Once again, VanOekel showed off why he’s the league’s best player so far this year. He made a series of fantastic second-half saves to help preserve 0-0 draw Saturday at the New York Cosmos.

Miami FC was the team that spoiled FC Edmonton’s attempt to win the NASL’s spring-season title.

“It’s a real positive in one aspect of it, because we’re now such a good standard of league that we’re attracting international football players,” said Miller. “But, at what point does the international call-up affect the standard of the league?

So, unless we see a major capitulation by either the Eddies or the Cosmos — remember that Indy is guaranteed a spot in the four-team post-season as the Eleven is the spring-season title holder — we’re going to watch the rest of the teams battle for the fourth and final playoff spot.

But the Eddies know that, going into this weekend’s match on the road to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, that this fall season isn’t like the ones that have come before. It’s about building a lead over their rivals, not playing catch-up.

This may be the week where the NASL narrative changes. We’re edging towards the halfway point of the fall season, and we might now be talking about FCE, Indy and the Cosmos all being playoff teams, and everyone else fighting for that fourth and final spot — unless one of those other clubs can make a mark on the fall-season race.

“I’ve been here four seasons, and I think the league has always underestimated our players,” said Watson. “We’re surprised about it this year, because we have better calibre of players. But, we’ve always been underestimated, even in stupid things like player of the week, and team of the week, which we really don’t really take into account. Because some of the selections, you put your head in your hands and go ‘where did that come from?’

If the Eddies are indeed putting together a special sort of season, they may look back on Wednesday’s 2-1 win at home over the New York Cosmos as the day they went from “the team that’s on a hot streak” to a “team that’s a genuine contender for a Soccer Bowl.”

The game was a fast-paced toe-to-toe battle between the Cosmos and the Eddies, but kickoff was delayed because of a… wait for it… sock controversy. Referee Yusri Rudolf was not happy when both the Cosmos and Eddies lined up in white socks.

Was it an accident? Absolutely. Was it avoidable? Probably. Was it red-card worthy? For sure. It’s not Kelly’s job — nor should it be — to judge intent. He can only judge the play based on what he sees in the split second he has to make that call. And he sees Trafford come down and plant — hard — on Guenzatti. He has no choice but to go with the red.