A comprehensive 4-0 win at Foote Field over FC Tampa Bay put FCE in second place overall in the NASL standings, six points behind the surging Carolina RailHawks. FC Edmonton has lost just two of eight matches in its first NASL season.

FC Edmonton vaulted into second place in the NASL standings with a 2-1 Victoria Day win over NSC Minnesota Stars at Foote Field. Kyle Porter scored twice for FCE, after Minnesota had taken the lead through Simone Bracalello.

New FC Edmonton general manager Tom Leip said that finding a new stadium for the team to call home is his top priority. “For us, the key is a new facility,” he said. “We have to have more seating, we need different levels of seating. We need to be in a situation where we can create more revenue streams.”

After a couple of weeks of delays, FC Edmonton has announced the hiring of former Portland sports executive Tom Leip as its new general manager. Leip will assume control of the business operations of the NASL club, while director of soccer operations Joe Petrone will make the player and personnel decisions.

FC Edmonton Lance Parker was named the NASL’s Defensive Player of the Week Monday. Parker has been a revelation for FC Edmonton since he took over in goal from Rein Baart three matches ago. He has started the last two NASL matches for FC Edmonton and the second leg of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship semifinal, allowing just two goals in that stretch, and making a series of highlight-reel saves.

Chris Kooy had two great chances to get FC Edmonton a last-gasp equalizer in Tampa. After being denied by an outstanding piece of goalkeeping by FC Tampa Bay’s Jeff Attinella with his first chance, Kooy was able to score in injury time, canceling out Chad Burt’s opening goal in a 1-1 draw.

Atlanta was just what the doctor ordered. Paul Craig scored just seconds after FCE keeper Lance Parker made a couple of great saves, and Edmonton got back on the winning track with a 2-0 win in Georgia.

With a three-goal gap separating Toronto FC and FC Edmonton going into the second leg of their Nutrilite Canadian Championship tie, there wasn't much drama as to who was advancing to the tournament final. Wednesday's match therefore became a test for both sides to exorcise some recent demons and, to that end, both teams were happy with their performance in the 1-0 TFC victory.

The fact that Lance Parker supplanted Rein Baart — the Dutch veteran who had been FCE’s No. 1 to this point — in goal for Wednesday’s Nutrilite Canadian Championship semifinal second leg in Toronto wasn’t really a surprise. But what was surprising that Baart wasn’t even dressed. Jaswinder Gill had the back-up duties last night. And the club confirmed Thursday that Baart’s absence from the starting lineup and the bench was a coach’s decision. There wasn’t an injury situation.

Our good friends at IMSoccer News, a fantastic spot to catch up on the happenings of Div. 2, have their latest podcast up, and it features an interview with NASL commissioner David Downs. As well, yours truly talks with host Brian Quarstad about FC Edmonton’s struggles in their recent two all-Canadian match-ups, in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship against Toronto FC and in NASL action Sunday against Montreal. FC Edmonton lost those games by an aggregate score of 8-0.