2012 North American Soccer League season


The 2012 North American Soccer League season was the 45th season of Division II soccer in the United States and the second season of the revived North American Soccer League. It was contested by eight teams including one from Canada and one from Puerto Rico. The Montreal Impact were self-promoted to Major League Soccer as an expansion franchise and the expansion San Antonio Scorpions were added to the NASL. The NASL received full sanctioning from the United States Soccer Federation on March 3, 2012 at their annual meeting. The defending Soccer Bowl champions were the NSC Minnesota Stars, while the Carolina Railhawks were the defending North American Supporters' Trophy winners.

Personnel and sponsorship

TeamHead CoachCaptainShirt sponsor
Puerto Rico IslandersToyota
Carolina RailHawksBCBSA
FC EdmontonSears Canada
Atlanta SilverbacksReto Sports
Fort Lauderdale StrikersJoma
Minnesota StarsAdmiral
San Antonio ScorpionsNike
Tampa Bay RowdiesMainsail Suites / United World Soccer

Teams

Regular season

League table

Results

Final regular season results.

Playoffs

The 6 qualifying teams were seeded 1 through 6, with the top team in the standings receiving the number 1 seed.
The format of the playoffs consisted of quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. The quarterfinals were single games while the semifinals and final were each a 2-game series with each team playing at home once and the team with the greater number of aggregate goals in both games winning the series.
The number 1 seed and the number 2 seed received byes while the number 3 seed hosted the number 6 seed and the number 4 seed hosted the number 5 seed in the quarterfinal.
For the semifinal, the number 1 seed was paired with the lowest seeded team to qualify from the quarterfinal and the number 2 seed paired with the highest seeded team to qualify from the quarterfinal.
The winners of each semifinal met in the final, known as the Soccer Bowl. In the event of a draw in either quarterfinal game, a 30-minute extra time period was to be played, with the golden goal rule not in effect). If the teams were still locked in a draw following the extra time period, the winner was to be determined by a penalty shootout.
In each semifinal and in the final, if the teams are tied on the number of aggregate goals scored in the series at the conclusion of the second game, the teams were to play a 30-minute extra time period. As in the quarterfinal, the golden goal rule was not in effect. If the teams were still locked in a draw following the extra time period, the winner of the series was to be determined by a penalty shootout.

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Soccer Bowl 2012

Statistical leaders

Top scorers

Source:

Top assists

RankPlayerNationClubAssists
1Mike AmbersleyUSATampa Bay Rowdies8
1Wálter RestrepoUSAFort Lauderdale Strikers8
3Mike PalacioUSACarolina Railhawks6
3Walter RamírezSan Antonio Scorpions6
3Shaun SaikoFC Edmonton6
6Pablo CamposSan Antonio Scorpions5
6Esteban BayonaSan Antonio Scorpions5
6Jonathan FañaPuerto Rico Islanders5
6Luke MulhollandTampa Bay Rowdies5
6Keith SavageUSATampa Bay Rowdies5
6Tiyi ShipalaneCarolina RailHawks5
6Abe ThompsonUSAFort Lauderdale Strikers5
6Amani WalkerUSAMinnesota Stars5
Source:

Top goalkeepers

RankGoalkeeperClubMINSSVSGAGAA
1 Daryl SattlerSan Antonio Scorpions215166190.795
2 Jeff AttinellaTampa Bay Rowdies2520118301.071
3 Richard MartinPuerto Rico Islanders2340106281.077
4 Matt Van OekelMinnesota Stars FC225077301.200
5 Lance ParkerFC Edmonton144042211.313
6 Matt GlaeserFort Lauderdale Strikers2430108441.630
7 Ray BurseCarolina RailHawks216082411.708
8 Dániel IllyésAtlanta Silverbacks198086391.773

Source:

Awards

Monthly awards

Weekly awards

League awards