2011 North American Soccer League Season
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The 2011 North American Soccer League season is the 44th season of second division soccer in the United States and the inaugural season of the newly created
North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...
. Earlier in 2011, the league's likelihood of earning second tier sanctioning had been thrown into question when the U.S. Soccer Federation rejected the league in January due to its financial instability. The USSF gave provisional sanctioning at the annual general meeting in Las Vegas on February 12, 2011.


Competition format

The NASL debuted in 2011 with 8 teams playing a 28-game regular season schedule, with 14 home and 14 away games, playing each opponent four times. The NASL’s playoff format consisted of the top six teams, with the first two teams receiving a bye until the semifinal round and the remaining four teams playing in a single-game playoff to advance to the semifinals. The semifinals and the finals will each consist of a two-game home and home aggregate goal system.


Regular season


Standings


Results

Source
NASL results table


Playoffs

The 6 qualifying teams will be given seeds 1 through 6 with the top team in the standings receiving the number 1 seed. The format of the Playoffs will consist of a Quarterfinal Round, Semifinal Round and a Final Round. The Quarterfinal Round will be a single game while the Semifinal and Final Rounds will each be a 2-game series with each team playing at home once and the team with the greater number of aggregate goals in both games winning each series. The number 1 seed and the number 2 seed will receive a bye directly to the Semifinal Round while the number 3 seed will host the number 6 seed and the number 4 seed will host the number 5 seed in the Quarterfinal Round. For the Semifinal Round, the number 1 seed will be paired with the lowest seeded team to qualify from the Quarterfinal Round with the number 2 seed being paired with the highest seeded team to qualify from the Quarterfinal Round. The winners of each series in the Semifinal Round will meet in the Final Round known as the
Soccer Bowl The Soccer Bowl was the annual championship game of the North American Soccer League (NASL), which ran from 1968 to 1984. The two top teams from the playoffs faced off in the final to determine the winner of the NASL Trophy. From the league's ...
. In the event of a draw in either Quarterfinal Round game, such game will progress to a 30-minute extra time period (the golden goal rule will not be in effect). If the teams are still locked in a draw following the extra time period, the winner will be determined by a penalty shootout. In each Semifinal Round series and the Final Round series, if the teams are tied on the number of aggregate goals scored in the series at the conclusion of the second game, the teams will progress to a 30-minute extra time period. As in the Quarterfinal Round, the golden goal rule will not be in effect. If the teams are still locked in a draw following the extra time period, the winner of the series will be determined by a penalty shootout.


Bracket


Quarterfinals


Semifinals

:''Tied 4–4 on aggregate. NSC Minnesota Stars win 5–3 on penalties.''
:''Fort Lauderdale Strikers win 5–2 on aggregate.''


Soccer Bowl 2011

:''NSC Minnesota Stars win Soccer Bowl 2011, 3–1 on aggregate.''


Attendance


Statistical leaders


Top scorers

Source:


Top goalkeepers

(Minimum of 1260 Minutes Played) Source:


Awards


League awards

* Golden Ball (MVP): Etienne Barbara (
Carolina RailHawks North Carolina FC is an American professional soccer team in Cary, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 2006, the team previously was named the Carolina Railhawks. On December 6, 2016, the RailH ...
) *Golden Boot: Etienne Barbara (
Carolina RailHawks North Carolina FC is an American professional soccer team in Cary, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 2006, the team previously was named the Carolina Railhawks. On December 6, 2016, the RailH ...
) * Golden Glove: Evan Bush ( Montreal Impact) * Coach of the Year: Manny Lagos ( NSC Minnesota Stars) * Fair Play Award: FC Tampa Bay


References


External links


Official website
{{2011 in Canadian soccer North American Soccer League (2011–2017) seasons NASL