Carolina takes command in spring title race

• by Soccer America , Jun 23, 2013

[NASL REWIND: Week 12] The Carolina RailHawks claimed control in the race for the NASL spring championship, getting a pair of goals from top scorer Brian Shriver in the final four minutes to earn a 3-2 comeback win over visiting Minnesota United FC at WakeMed Soccer Park.

The Atlanta Silverbacks fell out of first place as two penalty kicks from Georgi Hristov and Mike Ambersley early in the second half gave the Tampa Bay Rowdies a 2-1 win in front of 5,711 fans at Atlanta Silverbacks Park.

Carolina can clinch the title with a win over Atlanta at at WakeMed Soccer Park next Saturday.

Shriver leveled for Carolina in the 86th minute with a goal off a pass from defender Kupono Low.  Two minutes later, Shriver struck his league-leading eighth goal of the season off an assist from midfielder Ciaran O'Brian. Carolina came back after Minnesota jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Simone Bracalello and Pablo Campos after only 10 minutes.
 
"We deserved to win today," said RailHawks coach Colin Clarke. "We were the better team. It was fun to watch. It was a great game. In the second half, we continued to pass the ball well and created more chances and got the goals we needed."
 
Despite the win, the Rowdies were eliminated from the race to win the spring championship and host the Soccer Bowl as they can not catch Carolina's current total of 19 points.
 
"If you give a team two goals in any league," said Silverbacks coach Brian Haynes, "it's very difficult to come back from and we have to blame ourselves for the loss.  We might have played well as far as the game is concerned but we didn't play smart and that is when the mistakes came."

Hans Denissen scored his second goal of the game in stoppage time to give the San Antonio Scorpions a 2-1 win over FC Edmonton and keep their slim title hopes alive.
 
NASL RESULTS: Week 12
Saturday, June 22
Carolina 3 Minn. United 2
Atlanta 1 Tampa Bay 2
San Antonio 2 FC Edmonton 1

NASL SPRING STANDINGS:
PTS TEAM W-L-T +/-
19 Carolina 5-1-4 19/13
17 Atlanta 5-3-2 16/14
15 Tampa Bay 4-3-4 17/14
14 Minn. United 4-4-2 17/17
14 San Antonio 4-4-2 13/14
11 FC Edmonton 2-4-5 10/11
8 Fort Lauderdale 2-6-2 9/16

NASL SCHEDULE: Week 13
Saturday, June 29
Carolina vs. Atlanta
Fort Lauderdale vs. San Antonio
Sunday, June 30
FC Edmonton vs. Minn. United

NASL SCHEDULE: Week 14
Thursday, July 4
Tampa Bay vs. Fort Lauderdale
Minn. United vs. Atlanta
San Antonio vs. Carolina

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