NASL Podcast Episode #16; Minnesota Stars and Carolina RailHawks 2nd Leg Semifinals Preview with Neil Morris
Welcome to episode #16 of the IMSoccer News North American Soccer League Podcast.
This is a special edition of the NASL Podcast with special guest Neil Morris who helps me preview the 2nd leg of the NASL semifinal game between Minnesota and Carolina.
You may know Neil Morris as the writer who contributes to IndyWeek.com in Cary, North Carolina and who is the soccer beat writer for the for the Triangle Offense blog. There he covers many things soccer, particularly the Carolina RailHawks.
We also play audio from post game interviews after last Saturday’s Minnesota Stars win over the RailHawks. Carolina’s Tony McManus, head coach Martin Rennie and Stars head coach Manny Lagos all reflect on the game and talk about the upcoming match in Cary at WakeMed Park this weekend.
Minnesota has the one goal advantage going into the rematch and a 3-game win streak. Carolina has the most potent offense in the league and will be playing at home, but they have lost their last 5 games and, according to Morris, the team and their coach are asking questions to which no one seems to know the answer. Carolina played well Saturday night but so did Minnesota. One team will move on to the finals and one will pack their bags for the winter. Which team will claim the glory?
Please join Neil Morris and me as we preview Saturday’s 2nd leg semifinal.
You can find all past episodes of the North American Soccer League Podcast here.
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I agree 100% with BQ’s analysis and comments on Coach Manny and his ability to understand the game and what players are going through when they are the dreaded losing streak. My prediction is the Stars draw 1-1 in Carolina–win the series. I think the Strikers will lose 1-0 to PR, and win the series with a Stars/Strikers final! COME ON YOU STARS!
great listen … such negativity from the RailHawks perspective it gives me renewed enthusiasm for our team to win their way into the final … sounds like the RailHawk locker room is not a very fun place to be at this point, while there is singing and dancing among the Stars.
TAKE THEIR COLORS
@BQ and Soccer Boy – The Stars just seem to have the Railhawks number. Sometimes teams can be a nightmare matchup even though overall records or standings don’t tell the same story. I think a lot of people assumed a Railhawks/Islanders finals was a pretty sure bet. But the Stars and Strikers seemed to fall into the right matchups to upend any predictions based on regular season final standings.
My predictions are that Joe Warren and the Stars will hang onto their +1 lead and send the Railhawks home with a 1 – 1 tie; and that the Strikers, who have peaked at precisely the right time and are more confident than they’ve been all season, will be able to take advantage of the desperation attack mode the Islanders will be in and will take Saturday’s match, 3 – 2. A Stars/Strikers finals sounds really good to me! Good luck to the Stars, and Go Strikers!!!
Jonny Steele should have been the captain.
That in depth, match preview episode was straight up FILFTHY! I’m being 100% serious–no schtick. I’m emotionally more invested in the other semifinal series, but listening to Neil Morris & BQ break it down got me geeked up to see how that semi-final is going to play out.
Excellent work.