LD Update: NASL Semifinals Game Night; Molinari re-signs for Pioneers

Just as expected, the opening legs of the two semifinal series proved to be tight affairs, with only one goal total being the difference on the night. The defending league champion Minnesota Stars and reigning regular season champion San Antonio Scorpions played to a stalemate while the second-seeded Tampa Bay Rowdies return home with a one-goal lead over the Carolina RailHawks. The two semifinal series conclude next weekend with a game each on Saturday and Sunday.

LD Update: NASL Semis Preview; NASL Commish retires; MISL signings

Be prepared for the next two weekends of semifinal play of the North American Soccer League postseason to be close contests as they play out their two-leg series. In the eight previous matches this season in the two pairings, only one game saw a team leave victorious - and that was via a late penalty kick in a 1-0 decision. Low scoring is also likely as six of the other seven results between the teams finished in 1-1 or scoreless draws with one lone 3-3 exception. The regular season champion San Antonio Scorpions take on the defending league champion Minnesota Stars, who are looking to repeat as winners from the lowest seeded position. Meanwhile, the second-seeded Tampa Bay Rowdies are facing last season's regular season champion Carolina RailHawks, who are looking to get past the semifinals after falling to Minnesota a year ago.

LD Update: NASL Playoff Results; Phoenix announces first signing

The first round of the NASL Playoffs proved to be a break from form as the defending champion Minnesota Stars posted their first-ever win in Puerto Rico to advance and the Carolina RailHawks, 0-2-2 against the Strikers this season, scored three at home for a third time this season against Fort Lauderdale, this time keeping the visitors from doing the same. The Stars move on to face the regular season champion San Antonio Scorpions while the RailHawks take on the Tampa Bay Rowdies in a pair of two-leg, aggregate score series.

LD Update: NASL Playoff Preview; Edmonton dumps coaches; ACC set for 2013

Amway Canadian Championship: The Canadian Soccer Association announced Friday that the sixth edition of the event will kick off on April 24 with the semifinals next season, utilizing the same format as this year with the three MLS clubs and FC Edmonton of the NASL.

NASL News: Matt Horth of the Atlanta Silverbacks was recognized as the Player of the Month... Last place FC Edmonton announced it has cut ties with coaches Harry Sinkgraven and Hans Schrijver, due to budgetary reasons according to the release. 

LD Update: NASL weekly, season honors; MISL signing, combine news

CCL News: The Puerto Rico Islanders finished off their Champions League schedule with a 3-0 victory over Isidro Metapan, avoiding a winless campaign. The victory put them in second and clinched the quarterfinal berth for the group-leading LA Galaxy. Hector Ramos scored twice with Gregory Richardson adding the third. LA and Metapan play in the final match with Metapan having a chance to move back ahead of the Islanders for a second-place finish in the group, though only the winners advance to the quarterfinals.

LD Update: NASL Game Night; NASL playoff pairings set

All knotted up. That was the final weekend of the NASL season as Sunday duplicated Saturday's results with two more draws, leaving everyone right where they were in the league table going into the weekend.

The opening round of the NASL postseason is next weekend with the Carolina RailHawks playing host to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers Saturday and the defending champion Minnesota Stars, who won the title as the lowest seed last year, looking to repeat history as they travel to Puerto Rico Sunday. The two winners move on to face San Antonio and Tampa Bay in the Semifinals.

LD Update: NASL Game Night; Super-20 First 11; Sesay to Wave

A pair of draws in the first half of the final weekend of play kept everything as is in the top half of the NASL table heading into the final week with Tampa Bay's stalemate in Carolina locking the Rowdies into second and giving San Antonio, playing Sunday, the regular season title while also locking Carolina into fourth as they were unable to pass Puerto Rico, who played to a draw versus visiting Atlanta.