The 2023 NISA season is the fifth season of the National Independent Soccer Association's third-division soccer competition. Michigan Stars are the defending champions, after winning the 2022 season.
| Season | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Dates | Mar. 31 – Oct. 25 (regular season) Oct. 28 – Nov. 11 (playoffs) |
| Champions | City Union |
| Regular season title | Chattanooga FC |
| Matches played | 108 |
| Goals scored | 268 (2.48 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Markus Naglestad (15) |
← 2022 2024 →
All statistics correct as of November 11, 2023. | |
Teams edit
Of the eight teams that finished the 2022 season, five return for 2023, two (Flower City Union and Syracuse Pulse) merge to form a new team branded City Union, and one, California United Strikers, is on hiatus, with the aim to return in 2024.[1]
The six teams are joined by three expansion clubs: Club de Lyon, Gold Star FC and Savannah Clovers FC.[1]
Stadiums and locations edit
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albion San Diego | San Diego, CA | Canyon Crest Academy Stadium | 5,000 |
| Chattanooga FC | Chattanooga, TN | Finley Stadium | 20,668 |
| City Union | Rochester, NY Auburn, NY |
Marina Auto Stadium Falcon Park |
13,768 2,800 |
| Club de Lyon | Daytona Beach, FL | Daytona Stadium | 9,601 |
| Gold Star FC | Livonia, MI | Gold Star Stadium | 5,000 |
| Los Angeles Force | Irvine, CA | Championship Stadium | 5,000 |
| Maryland Bobcats | Boyds, MD | Maryland SoccerPlex | 4,000 |
| Michigan Stars | Washington, MI | Romeo High School | 4,000 |
| Savannah Clovers | Savannah, GA | Memorial Stadium | 5,000 |
Personnel and sponsorship edit
- Note: The league has signed a deal with Hummel to be the official kit manufacturer, but it still allows clubs to find their own provider.[2]
| Team | Head coach | Captain(s) | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albion San Diego |  Diego Gómez
|
 Tyler Gabarra
|
Capelli
|
DarkHorse |
| Chattanooga FC | Rod Underwood
|
 Richard Dixon
|
 Hummel
|
Volkswagen |
| City Union |  Jordan Sullivan
|
Mumbi Kwesele
|
Hummel
|
— |
| Club de Lyon | Victor Balaguer
|
 Victor Rojas
|
 Adidas
|
— |
| Gold Star FC | Alex Lubyansky
|
Brandon Barnes
|
Adidas
|
— |
| Los Angeles Force | Matt Morse
|
Brandon Gomez
|
Xara
|
— |
| Maryland Bobcats |  Alex Kao
|
 Josselin Possian
|
Hummel
|
Holiday Inn College Park |
| Michigan Stars |  Tatenda Mkuruva
|
Hummel
|
HTC | |
| Savannah Clovers | David Proctor
|
Shandon Wright
|
Umbro
|
Castro Wood Floors |
Coaching changes edit
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albion San Diego | Jeff Korytoski
|
Signed by Chattanooga Red Wolves SC | December 14, 2022[3] | Preseason | Diego Gómez
|
February 23, 2023 |
| City Union | Colton Bly (interim)
|
End of interim period | February 10, 2023 | Jordan Sullivan
|
February 10, 2023[4] | |
| Maryland Bobcats |  Sylvain Rastello
|
Resigned | February 21, 2023 | Alex Kao
|
March 1, 2023[5] | |
| Los Angeles Force |  Jesus Ochoa (interim)
|
End of interim period | April 23, 2023 | 5th | Matt Morse
|
April 23, 2023[6] |
Regular season edit
The season started on March 31, with the nine teams playing an unbalanced schedule weighted on regional play.[7]
Standings edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chattanooga FC (X) | 24 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 41 | 12 | +29 | 52 | Qualification for the semifinals |
| 2 | Michigan Stars | 24 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 37 | 21 | +16 | 46 | |
| 3 | Los Angeles Force | 24 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 33 | 21 | +12 | 44 | Qualification for the playoffs |
| 4 | Albion San Diego | 24 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 31 | 21 | +10 | 41 | |
| 5 | Maryland Bobcats | 24 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 31 | 22 | +9 | 36 | |
| 6 | City Union (C) | 24 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 30 | 34 | −4 | 27 | |
| 7 | Club de Lyon | 24 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 23 | 45 | −22 | 23 | |
| 8 | Savannah Clovers | 24 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 47 | −28 | 19 | |
| 9 | Gold Star FC | 24 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 23 | 45 | −22 | 12 |
Source: nisasoccer.com
Rules for classification: 1) points per game; 2) goal differential; 3) goals for; 4) head-to-head; 5) goals against
(C) Champions; (X) Regular season winner
Rules for classification: 1) points per game; 2) goal differential; 3) goals for; 4) head-to-head; 5) goals against
(C) Champions; (X) Regular season winner
Results edit
Playoffs edit
The playoffs will keep the same format from last year, and feature the top six teams from the regular season. The top two teams receive a bye into the semifinals. Teams finishing third through sixth play in the quarterfinals, with the winners being re-seeded before playing in the next round.
Bracket edit
| Quarterfinal October 29 | ||||
| 3 | Los Angeles Force | 2 | ||
| 6 | Flower City Union | 4 | ||
| Quarterfinal October 28 | ||||
| 4 | Albion San Diego (p) | 0 (8) | ||
| 5 | Maryland Bobcats FC | 0 (7) | ||
| Semifinals November 4/5 | NISA Championship Final November 11 | ||||||||
| 1 | Chattanooga FC | 0 (0) | |||||||
| 6 | Flower City Union (p) | 0 (2) | |||||||
| 6 | Flower City Union | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Michigan Stars FC | 0 | |||||||
| 2 | Michigan Stars FC | 3 | |||||||
| 4 | Albion San Diego | 2 | |||||||
Schedule edit
Quarter-finals edit
| October 28, 2023 | Albion San Diego | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (8–7 p) | Maryland Bobcats FC | San Diego, California |
| 5:30 PM PDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Canyon Crest Academy Stadium | |
| Penalties | ||||
| October 29, 2023 | Los Angeles Force | 2–4 | Flower City Union | Whittier, California |
| 6:00 PM PDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Rio Hondo College Stadium |
Semi-finals edit
| November 4, 2023 | Michigan Stars FC | 3–2 | Albion San Diego | Washington Township, Michigan |
| 3:30 PM EST |
|
Report | Stadium: Romeo High School |
| November 5, 2023 | Chattanooga FC | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (0–2 p) | Flower City Union | Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| 5:00 PM EST |
|
Report | Stadium: Finley Stadium | |
| Penalties | ||||
NISA Championship Final edit
| November 11, 2023 | Michigan Stars FC | 0–1 | Flower City Union | Washington Township, Michigan |
|
Report | Stadium: Romeo High School |
Player statistics edit
- As of October 25, 2023
Awards edit
Individual awards edit
| Award | Winner | Team | Reason | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot |  Markus Naglestad
|
Chattanooga FC | 15 goals in 23 games | [10] |
| Golden Glove |  Jean Antoine
|
Chattanooga FC | 15 shutouts in 23 matches; 9 goals against | [10] |
| Coach of the Year | Diego Gomez
|
Albion San Diego | 11-8-5 record in his debut season | [10] |
| Golden Ball (Most Valuable Player) |  Darwin Espinal
|
Maryland Bobcats | 11 goals, 5 assists in 22 matches | [10] |
NISA Best XI edit
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean Antoine (CHA)
|
Aydan Bowers (CHA) Richard Dixon (CHA) Jimmy Filerman (MAR) Anatolie Prepeliță (CHA)
|
 Daniel Bedoya (ALB) Tyler Gabarra (ALB) Alex McGrath (CHA)
|
Darwin Espinal (MAR) Leon Maric (MIC) Markus Naglestad (CHA)
|
[10] |
Player of the Month edit
| Month | Winner | Team | Reason | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | Jean Antoine
|
Chattanooga FC | 4 clean sheets | [11] |
| May |  Ignacio Ten López
|
Club de Lyon | 4 goals scored | [12] |
| June | Edwin Rivas
|
Los Angeles Force | 3 assists in 136 minutes | [13] |
| July | Ben Roach
|
Albion San Diego | 3 clean sheets | [14] |
| August | Aldo Quintanilla
|
Los Angeles Force | Team went 4-0-0, scored hat-trick | [15] |
| September | Daniel Bedoya
|
Albion San Diego | 3 goals scored | [16] |
Coach of the Month edit
| Month | Winner | Team | Reason | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | Alex Kao
|
Maryland Bobcats FC | 2-0-0 in league play; win in US Open Cup | [11] |
| May | Diego Gómez
|
Albion San Diego | 3-1-0 in league play | [12] |
| June | Rod Underwood
|
Chattanooga FC | Undefeated in June | [13] |
| July | Rod Underwood
|
Chattanooga FC | 3-1-0 in league play | [14] |
| August | Matt Morse
|
Los Angeles Force | 2-2-0 in league play | [15] |
| September | Alex Kao
|
Maryland Bobcats FC | 2-1-0 in league play | [16] |
See also edit
Notes edit
References edit
- ^ a b "NISA announces 2023 clubs and format". www.nisaofficial.com. January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ "NISA announces kit sponsorship deal". Twitter.com. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ "Ziggy Korytoski named head coach of Chattanooga Red Wolves SC". December 14, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ "Flower City Union Announces 2023 Head Coach". February 10, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ "President of the Youth Academy and Assistant Coach Alex Kao to become Head Coach of Maryland Bobcats FC Senior Team". March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ^ "Matt Morse Named Los Angeles Force Coach". April 27, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ "NISA releases opening weekend match schedule". www.nisaofficial.com. February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ "NISA Match Forfeit and Postponement". Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c "NISA player statistics". nisasoccer.com. NISA. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "NISA Honors 2023 Annual Award Recipients". NISAofficial.com. National Independent Soccer Association. December 2, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
- ^ a b "NISA Announces April 2023 Performers of the Month Awards". NISAofficial.com. National Independent Soccer Association. May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ a b "NISA Announces May 2023 Performers of the Month Awards". NISAofficial.com. National Independent Soccer Association. June 14, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ a b "NISA Announces June 2023 Performers of the Month Awards". NISAofficial.com. National Independent Soccer Association. July 19, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "NISA Announces July 2023 Performers of the Month Awards". NISAofficial.com. National Independent Soccer Association. August 11, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "NISA Announces August 2023 Performers of the Month Awards". NISAofficial.com. National Independent Soccer Association. September 12, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "NISA Announces September 2023 Performers of the Month Awards". NISAofficial.com. National Independent Soccer Association. October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.