Mid-Season Division Standings Check-In

NSL Men’s Central

 

Remaining Matches:

4/11: Nashville @ Chicago

4/18: Chicago @ Louisville

 

The only match played in the Central division so far was an NSL instant classic: a nail-biter between the Crushers and Colts that came down to a shootout. I think that match set the stage for some possible chaos in the Central Division standings. How the revamped Chicago Grizzlies perform will be one of the best NSL storylines to monitor. They’re still looking for their first win in franchise history, and their home match vs Nashville should be an excellent opportunity to do so. Number one pick Karim Gawad will be available for that match, as will Mazen Hesham and Kareem El Torkey. 

 

If Nashville wins on the 11th, they’ll go undefeated in the regular season and clinch the division title. April 18th’s match between Louisville and Chicago would decide who grabs the second playoff spot. If Chicago beats Nashville, the possibilities open up. Chicago would be in the driver’s seat, as they’d be 2-0 with a win. A Louisville win would trigger a point differential tie breaker. Nashville only has a narrow lead there, and these next two matches could drastically alter the point differential landscape. 

 

Prediction:

1. Chicago
2. Nashville
3. Louisville

 

NSL Men’s East

 

Remaining Matches:

4/25: New York @ Philadelphia

 

With only one more match, the playoff scenarios are crystallizing in the East Division:

• Philadelphia wins: Philadelphia wins division
• New York wins 2-2 shootout: Philadelphia wins division on period points scored
• New York wins 3-1: Division winner would come down to point differential
  • If New York finishes the match +13 or more, New York wins division
  • If +12 or lower, Philadelphia wins division
  • Atlanta only wins the division if New York wins the match 3-1 but Philadelphia somehow wins at least 4 more points in the match. Unlikely, but not impossible.
• New York wins 4-0: New York wins division.

 

So, the likelihood of winning the East division as follows:

1. Philadelphia
2. New York
3. Atlanta

 

All have a chance of winning and advancing to the playoffs. There’s a lot to play for on April 25th. It should be a dramatic finish to the East Division race. 

 

Prediction:

1. Philadelphia
2. Atlanta
3. New York

 

NSL Men’s North

 

Remaining Matches:

4/11: Greenwich @ Newport

4/17: Lake Erie @ Greenwich

5/16: Newport @ Lake Erie 

 

No matches played yet in the North, so all we can do is project. Greenwich is likely the heavy favorite, as there’s a chance they’ll have Mostafa Asal, Dimitri Steinmann, and Greg Marche available for both matches. Newport is a sneaky good team led by Timmy Brownell and Matias Knudsen. Lake Erie is led by top ten player Victor Crouin. There’s talent all over this division. I expect coaching and strategy to be a major differentiator between these teams, and I’m excited to see how it all shakes out.

 

Prediction:

1. Greenwich
2. Newport
3. Lake Erie

 

NSL Women’s North

 

Remaining Matches:

4/19: Lake Erie @ Seattle

5/15: SoNo @ Lake Erie 

 

The SoNo Sharks are a force to be reckoned with. They handled the Seattle Freeze with ease, and you can tell how connected they are as a roster. They still have yet to lose a regular season match! It’s difficult to envision a scenario where the Sharks miss the playoffs. That would require a Seattle win AND blowing a 54 point differential lead over third place Seattle – possible, but not likely. Seattle’s playoff spot gets solidified with a Lake Erie win over Seattle. Lake Erie would also guarantee themselves a playoff spot. If Seattle wins, SoNo is still in the driver’s seat to win the division, but the battle for second place would become very interesting. Seattle would have to root for SoNo to win and drop Lake Erie to 0-2. Otherwise, we’d get a point differential showdown with each team at 1-1. Right now, that favors SoNo at +27. No matter how you slice it, SoNo seems poised to win the division and take on the DC Inferno in the first round of the playoffs. 

 

Prediction:

1. SoNo
2. Seattle
3. Lake Erie

 

NSL Women’s South

 

Remaining Matches:

None

 

The South Division is settled, so we can already entertain possible playoff matchups here. I already alluded to the overwhelming likelihood of a DC and SoNo first round match. This means New York would face one of Seattle of Lake Erie. We have yet to see Lake Erie play this year, but you have to think the Queens would feel good about either matchup. For now, all the Inferno and Queens can do is wait to see how the North Division shakes out.