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10 Early Games To Watch During 2017 Season

Here's a look at some games early in the year that are worth circling on the calendar
Matthew Levine (@NASLInsider} | Feb 7, 2017

The NASL schedule was released on Monday and the season will get underway on March 25. The split-seson format always delivers drama in both the Spring and Fall Seasons and 2017 should be no different. Here's a look at some of the contests earlier in the year that fans won't want to miss, including The Championship Final rematch on the Fourth of July: 

3/25 – North Carolina FC vs. Miami FC

A new state of soccer will begin at WakeMed Soccer Park during the opening weekend of the 2017 Spring Season. North Carolina FC, formerly the Carolina RailHawks, unveiled its new branding during the offseason, and the club’s new era begins in earnest against Miami FC. The South Florida side has added several new players in a bid to challenge for the NASL title in its second season.

3/25 – Puerto Rico FC vs. New York Cosmos

Puerto Rico FC has a chance to build momentum heading into its clash with the defending champions, playing three CFU Club Championship games before the start of the NASL season. Puerto Rico improved greatly at the tail end of the 2016 Fall Season, and the club will look to get out of the gate quickly in its first chance to play in the Spring Season. The Cosmos will also hope for a fast start in an effort to build towards defending their NASL title, which they have claimed three of the past four seasons.

3/25 – San Francisco Deltas vs. Indy Eleven

The NASL heads to the West Coast for the first time in the Modern Era as the Deltas host Indy Eleven in the club’s inaugural game. San Francisco head coach Marc Dos Santos has had past success in the league, but this time around, he’ll start with a tough task facing Indy. The Boys in Blue, last year’s Spring Season Champions, will be eager to erase the bad taste in their mouths after losing to the Cosmos in The Championship Final.

4/1 – New York Cosmos vs. Miami FC

The first game in New York for the Cosmos after winning the title in 2016 will come at a new venue, MCU Park in Coney Island. The club’s first home game in 2017 is an intriguing matchup as well. Miami FC has added several key signings in the offseason, including former NASL Golden Boot and Golden Ball winner Stefano Pinho, former Best XI selection Michel, and veteran midfielder Dylan Mares. Miami FC will certainly be looking to challenge for the title and the contest against the Cosmos will be an early test of the side’s credentials. 

4/29 – San Francisco Deltas vs. New York Cosmos

The last time a Dos Santos-led NASL club faced the Cosmos, it left with a heartbreaking loss in The Championship Final in 2015. The Montreal native’s first chance at redemption will come at the end of the April. The game against the Cosmos could prove to be more than just a chance for personal satisfaction for the Deltas coach. It’s an opportunity to test the expansion side’s progress one month into the Spring Season.

5/6 – Indy Eleven vs. FC Edmonton

The Championship Semifinal between Indy and the Eddies was one of the most thrilling contests of the 2016 season. Thanks to a superb strike from Sinisa Ubiparipovic, the Boys in Blue were able to claim a 1-0 win over FC Edmonton that day in November. The clubs will get their first crack at a rematch in early May, and it could end up as another tense affair.

6/2 – North Carolina FC vs. New York Cosmos

When the Cosmos began play in 2013, the club’s toughest road trips often came at WakeMed Soccer Park. New York was winless in its first four matchups in Cary, but Gio Savarese’s side has since won the last two down south. The Cosmos are in the midst of a five-game winning streak against their North Carolina counterparts, but, with a new badge and name in 2017, Colin Clarke’s men will aim to wipe the slate clean and start a streak of their own.

6/3 – Jacksonville Armada FC vs. Miami FC

Florida rivals Jacksonville and Miami will take the field against each other for the first time at Hodges Stadium in early June. Miami will have a score to settle after a late-season loss to the Armada that all but ended its postseason chances in its inaugural year. Both clubs won’t have any issues getting up for this game where South Florida meets North Florida.

6/25 – Jacksonville Armada FC vs. Puerto Rico FC

Both Jacksonville and Puerto Rico were building momentum at the end of the 2016 Fall Season. In 2016, the clubs played in a pair of close games, with the Armada edging Puerto Rico FC, 2-1, in the first meeting, and the clubs playing to a thrilling 3-3 draw last September. 

7/4 – New York Cosmos vs. Indy Eleven

The Fourth of July is a big day in Coney Island with the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest taking place, as well as other holiday-related festivities. Adding to that list this summer will be the rematch of The Championship Final from last year. Back in November, the Cosmos knocked off Indy Eleven in a penalty shootout to claim back-to-back NASL titles. Despite the Eleven’s sensational season a year ago, the one thing they couldn’t solve was picking up points in New York. The club will look to change that in the first meeting between the sides in 2017. 

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