Philadelphia Lightning vs New York Knights Recap

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Lineups:

PHI: Marwan ElShorbagy, Nathan Lake, Nick Wall

NY: Ean Yow Ng, Shahjahan Khan, Adegoke Onaopemipo

 

Despite New York’s best efforts, this felt like a fairly comfortable 4-0 win for Philadelphia thanks to the efforts of Marwan Elshorbagy. Marwan scored 53 points in 33 minutes, including 15 points in three power plays.

Period 1 was a 34-17 rout that saw Nathan Lake score a whopping 16 points in 6 minutes for the Lightning. Newcomer Adegoke Onaopemipo struggled as well, giving up 7 points to Nathan Lake in a power play and only countering with three points of his own with Nick Wall defending the New York power play.

Period 2 was much closer. All six players played well in their own way, but Marwan Elshorbagy and Ean Yow Ng (2.38 and 2.6 points per minute respectively) had unbelievable offensive output in the 2nd period. The end of the period came down to Onaopemipo trying to hold off Marwan. He did just enough to force a sudden death point, but Marwan won it to seal a 32-31 Period 2 victory.

Period 3 was another close and high-scoring affair. Onaopemipo closed out his allotted minutes and did quite well, scoring 7 points in 4 minutes. The two headliners, Marwan (22 points) and Yow Ng (21 points), were pretty much even in this one. The difference came down to the supporting casts. Nick Wall and Nathan Lake really stepped up and produced a little more than Shahjahan Khan in particular. Khan only scored 8 points in the 7 minutes he actually could score points (he played 11 minutes, but defended two power plays in the 3rd). The final result was 40-36 in the 3rd, and Philly won a well-played game.

Philadelphia Lightning vs New York Knights Preview

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When/Where to Watch:

 

NSL YouTube channel or HomeTeam Network Saturday April 25th at 6:30 PM ET.

 

Projected Lineups:

 

PHI: Marwan ElShorbagy, Nathan Lake, Nick Wall

NY: Ean Yow Ng, Shahjahan Khan, Adegoke Onaopemipo

 

Prediction:

 

Philadelphia brings a strong squad that should have great synergy together. Marwan’s pedigree, Lake’s steadiness, and Nick Wall’s attacking style should mesh well. Philadelphia is really showing off their depth here, as neither Lake or Wall played in their win over Atlanta. I’m excited for Nick Wall’s team debut. It doesn’t get much better in the NSL than Mohamed Abouleghar as far as power play threats go. But, Wall has a chance to make a case for himself as a solid backup plan in Abouelghar’s absence. 

 

New York is headlined by Ean Yow Ng. Shahjahan Khan is an NSL vet who’ll rise to the occasion. Adegoke Onaopemipo is the wildcard. At world #183, he’ll be the lowest ranked men’s player to appear in the league this year. He brings size and speed that I think could play well in the NSL format should his technique hold up. It’ll be fascinating to see how he does. 

 

Right now, I’ll take Philly to win, but New York should give them a good match.

 

Predicted Score: New York 1-3 Philadelphia

Chaos Up North? How Greenwich Can (Barely) Still Win the Division

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The NSL playoff picture is starting to take shape. The Chicago Grizzlies are locked into a playoff spot, and three teams (Louisville, Nashville, and Atlanta) are mathematically eliminated. However, there’s plenty of parity and possible scenarios to run through. Look no further than the Men’s North Division. 

 

The standings are currently as follows: 

 

 

Going into the season, Greenwich were heavy favorites. The case for the Panthers was simply that no one else had anything close to the firepower of Mostafa Asal, Dimitri Steinmann, and Greg Marche. If they played in accordance with their ranking, the division was theirs. 

 

Obviously, it hasn’t played out that way, as Newport beat Greenwich 3-1 in the North division opener on April 11th. We only have one more match in the North: Newport @ Lake Erie on May 16th. Greenwich can only sit and watch at this point, and their 1-1 record, 4 period points, and +1 point differential is solid but not spectacular. 

 

And yet, the Greenwich Panthers are still alive to win the North. Barely…but it’s true!

 

The most likely winner is Newport. They have a great roster, are 1-0 already, and any win against Lake Erie (as well as a shootout loss) guarantees a division win. Greenwich has no shot in any of those four scenarios. If Lake Erie pulls off a 4-0 win, they clinch the division no matter the margin of victory. 

 

Chaos ensues as long as Lake Erie wins 3-1. Refer to the table below for all the basic scenarios. 

 

May 16 Result Final PP Division winner Notes
Newport win 4–0 NEW 7 · GRE 4 · LE 1 Newport Newport win on PP outright. Greenwich wildcard candidate.
Newport win 3–1 NEW 6 · GRE 4 · LE 2 Newport Newport win on PP outright. Greenwich wildcard candidate.
Newport win 2–2 SO NEW 5 · GRE 4 · LE 3 Newport Newport win on PP outright. Greenwich wildcard candidate.
Lake Erie win 4–0 LE 5 · GRE 4 · NEW 3 Lake Erie  Lake Erie win on PP outright. Newport (1–1, 3 PP) eliminated from wildcard by Greenwich (4 PP).
Lake Erie win 3–1 All three teams: 4 PP PD tiebreaker Three-way tie. See below for further analysis.
Lake Erie win 2–2 SO NEW 5 · GRE 4 · LE 3 Newport Newport win on PP despite 1–1 record (5 PP beats Greenwich’s 4). Lake Erie eliminated.

 

What if Lake Erie Wins 3-1?

 

If Lake Erie beat Newport 3-1, all three North Division teams finish the season at 1-1 with 4 period points each. The tiebreaker goes to point differential. So, Lake Erie’s margin of victory would determine the division winner. 

 

As a reminder, the point differentials as they currently stand:

  • Greenwich: +1
  • Newport: +10
  • Lake Erie: -11

 

This means that if Lake Erie’s margin of victory is: 

  • 9 or less: Newport wins the division. 
  • 10-12: Greenwich wins the division. 
  • 13 or more: Lake Erie wins the division

 

This is what I love about the NSL format, among many other things of course. Despite only two regular season games per team, we still get absolute chaos down the stretch of the season. The window for Greenwich to clinch the division is exactly three points wide. I don’t know the exact probability of a 3-1 Lake Erie victory by exactly 10-12 points, but I’d imagine it’s a fraction of 1%. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? Absolutely not. The Panthers aren’t out of this yet.

4/17-4/19 Match Recaps

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Greenwich Panthers vs Lake Erie Beacons

Lineups: 

GRE: Mostafa Asal, Dimitri Steinmann, Greg Marche

LE: Tom Walsh, Ben Smith, David Baillargeon

 

Despite the large world ranking gap in the two lineups, this turned out to be an incredible match. Period 1 was neck-and-neck until Mostafa Asal stepped on court for Greenwich. He scored 13 points in six minutes and led Greenwich to a 22-15 victory in Period 1.

Period 2 was an NSL squash masterclass from the Beacons. Ben Smith’s four point power play built the lead, and Tom Walsh closed out the period with ten minutes of brilliant attritional squash. A late surge from Greg Marche was too little too late for the Panthers in the 2nd. Lake Erie won 19-18.

The match was all tied up headed into Period 3. Lake Erie once again played well…but Mostafa Asal was not to be denied. He played 21 minutes in Period 3, racking up 27 of his team’s 33 points. Greenwich ended up winning the match 3-1 after a 33-28 victory in the third period.

 

Louisvlle Colts vs Chicago Grizzlies

Lineups:

LOU: Leonel Cardenas, Sam Osbourne-Wilde, Perry Malik

CHI: Karim Gawad, Simon Herbert, Yassin Elshafei

 

Another exciting match. In Period 1, Chicago was behind the eight ball tactically. They were behind early, and used their power play on Yassin Elshafei rather than Karim Gawad, who only ended up playing five minutes in the 1st. On Louisville’s side, Sam Osbourne-Wilde took advantage of a cold Karim Gawad to the tune of a seven point power play. That built an insurmountable lead for Louisville, who won 24-15.

In Period 2, Gawad let the Grizzlies with a whopping 16 points in six minutes of play. Perry Malik countered with 21 points of his own for Louisville. But, the Grizzlies consistent performance from their supporting cast in Herbert and Elshafei put them over the edge in the 2nd 35-29.

Period 3 came down to the wire, and was much lower-scoring on a per-minute basis than the rest of the match. Gawad and Cardenas did the heavy lifting in this period, but statistically the standout player was Simon Herbert, who scored 11 points in seven minutes. That was good for 1.57 points per minute in the 3rd, which was far higher than any other player. Herbert’s minutes proved to be the edge Chicago needed to close out the match with a 28-25 Period 3 victory.

 

Seattle Freeze vs Lake Erie Beacons

Lineups: 

SEA: Tinne Gilis, Laila Sedky, Asia Harris

LE: Alina Bushma, Keira Marshall, Karina Tyma

 

Tinne Gilis, take a bow. Gilis’ 73 points in 39 minutes of play carried the Freeze to a dominant 4-0 victory. In Period 1, Gillis built a double digit lead early. But, Keira Marshall went off for Lake Erie in the middle of the 1st, scoring 18 points in seven minutes, with the help of an eight point power play. The Freeze still ended up winning 36-30, but Marshall did everything she could for the Beacons.

Period 2 was pure domination from Tinne Gilis. She scored 22 points in seven minutes (more than a point every 20 seconds!). Keira Marshall played well once again, and Alina Bushma came alive in the 2nd, but Gilis was simply too dominant for Lake Erie to mount any sort of comeback.

The 3rd period started out close. Bushma kept the score remarkably close for the first few minutes, but wouldn’t you know it, Gilis controlled the game again. Both teams actually did quite well defending the power plays in the 3rd, as both teams only scored four total points off power plays. The defensive effort was highlighted by Keira Marshall not giving up a single point to Laila Sedky on a power play. But, Lake Erie not generating any advantage from power plays meant that Tinne Gilis could lead the Freeze to victory fairly comfortably.

4/17 Triple Match Weekend Preview

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Lake Erie Beacons @ Greenwich Panthers

When/Where to Watch

 

NSL YouTube channel or HomeTeam Network Friday April 17th at 7:00 PM ET.

 

Projected Lineups:

 

LE: Ben Smith, David Baillargeon, Tom Walsh

GRE: Mostafa Asal, Dimitri Steinmann, Greg Marche

 

Prediction: 

 

Lake Erie did what they could to assemble a solid lineup, with new signing Tom Walsh providing a strong defensive presence and stamina. But, I don’t think they’ll be any match for a juggernaut Greenwich lineup that will be motivated to make up for their shocking upset loss against Newport. I expect Greenwich to step on the gas early and not look back. 

 

Predicted Score: Lake Erie 0-4 Greenwich

 

Chicago Grizzlies @ Louisville Colts

When/Where to Watch

 

NSL YouTube channel or HomeTeam Network Saturday April 18th at 5:00 PM ET.

 

Projected Lineups:

 

CHI: Karim Gawad, Simon Herbert, Yassin Elshafei

LOU: Leonel Cardenas, Sam Osbourne-Wilde, Perry Malik

 

Prediction:

 

These two lineups are fairly similar on paper. Both rosters are led by blue-chippers in Gawad and Cardenas, followed by quality role players in their lineups. I think this match will come down to coaching and tactical sharpness, which is why I’ll go with the upset pick in the Louisville Colts. Coach Fernando Validizan is intimately familiar with the NSL format, having been around for the league’s inception. Give me Louisville in a 3-1 win. 

 

Predicted Score: Chicago 1-3 Louisville

 

Lake Erie Beacons @ Seattle Freeze

When/Where to Watch

 

NSL YouTube channel or HomeTeam Network Sunday April 19th at 1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT

 

Projected Lineups:

 

LE: Keira Marshall, Karina Tyma, Alina Bushma

SEA: Tinne Gillis, Asia Harris, Laila Sedky

 

Prediction:

 

After a rocky start to the season, I expect Seattle to step up their game. They’ll be led by new franchise player Tinne Gillis, and the team will know how to navigate the format as a result. Lake Erie will need to decide how to handle the Gillis matchup tactically, as there isn’t a direct talent matchup that makes sense. I do see a world where Lake Erie keeps it interesting, but I like Seattle in front of their home crowd. 

 

Predicted Score: Lake Erie 1-3 Seattle

The Lake Erie Beacons Believe in Their Guys, At What Cost?

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The offseason is when you find out what a team really thinks of itself. 

 

Every NSL franchise faced the same set of decisions last winter: which players to keep, which players to drop, and how to use their draft picks. Some teams completely overhauled their roster. Chicago dropped everyone but Sam Todd and rebuilt from scratch. Nashville overhauled their top two players in search of a new identity. Lake Erie did no such thing. 

 

The Beacons retained their core four of Victor Crouin, Yannick Wilhelmi, Bernat Jaume, and Nick Spizzirri that led them to a 2-0 2025 regular season and an NSL Finals appearance. You can hardly blame them. Victor Crouin is the World #6 and has been on the Beacons’ roster since the NSL’s inception. He’s the headliner on a roster that’s achieved a lot of success in the NSL already. Wilhelmi and Jaume bring strength and endurance to play hard minutes throughout a match without fading. Both players extend rallies for the Beacons and rarely concede points easily. Spizzirri proved valuable in the NSL format as well. He’s a physical presence whose accuracy and consistency play perfectly into the Beacons’ slow-paced strategy. 

 

You can say a lot of good things about Lake Erie’s roster. It’s easy to see why they prioritized continuity. But, that strategy comes at a cost. 

 

The Opportunity Cost of Keepers

 

The structure of the NSL Draft means that teams can’t make their keeper decisions in a vacuum. When deciding to keep a player, you have to consider the players available in the draft you may be passing on. 2026 was a supremely talented draft pool, and you have to wonder if the Beacons left some improvement opportunities on the table as a result. 

 

Keeping Victor Crouin was a no-brainer. The Beacons would have picked towards the end of the first round and wouldn’t have gotten anyone as good as Victor Crouin, not to mention he’s the face of the franchise! The second round on the other hand…

 

The NSL uses a snake draft order, meaning the Beacons would have picked first in the second round (4th overall!) had they dropped Bernat Jaume, assuming no other changes in keeper picks. There were some unbelievable names to choose from: Nick Matthew, Mohamed ElShorbagy, Baptiste Masotti, Noor Zaman, Greg Marche, Mazen Hesham, etc. The Beacons decided Jaume was more valuable than the opportunity to select any of these players. 

 

I’m not making a judgement call one way or another. I simply want to point out the gravity of Lake Erie’s decision to keep Jaume. It just proves the belief they have in his ability in the NSL format. 

 

Same goes for Nick Spizzirri as their fourth round keeper. The Beacons would have had the second pick in the fourth round. Here’s who was still on the board: 

  • Ivan Perez (defensive ace and perfect stylistic fit)
  • Mohamed El Shirbini (excellent attacking player, and was tradeable for Mohamed ElShorbagy late in the offseason)
  • Kareem El Torkey (rising star who’s in the top 25 at just 21 years of age)

 

Those three, among others, could have been a Beacon. But they opted to keep Nick Spizzirri instead. Spizzirri plays well above his rating in the NSL format, is consistently available, and is familiar with the format. I don’t mean to suggest he’s a bad player to have. But, Lake Erie passed up on some real impact players that could have aided a potential title push. 

 

The Two Picks They Did Make, and Analyzing Friday’s Match in Greenwich

 

In rounds five and six, Lake Erie selected David Baillargeon and Ben Smith, both of whom will play in Friday’s match against Greenwich alongside Nick Spizzirri. You may recall that Greenwich’s top lineup of Asal, Steinmann, and Marche will be available on Friday. We’ve already seen that Greenwich’s big three is beatable after Newport beat them 3-1 on Saturday. 

 

Lake Erie will have their work cut out for them, but they have the makings of a complete NSL lineup here. Smith will likely be the attacker, and he’ll need to fire off some winners on power plays in order to build a lead. Spizzirri and Baillargeon will have to do what Newport did to beat Greenwich: keep up with their slow, attritional style and take advantage of attacking opportunities when they come. It’s not a lineup that should beat Greenwich on paper. But, the Beacons are a deliberately assembled team of players who fit their roles well. They’re well-coached, and there’s steadfast belief within the organization. 

 

The Beacons don’t need to win on Friday to validate their offseason, but their depth pieces need to show up and make life difficult for Greenwich’s big three. If Lake Erie keeps the match close, look out. Crouin, Jaume, and Wilhelmi are waiting in the wings. 

4/11 Match Weekend Recap

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Chicago v Nashville

Lineups: 

CHI: Karim Gawad, Mazen Hesham, Kareem El Torkey

NASH: Moustafa Elsirty, Sanjay Jeeva, Francisco Marcantonio

 

Chicago v Nashville was tightly contested from start to finish. In Period 1, Karim Gawad stole the show, scoring 13 of his team’s 20 points in just 8 minutes. Gawad lifted Chicago to victory in the first period 20-18, as El Torkey and Hesham struggled. 

 

Nashville answered in Period 2. Elsirty had a strong 10 points in 8 minutes, but the real story was Francisco Marcantonio, Nashville’s new signing, holding his own against Kareem El Torkey to close out the second period and win it for Nashville. 

 

The third period was back and forth, and it came down to the last point. Mazen Hesham came alive in this one. With the help of a power play, he scored 9 points in 5 minutes of play. Elsirty continued his strong run of play with 15 points in 12 minutes, and he almost clawed Nashville back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit. But, Karim Gawad held strong and gave Chicago their first ever win in the NSL. 

 

Newport v Greenwich

Lineups:

NEW: Timmy Brownell, Matias Knudsen, Yahya Elnawasany

GRE: Mostafa Asal, Dimitri Steinmann, Greg Marche

 

Newport v Greenwich was as low-scoring and defensive a match as we’ve seen in the NSL. In the first period, we saw long rallies and back-and-forth scoring between Brownell and Marche. The teams were deadlocked, but Matias Knudsen helped build a lead, and Yahya Elnawasany brilliantly maintained it against Mostafa Asal. 

 

In the second, we saw even more attritional squash across the board. Even Matias Knudsen played slow and defensive, sticking with the theme of the period. Greenwich ended up winning 13-11 on the back of a late Greg Marche surge. 

 

The third period was the most fascinating. Newport was up with about seven minutes to go, and Greenwich still had a power play. Elnawasany and Asal proceeded to have a four minute rally that brought the clock down to within four minutes, such that Greenwich couldn’t call their last power play. Newport went on to win comfortably. 

4/11 Doubleheader Match Previews

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When/Where To Watch:

NSL YouTube channel or HomeTeam Network Saturday April 11th at 5:30 PM CT/6:30 PM ET.

 

Projected Lineups: 

NASH: Moustafa El Sirty, Ronald Palomino, Sanjay Jeeva

CHI: Karim Gawad, Mazen Hesham, Kareem El Torkey

 

Prediction:

Chicago has the more talented group on paper, and I expect them to win, but not after a brief adjustment period. This lineup is brand new to the NSL format, and I expect Nashville to use that experience difference to their advantage. El Sirty is a fantastic attacking player in the NSL, Ronald Palomino brings experience and pedigree of his own, and newcomer Sanjay Jeeva is a former second round pick who’s highly thought of in NSL circles. Chicago will need to have their wits about them if they want to realize their talent advantage.

 

Predicted Score: Nashville 1-3 Chicago

 

When/Where To Watch:

NSL YouTube channel or HomeTeam Network Saturday April 11th at 8:00 PM ET. 

 

Projected Lineups:

GRE: Mostafa Asal, Dimitri Steinmann, Greg Marche

NEW: Timmy Brownell, Matias Knudsen, Yahya Elnawasany

 

Greenwich comes into this match boasting perhaps the most talented lineup the NSL has ever seen. But, Newport brings a strong lineup of their own. Timmy Brownell and Matias Knudsen may be newcomers to the Dragons, but they’re the opposite of newcomers to the NSL. Both players play well above their world ranking in NSL settings. I’ve been talking myself into Newport playing spoiler, but I have to stick with my gut. Greenwich’s talent will prove too much for Newport to overcome. 

 

Predicted Score: Greenwich 3-1 Newport

Are Greenwich Favorites in the North Division?

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Men’s North Division play gets under way this Saturday when Greenwich takes on Newport. I expect this division to be tightly contested. The North is stockpiled with talent, and each team heads into the weeks ahead hungry for playoff squash. 

Lake Erie is coming off a 2-0 2025 regular season and retained their entire core of Victor Crouin, Yannick Wilhelmi, Bernat Jaume, and Nick Spizziri. I also really like late-round additions David Baillargeon and Ben Smith, both of whom are expected to play in the Beacons’ first match on April 17th. Newport has a sneaky strong squad as well. They had a +24 point differential last year, aided by strong depth pieces in Yahya Elnawasany, Finnlay Withington, and Abdelrahman Nassar who they kept. Newport did some shuffling at the top, however. New to the team are Timmy Brownell and Matias Knudsen, both shotmakers as NSL-seasoned as they come. 

 

Going off last year’s performance, Greenwich is the underdog. They went 0-2, albeit in a different division. They lost to the Philadelphia Lightning and the New York Knights in the East Division. However, I’ll take the Panthers to win the North. Why? The short answer is talent. The Panthers have managed to build an incredible roster, headlined by none other than World #1 Mostafa Asal. 

 

As an expansion team in 2025, the Panthers had the first overall pick in a draft where Mostafa Asal was available. So, luck was involved in their roster building to be sure. But, that doesn’t give Greenwich their due credit for finding gems on the margins. 

I want to highlight two other players: current World #16 Dimitri Steinmann, and current World #17 Greg Marche. Steinmann was the last pick in the fourth round. He fell to Greenwich presumably due to availability concerns, yet he was arguably the face of the Panthers franchise in year one! Steinmann was probably the steal of that 2025 draft. Marche, meanwhile, is a new addition to the squad who was drafted in the second round after Chicago made him available. Why am I not highlighting anyone else on the roster right now? Because no one else is slated to play!

 

You read that right. The Panthers’ strongest lineup of Asal, Steinmann, and Marche are available for BOTH regular season matches. This is likely the most talented lineup in NSL history, and Greenwich has it at their disposal for 100% of their regular season. 

 

Greenwich’s power lineup will be difficult for the rest of the North Division to contend with. However, we can’t hand over the North to them without playing the games. For instance, Greenwich had both Asal and Steinmann in their 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Lightning last year. The now-retired Mark Broekman rounded out the Greenwich lineup, which is a little different from a third top-20 talent in Marche. But, the point still remains: having a talented roster doesn’t automatically win you games. 

 

That said, Greenwich clearly underperformed last year. They were at a talent deficit in the New York Knights match due to lack of player availability. Then, they ran into the eventual champion Lightning while playing a clearly injured Mostafa Asal. The 2026 season promises to be different. Their top lineup is healthy and ready to go, and coach Cameron Pilley brings far more experience in the format in year two, having played in the Legends Exhibition Match last October. 

 

Greenwich has all the ingredients to have a worst-to-first turnaround season. Can they get off to a hot start in Newport on Saturday? You’ll have to tune in to find out. 

Is Chicago Poised to Break Their NSL Losing Streak?

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The Chicago Grizzlies play their first match of the season on Saturday, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. The Grizzlies are seeking not just a 1-0 start, but the first win in franchise history. That’s right…Chicago, despite being a charter franchise of the NSL, is also the franchise most associated with losing. But make no mistake, they’re here to flip the script. 

 

Chicago’s New and Improved Roster

The NSL offseason ran through Chicago on the men’s side. They held the first overall pick, and dropped all but one player from last year’s roster (Sam Todd). Chicago had the opportunity to rebuild through the draft, and the result was a talented dynamic roster that I think has a real chance to be playing in June’s finals in South Norwalk, CT (tickets on sale now!). Let’s take a look at their roster: 

Draft Picks: 

Round 1, Pick 1: Karim Gawad (World #4)

Round 2, Pick 9: Mazen Hesham (World #49, HWR #5)

Round 3, Pick 10: Simon Herbert (World #59, Age 24)

Round 4 (keeper): Sam Todd (World #47, Age 23)

Round 5, Pick 17: Kareem El Torkey (World #22, Age 21)

Round 6, Pick 30: Yassin El Shafei (World #78, Age 24)

 

For me, Chicago won the draft, and I’m not sure there was a close second. You could argue that they won the draft before it even started by possessing the number one pick and having the right to select Karim Gawad. But, the way Chicago used the rest of their draft capital makes me think this season will shift the tides for them. They hit on everything and ended up with the perfect mix of youth, experience, upside, and skillsets. 

 

Mazen Hesham strikes me as the perfect upside swing in the NSL format. Hesham’s peak is as strong as anyone in the NSL, and he is known for his flair and bold attacking shots. We’ve seen Matias Knudsen become a premium asset in the NSL who commands second round pick value, despite ranking outside the top 40, for the same reason. The NSL format allows him to lean into his attacking capabilities and functional flair as an attacking specialist. Hesham, at a minimum, projects to contribute similarly to Matias Knudsen. The upside here is much higher though, considering Hesham was a consensus top ten player in the world not that long ago. His best eight minutes of play might rival anyone in the NSL and could push him into being a viable utility player. 

 

Hesham was probably my personal favorite draft pick in the entire league. Even better, he and Gawad will both be available for Saturday’s match against Nashville. I alluded to Hesham’s star utility upside, but he won’t be expected to carry that role with Gawad in the lineup. Hesham’s attacking prowess anchored by the elite play of Karim Gawad? That’s a lot for the Nashville Crushers to gameplan against. 

 

Oh, and by the way, Kareem El Torkey is rounding out the lineup. El Torkey is a 21-year old top-25 player in the world who inexplicably fell into the fifth round. Usually when such a discrepancy between draft slot and talent occurs in the NSL, it’s due to availability concerns. That doesn’t appear to be a problem for El Torkey in Chicago. What’s crazy is that the pick before El Torkey in the men’s draft was Nicolas Mueller, who’s much older, lower ranked, and now on the waiver wire because he wasn’t available for any matches. Chicago absolutely stole one here. 

 

The rest of the Grizzlies’ roster is strong too. Simon Herbert has a ton of NSL experience under his belt despite being a young player. Sam Todd seems to be a great use of a fourth round pick for Chicago, and it’ll be exciting for him to see a re-tooled roster around him. Even Yassin El Shafei, the last pick of the draft, is a worthwhile upside gamble. At just 24 years old, he could develop into solid depth or become a legitimate trade candidate for a team in need of immediate reinforcements. It’s hard not to be excited about what Chicago has done here.

 

That’s all well and good, but can Chicago finally get a win in the books? Chicago’s projected lineup of Gawad, Hesham, and El Torkey is a perfect configuration for the attacker, defender, and utility roles I recently outlined. I expect Gawad to act as the utility player, with Hesham as the attacker and El Torkey putting his energy and consistency to work as a defensive specialist. On paper, Chicago has achieved a rare combination of lineup synergy and raw talent. The next step is putting this potential into practice. Nashville won’t be an easy win, as Chicago is the one thing standing in between them and clinching a playoff spot. We also know that two of their players, Moustafa El Sirty and Ronald Palomino, are capable of elevating their games in the NSL format. But, I think the Grizzlies are poised to break their losing ways in the NSL. They’re hiding in plain sight as a real sleeper for championship contention. 

The Grizzlies have been hibernating for the first two NSL seasons. If they wake up on Saturday, the rest of the league should be scared.

 

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