After an 0-3-0 road trip that made the final game of the regular season about pride and not the playoffs, the Eddies responded to put together one of the worst 90-plus minutes that we’ve seen in franchise history. Make no mistake, if not for the heroics of keeper Tyson Farago, Jacksonville would have had a deserved three-goal lead before Roberts’s injury-time effort.

Remember that the Eddies gave up a goal 12 seconds into the match in their NASL season-opening loss in Jacksonville. But Saturday’s game, with the Eddies badly needing a win to fan their fading playing hopes, might have surpassed that in infamy.

With the Cosmos already assured of a post-season spot because it won the spring-season title, the club prioritized resting players over putting out the best XI available. And that decision will be magnified because it influenced a game that was vital not only to the Eddies, but the other teams involved in the dogfight for fourth.

FC Edmonton got two huge second-half goals in Indianapolis, and is now just two points back of the Tampa Bay Rowdies for fourth spot in the NASL overall table with a month and a half left to go in the season. That fourth spot represents the final post-season slot in the league.

“But we’ve created a monster here, in terms of players getting call-ups to their national teams. It’s a situation we’ve never had to deal with before this season, but it’s also an honour for the club.”

But, as more and more North American Soccer League players get the calls to play for their countries, that league should also be subject to the same scheduling scrutiny. In fact, you could argue that NASL teams are less equipped than the MLS teams are when it comes to dealing with games on international dates.

With 10 minutes left Saturday’s match between Atlanta and FC Edmonton, Silverback Junior Burgos came up with that moment of magic. He hammered a free kick from distance just inside the post to give Atlanta the 1-0 win.

Without the stellar play of the Carolina keeper, the RailHawks would have lost to FC Edmonton by a more lopsided scoreline than Sunday’s 3-0 result at Clarke Field. Make no mistake; a 3-0 loss was a scoreline that flattered the visitors, who have become all too used to hidings on the Clarke turf.

In the NASL combined standings, only six points separates the last-place San Antonio Scorpions and fourth-place Minnesota United.

No word if Tom Hanks will play FCE coach Colin Miller in the Edmonton version of The Terminal.