Home NASL & USL FC Edmonton Elementary, my dear Watson: Northern Irish defender is lone Eddie to make NASL Best XI

Elementary, my dear Watson: Northern Irish defender is lone Eddie to make NASL Best XI

By Steven Sandor
Posted on November 8, 2013
1
0
840
Atlanta's Richie Menjivar, left, battles FCE's Albert Watson at Clarke Stadium. PHOTO: TONY LEWIS/FC EDMONTON

FC Edmonton captain Albert Watson is the sole member of the Eddies to make the season-ending NASL Best XI.

Watson, who was one of two Eddies on the MVP ballot (the now-departed Chris Nurse was the other) got enough votes from the league’s eight head coaches, who select the season-ending all-star team.

Watson joins Shaun Saiko (2011) and Paul Hamilton (2012) as Eddies who made the NASL Best XI.

Watson was the backbone for a defence that allowed 26 goals in 26 games this season (though Watson missed a chunk of the spring season as he recovered from an MCL injury). He came to the club from Northern Irish side Linfield FC in 2013, and Eddies’ coach Colin Miller has repeatedly said that he feels Watson is the top central defender in the league.

But, for the first time in three years, there were no Canadians on the Best XI. And, to those who criticized the league for giving the top keeper award to Kyle Reynish, the Cosmos keeper who, like his club, played just half of the NASL campaign, there is some feeling of justice as Marcos Senna was the only New York player to make the Best XI.

Though, it is odd — and it has happened before – that the keeper for the Best XI and the player named best keeper in the league aren’t the same guy.

GOALKEEPER
Joe Nasco, ATL: 19 GP, 7 W, 4 SO

DEFENDERS
Aaron Pitchkolan, MIN: Three-time NASL team of the week selection
Martyn Lancaster, ATL: 23 GP, helped team to spring title
Albert Watson, FCE: 20 GP, team of the week SIX times

MIDFIELDERS
Luke Mulholland, TBR: 11 G, 7 A
Miguel Ibarra, MIN: Team of the week three times, 1 G, 3 A
Richie Menjivar, ATL: 2G, 2 A, four team of the week picks
Marcos Senna, NYC: Five team of the week picks, 13 GP, 5 G, 2 A

FORWARDS
Georgi Hristov, TBR: 12 G, 7 A
Brian Shriver, CAR: 15 goals led NASL
Hans Denissen, SAS: 12 G, 2 A

Load More Related Articles
Load More By Steven Sandor
Load More In FC Edmonton

One Comment

  1. jamonty42

    November 9, 2013 at 2:04 pm

    Joe Nasco?! They can’t be serious that he tops the goalkeeper group. I’d argue that Atlanta’s achilles heel, at least in the Spring, was Nasco & Ati’s sketchy goalkeeping. Of any keepers, I would’ve had Tampa’s Diego Restrepo or Carolina’s Akira Fitzgerald in the best XI long before either Nasco or Reynish.
    When the NASL stopped keeping individual statistics, especially for goalkeeping, it meant that without consistent shot statistics, there is no longer a source for comparisons like GAA or Save%.
    From my own stat keeping, i’ve gotten the following:

    -Restrepo 23/26 games Sv% 78.8% 9W-7D-8L – 7x Team of the Week (TotW) & 2x player of the week(PotW) & 1 play of the week
    -Fitzgerald 25/26 games Sv% 72.9% 11w-7D-7L – 3x Totw & 1 PotW
    -Reynish 13/14 games Sv% 71.4%. 8W-4D-1L – 2x TotW
    -Nasco 20/26 games (1red card) Sv% 66.3% 7W-5D-8L 3x TotW, 1 PotW, 1 Play of the Week

Check Also

Foothills wins PDL title in extra-time thriller

Calgary Foothills won the battle of attrition — and won the PDL title Saturday night. …