The Championship Field Is Set As Strikers Claim No. 4 Seed On Final Day
NASL Soccer News: The North American Soccer League (NASL) Fall Season came to a thrilling end on Sunday, and the field is now set for The Championship, the league’s four-team postseason tournament.
The top-seeded New York Cosmos will host the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (No. 4 seed) in The Championship Semifinals on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET at MCU Park in Brooklyn, N.Y., while Ottawa Fury FC (No. 2 seed) will welcome Minnesota United FC (No. 3 seed) to TD Place on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET in the other semifinal match.
“I’d like to congratulate the four clubs that earned their way into The Championship,” said NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson. “Once again, this year’s competition went down to the final match, creating a very exciting conclusion to the Fall Season.”
New York’s two-goal victory, combined with Ottawa’s draw on Saturday, gave the Cosmos the top postseason seed and the inside track at hosting The Championship Final in two weeks. Fort Lauderdale’s place in The Championship was earned in the league’s final Fall Season match on Sunday, as the Strikers’ 1-0 victory in Jacksonville helped them surpass the Tampa Bay Rowdies and clinch the fourth and final postseason spot.
“The last few weeks have been extremely hard fought and competitive,” Peterson said. “I expect the next two weeks to keep fans on the edge of their seats, and I certainly believe that The Championship is something you won’t want to miss.”
The Championship operates under a single-elimination format in which the highest-seeded semifinal winner hosts the Final. Last year, the San Antonio Scorpions (No. 2 seed) lifted the Soccer Bowl trophy in front of their home fans, topping the Strikers (No. 4 seed), 2-1, at Toyota Field.
Both semifinal matches, as well as The Championship Final, will be carried live on ESPN3 (U.S.) and NASL.com (Canada). 
