Eddies in playoffs following win over Rowdies
It was the North American Soccer League version of the Big Chill.
And after FC Edmonton’s 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on a cold and blistery day at Clarke Stadium on Sunday, it may be a preview of what’s to come.
With the victory, FC Edmonton clinched an NASL playoff spot for the first time since the league went to a spring and fall season format in 2012. Edmonton’s only other playoff appearance was in 2011 when six teams qualified instead of four.
Ben Fisk scored the winning goal, 13 minutes into the contest and goalkeeper Matt VanOekel posted his 15th shutout of the year, setting a league record.
“I’m just so proud,” said a beaming FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller. “I said to our owners, Tom and Dave Fath, that we would make the playoffs within five years (of his hiring) and the club would be properly run within five years and we’ve done it in four years. The players, the staff, everyone deserves a tremendous amount of credit here.”
The win pulled Edmonton within five points of the New York Cosmos at the top of the NASL fall season standings with a game in hand. FC Edmonton travels to face the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on Wednesday, before heading to play Minnesota United FC on Saturday.
“When I think of the teams that we are above at the moment and the resources those clubs have, for FC Edmonton to do what (it) has been doing consistently all season long, it’s just fantastic,” Miller said.
On Sunday, FC Edmonton had to battle the elements as well as their opponents, who are chasing the final playoff spot in the league and had all to play for. The temperature at kickoff was -1C with a strong wind and periodic blowing snow.
Fisk’s goal came early, as he headed in a perfectly placed cross by midfielder Dustin Corea past Rowdies goalkeeper Matt Pickens.
“It was a great cross in from Dustin,” Fisk said. “I just tried to get in across my defender and get a head on it, get something on it and put it on target. It worked out well.”
Both teams were able to endure the elements for the remainder of the half as a brief snowstorm blew through the stadium. Edmonton were able maintain the lead despite a couple of scares from Tampa Bay.
The best chance of the first half for the visitors came in stoppage time as midfielder Keith Savage had the ball bounce to him in front of the net, but fired just wide.
“I’m a Canadian kid who is not used to conditions like this,” said Fisk, who was playing in Spain before joining FC Edmonton midway through the year. “It was pretty cold. There were a few runs when I was tracking back to cover their fullback where I could barely see because the wind was blowing in my face.”
Footing also presented a problem for some players on the frozen ground, which city crews did an excellent job of clearing of snow prior to kickoff. For the first time in NASL history, a yellow winter ball was used in league play.
“Fisky came in on the clutch, the kid is a special talent,” VanOekel said. “DC (Corea) played him an absolute fabulous ball, it was a great break for us down the left side and I’m glad we got that one, it was definitely what we were pushing for and we know our statistics over the year so far, that if we score first we win, so we were pretty pumped about that.”
In the second half, Tampa Bay had the wind advantage, but they were unable to beat VanOekel, who has been Edmonton’s most valuable player this season. VanOekel has played every minute of every game for FC Edmonton this year.
“It just sums Matt up, congratulations to him setting the modern day NASL record,” Miller said.