LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Holiday Game Night; CONCACAF Futsal

The Fourth of July holiday festivities were a celebratory affair Wednesday night around the lower divisions as the home teams in all five games went home happy as winners. The San Antonio Scorpions used Puerto Rico's loss in Minnesota to expand their league lead to four points. Meanwhile, the big result in USL Pro was Dayton getting a second victory, moving within striking range of making a jump past Charlotte and Pittsburgh to the middle of the table.

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Game Night; Honors; US Futsal tops Canada

The Holiday slate for the lower division leagues started this evening with a pair of games. The fans of the home teams went home happy with one-goal victories with those in Cary, NC also getting a natural fireworks show during lightning delays. 

NASL: Carolina RailHawks 2:1 Atlanta Silverbacks - Eric Wynalda's debut with Atlanta started off on the wrong foot, falling behind after just four minutes when Jason Garey delivered a through ball behind the defense for an easy finish for Nick Zimmerman. Matt Horth answered in the 15th minute when he finished from eight yards off a Borfor Carr cross. An hour-long delay at the 23-minute mark was followed by another a few minutes after the restart. After the official third intermission for halftime, the hosts wasted no time once again claiming the lead when a clearance deflected to Cory Elenio, whose cross was headed in from eight yards for the winner five minutes in. - MORE

LD Update: Wynalda to Atlanta; USL Pro adds Phoenix; WPSL Elite playoff format

NASL News: On Sunday, news broke that the Atlanta Silverbacks released head coach Alex Pineda Chacon and director of soccer Rodrigo Rios - both former players - and would announce the interim coach immediately. On Monday, the club unveiled Eric Wynalda, manager of US Open Cup darling Cal FC, as the interim coach and team advisor. The job is short-term as he is charged with finding the next head coach as part of his responsibilities before he returns to continue his new three-year deal with Fox Soccer. At the halfway point of the season, the Silverbacks are in last place with a 1-8-5 record... Meanwhile, the league announced Tampa Bay Rowdies goalkeeper Jeff Attinella as the Defensive Player of the Week and forward Mark Anderson of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers as the Offensive Player of the Week.

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Game Night; DC United Women, Chill reach playoffs

NASL: FC Edmonton 0:0 Puerto Rico Islanders - Looking to reclaim the top spot in the league, the Islanders were denied by FC Edmonton, who stood strong despite playing the final half-hour with defender Kevin Hatchi, who was sent off in the 58th for a second yellow. - MORE

USL PRO: Antigua Barracuda 1:0 Charleston Battery - The Battery missed a chance to move within a point of the league leaders as Antigua's early second half goal ended their eight-game winless stretch and three-game scoreless run. Peter Byers scored two minutes into the second half with a strike from 12 yards, giving Antigua its first goal in four meetings against the Battery this season. Charleston's opportunity to rally was made more difficult with an unusual occurrence when Cody Ellison, after being fouled, was shown a red card for dissent as he was preparing to be taken off on a stretcher. - MORE

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Game Night; Plans begin for new women's league

The home teams dominated the night in the NASL as both Florida clubs and San Antonio picked up victories. In USL Pro, however, only Wilmington was able to register a win as Pittsburgh played league leader Orlando City to a draw and Harrisburg won in Rochester.