 23 against Walking Boyz at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium. The Islanders were the first team from outside of Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago to win the competition with their CFU title run in 2010.

Check out previous posts on IMSoccerNews focusing on the NASL Conference call Thursday with new commissioner David Downs, the unveiling of new Admiral uniforms by NSC Minnesota, rule changes for the upcoming NASL season, as well as information on live streaming of games.  Spring is here.

Note: This will be the last NASL Week in Review for the season as we switch to game recaps.