FT. LAUDERALE, Fla. – The Carolina RailHawks clinched the NASL Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 seed in the NASL Playoffs Wednesday night. While they suffered a 1-0 loss at Ft. Lauderdale, they cemented their place at the top of the table by virtue of Puerto Rico’s 1-1 home tie against Montreal.
The RailHawks (17-4-4) are eight points clear and have a game in hand on Puerto Rico, which has two games remaining on its calendar.
“It’s a big, big achievement for us,” said RailHawks coach Martin Rennie. “It was a goal for the season and we’re satisfied we’ve achieved it. To be the top team in the NASL is something the club can build on and it’s a reward for everybody’s hard work and the quality the entire organization has produced this season.”
The RailHawks have been at the top of the table since late April, and they saw their lead balloon to as many as 16 points over the course of their landmark season. Clinching their first piece of silverware adds to the list of club records the RailHawks have already set or are closing in on as the regular season draws to a close.
“Now we have to be the team to finish strong and accomplish our other goal, which is to win in the playoffs,” said Rennie, whose team will begin postseason play with a bye to the semifinals.
Clinching the championship Wednesday softened the setback of having their three-match winning streak and four-match unbeaten run ended.
Simply put, the RailHawks just didn’t have it against the Strikers.
The RailHawks were held to one shot in the first half and finished the night with two, neither of which were on target. Ft. Lauderdale’s Matt Glaeser earned a clean sheet without making a save, and the result marked just the third time this season the RailHawks were held scoreless.
Brad Knighton was called on to make three saves for Carolina, which allowed only seven shots.
Ft. Lauderdale had the run of play for much of the evening, but a goal didn’t materialize until early in the second half. In the 52nd minute, Lance Laing snuck down the left flank, collected the ball near the edge of the area and spotted Abe Thompson open in front of the goal for the tap-in.
“I guess the quality wasn’t very high tonight, which is unusual for us,” Rennie said. “We worked hard and gave a strong effort, but we lost concentration for a split second and it cost us. When the quality is not there, you hope for a tie. Brad didn’t have to make many saves tonight, and we didn’t make Glaeser make any either. So we didn’t do well enough to make it happen. Well done to Fort Lauderdale. They beat us twice this season.”
Wednesday’s match kicked off a three-game road trip for the RailHawks. They’ll travel to Montreal for a Sunday matinee at Saputo Stadium, then head to Puerto Rico for the final regular-season road match on Sept. 17. They close out the regular season at WakeMed Soccer Park on Sept. 24 against Minnesota.
FT. LAUDERDALE 1, CAROLINA 0
LINEUPS
CAR: GK Brad Knighton, D Floyd Franks, D Kupono Low, D Gareth Evans, D Tyler Lassiter, M Tony McManus, M Matt Watson (Cory Elenio, 79), M Jonny Steele, F Pablo Campos, F Allan Russell (Stephen Glass, 75), F Nick Zimmerman (Brian Farber, 63)
FTL:GK Matt Glaeser, D Scott Gordon, D Martin Lancaster, D Toni Stahl, D Lance Laing, M Leopoldo Morales (Yoximar Granado, 89), M Bran Arguez, M Gerson Mayen, M Mike Palacio (Eduardo Coudet, 80), F Brian Shriver (Peka, 70), F Abe Thompson
SCORING SUMMARY
FTL: Abe Thompson (Lance Laing), 52
CAUTIONS
CAR: Tyler Lassiter, 23; Nick Zimmerman, 40;
FTL: Scott Gordon 21; Abe Thompson, 54
SHOTS
CAR: 2
FTL: 7
FOULS
CAR: 16
FTL: 14
Attendance: 2,159
FT. LAUDERALE, Fla. – The Carolina RailHawks clinched the NASL Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 seed in the NASL Playoffs Wednesday night. While they suffered a 1-0 loss at Ft. Lauderdale, they cemented their place at the top of the table by virtue of Puerto Rico’s 1-1 home tie against Montreal.
The RailHawks (17-4-4) are eight points clear and have a game in hand on Puerto Rico, which has two games remaining on its calendar.
“It’s a big, big achievement for us,” said RailHawks coach Martin Rennie. “It was a goal for the season and we’re satisfied we’ve achieved it. To be the top team in the NASL is something the club can build on and it’s a reward for everybody’s hard work and the quality the entire organization has produced this season.”
The RailHawks have been at the top of the table since late April, and they saw their lead balloon to as many as 16 points over the course of their landmark season. Clinching their first piece of silverware adds to the list of club records the RailHawks have already set or are closing in on as the regular season draws to a close.
“Now we have to be the team to finish strong and accomplish our other goal, which is to win in the playoffs,” said Rennie, whose team will begin postseason play with a bye to the semifinals.
Clinching the championship Wednesday softened the setback of having their three-match winning streak and four-match unbeaten run ended.
Simply put, the RailHawks just didn’t have it against the Strikers.
The RailHawks were held to one shot in the first half and finished the night with two, neither of which were on target. Ft. Lauderdale’s Matt Glaeser earned a clean sheet without making a save, and the result marked just the third time this season the RailHawks were held scoreless.
Brad Knighton was called on to make three saves for Carolina, which allowed only seven shots.
Ft. Lauderdale had the run of play for much of the evening, but a goal didn’t materialize until early in the second half. In the 52nd minute, Lance Laing snuck down the left flank, collected the ball near the edge of the area and spotted Abe Thompson open in front of the goal for the tap-in.
“I guess the quality wasn’t very high tonight, which is unusual for us,” Rennie said. “We worked hard and gave a strong effort, but we lost concentration for a split second and it cost us. When the quality is not there, you hope for a tie. Brad didn’t have to make many saves tonight, and we didn’t make Glaeser make any either. So we didn’t do well enough to make it happen. Well done to Fort Lauderdale. They beat us twice this season.”
Wednesday’s match kicked off a three-game road trip for the RailHawks. They’ll travel to Montreal for a Sunday matinee at Saputo Stadium, then head to Puerto Rico for the final regular-season road match on Sept. 17. They close out the regular season at WakeMed Soccer Park on Sept. 24 against Minnesota.
FT. LAUDERDALE 1, CAROLINA 0
LINEUPS
CAR: GK Brad Knighton, D Floyd Franks, D Kupono Low, D Gareth Evans, D Tyler Lassiter, M Tony McManus, M Matt Watson (Cory Elenio, 79), M Jonny Steele, F Pablo Campos, F Allan Russell (Stephen Glass, 75), F Nick Zimmerman (Brian Farber, 63)
FTL:GK Matt Glaeser, D Scott Gordon, D Martin Lancaster, D Toni Stahl, D Lance Laing, M Leopoldo Morales (Yoximar Granado, 89), M Bran Arguez, M Gerson Mayen, M Mike Palacio (Eduardo Coudet, 80), F Brian Shriver (Peka, 70), F Abe Thompson
SCORING SUMMARY
FTL: Abe Thompson (Lance Laing), 52
CAUTIONS
CAR: Tyler Lassiter, 23; Nick Zimmerman, 40;
FTL: Scott Gordon 21; Abe Thompson, 54
SHOTS
CAR: 2
FTL: 7
FOULS
CAR: 16
FTL: 14
Attendance: 2,159
