FCE’s Hamilton makes NASL’s Best XI

Paul Hamilton in action vs, Atlanta.

Despite a last-place finish in NASL, FC Edmonton has placed a player in the season-ending Best XI.

Eddies’ central defender Paul Hamilton was named to the squad, which was announced by the league on Tuesday. The centre back was named defensive player of week in mid-May and led the team in minutes played, with 2,024.

At the halfway point of the season, FCE midfielder/forward Shaun Saiko looked destined to make the Best XI for the second consecutive season. But, even though he finished as the Eddies’ leaders in goals and assists and represented Canada at the U-23 level during Olympic qualifying, he was sidelined for part of the second half of the season due to injuries and a one-game team suspension issued by former coach Harry Sinkgraven.

Here is the 2012 NASL Best XI:

GK: Jeff Attinella, TB
Led league with 108 saves
D: Kyle Altman, MINN
Bid defender logged more than 1,700 minutes
D: Ryan Cochrane, SA
Former New England Revolution defender played 2,276 minutes on league-best defence
D: Paul Hamilton, FCE
Calgary native led the Eddies in minutes
D: Takuya Yamada, TB
League iron man: Didn’t miss a minute of action in 2012
M: Nick Zimmerman, CAR
No. 2 goal-scorer all-time in NASL, had 15 this season
M: Walter Restrepo, FtL
Six goals, eight assists
M: Walter Ramirez, SA
Two goals, six assists, key on the left wing
M: Luke Mulholland, TB
English midfielder had five goals and five assists
F: Mark Anderson, FtL
The English striker was the top rookie in NASL, scoring 11 times
F: Pablo Campos, SA
NASL’s all-time leading scorer, with 20