“By the attention that I am getting, I know I am doing something right,” said Saiko on Thursday. “But I have to find a way to fight through it, to still find a way to produce. And, if they (opponents) are around me, that means space opens up for other people to step up.”

The Eddies played in front of their biggest crowd at Clarke Stadium so far this season, with 2,521 fans shoehorned into the bleachers and standing around the sidelines. But the crowd went home disappointed as the Eddies slumped to a 2-1 defeat to the previously undefeated Silverbacks.

FC Edmonton’s continuing inability defend set pieces transformed what should have been a win into a draw at Clarke Stadium on Sunday.

But that San Antonio team might bear no resemblance to the team that Scorpions coach Tim Hankinson brings to Edmonton this weekend. Why? The Scorpions host a U.S. Open Cup match against the Houston Dynamo on Tuesday night.

"Before the game, I knew this was a chance to make a statement to North America that CIS can produce a lot of great players, and we're often overlooked," said Smits. "It was a very emotional game for me. There needs to be some kind of draft system for us in North America."

Lam, who returned to FC Edmonton in January after his loan deal with Japanese second-division side JEF United expired, converted a penalty and later set up Paul Craig’s winning goal as the Eddies got their first win of the preseason, a 3-1 decision Tuesday over the University of New Mexico in Casa Grande, Ariz.

“No, I am not disappointed at all,” said Sinkgraven after FC Edmonton needed a last-ditch 93rd-minute save from David Monsalve to preserve a 0-0 draw with the University of New Mexico. “Of course, you want to win games. But the goal right now is to make sure all the players get their time on the field. You have to give everyone a fair chance.”

Barry Rice’s strange pass-that-became-a-shot allowed FC Edmonton to escape its first preseason match of the 2012 season with a draw.

A last-gasp header from substitute Paul Craig has guaranteed FC Edmonton a trip to the NASL playoffs. Craig scored at the death, heading home a corner from Shaun Saiko to give the Eddies a 2-1 win over the last-place Atlanta Silverbacks, who were reduced to 10 men at the half-hour mark.

FC Edmonton gave up a heartbreaking injury-time goal in 3-2 loss in Puerto Rico, while the Montreal Impact cruised to a 2-0 victory in Minnesota.