If you'd like to first review Toda's and Ikeda's faith-healing claims, here you go:
2nd Soka Gakkai President Toda: "The magic chant can bring the dead back to life!" - and claimed to be personally able to cure polio.
Ikeda: "Every disease can be cured by Gohonzon!"
As you can imagine, Toda's untimely demise, and from the consequences of his attachment to alcohol, after having praised attachments earlier, was - and remains - quite an embarrassment within the SGI. Some try to claim it was lingering effects from his incarceration, but fellow Soka Kyoiku Gakkai member and Makiguchi shakubuku Shuhei Yajima spent exactly the same amount of time in the same prison under the same charges, and he lived to the ripe old age of 75.
Yet the "The Human Revolution" novels acknowledge that Toda had been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver (typically brought on by an excessive, intemperate drinking habit), so let's start there - in May, 1957:

From that time on [the start of the trials for the Osaka Incident], Toda frequently spoke about his own death. Such comments, however, were always cloaked in humor. It was often difficult to tell whether he was being serious or joking. For example, Toda once told his housekeeper:
"I think I'll leave this world in April next year, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom."

Bullshit. #ThatHappened

On another occasion, he said to some of the leaders closest to him:
"You have all grown splendidly. I will be leaving you soon. If you have anything you want to ask me - anything at all - you'd better ask now. Don't blame me if you don't and regret it later. Ha! Ha!..."

What a weirdo.

Toda's laugh was bright. His kind eyes smiled warmly. Because his words were so sudden, none of the leaders knew how to respond. One women's division leader,

...who will never be identified because the ghostwriters made her up for this scene...

her eyes moist with tears,

...because of course...buncha crybabies...

said, "Sensei, you have a mission. You cannot die yet!"
With a laugh, Toda replied, "Well, that's one thing I have no say over." (p. 1806)

Hold that thought.
Fast forward to November 20, 1957. Notice that the following dramatic scene unfolds just as somebody from the Soka Gakkai has arrived to take Toda to Hiroshima to meet with lawyers about the Osaka trial (this is related to the Osaka Incident in which Ikeda was arrested for election fraud, pled guilty, and this case dragged out over 2 years with ultimately 48 court appearances for Ikeda before Ikeda was let off, though other Soka Gakkai members were convicted and punished). Ikeda's alter ego Shin'ichi Yamamoto has just the day before tearfully begged Toda to cancel the trip (to of course make it all about himself). Such crybabies...

The following morning, November 20 - the day on which Toda was to travel to Hiroshima - Chief Secretary Tame Izumida went to pick Toda up at his home.
"Welll then, let's be off!" said Toda to Izumida when he arrived. But as he began to stand, his knees suddenly buckled under him and he fell to the floor. He tried to get up again but found he ahd no strength in his legs. Two or three more times he braced his legs before finally raising himself upright with some effort by grasping hold of a post. But when he tried to take a step forward, he staggered and collapsed to the floor again.
His wife, Ikue, turned pale. She grasped Toda's arm as he repeatedly tried to stand, but in spite of her support, he was unable to do so. His physical condition had deteriorated to such an extent that it now prevented him from walking. Toda lay on the floor, his breathing labored.
"It's no use," he murmured, wrinkling his brow in frustration before closing his eyes, apparently resigned to the situation. Ikue telphoned Kenya Yabe, the family doctor, asking him to make a house call. General Director Takeo Konishi, meanwhile, was hurriedly dispatched to Hiroshima to take Toda's place at the scheduled meeting.
Dr. Yabe arrived a short while later. Upon examining Toda, he found evidence of abdominal edema (excess abdominal fluid), complicated by symptoms of jaundice and a profoundly weakened constitution. Yabe suspected cirrhosis of the liver - and quite an advanced stage at that. He decided that an intensive program of treatment was necessary. He made a call to his former teacher, Dr. Toshiharu Kida, an associate professor at N. University Medical School and an expert in the field of gastroenterology (digestive medicine), requesting that he come to examine Toda.

The fact that they're going to the trouble of defining simple medical terminology points to their uneducated membership.

That evening, Dr. Kida conducted his examination while Dr. Yabe looked on. Yabe reported on Toda's condition, informing Kida that the patient had almost no appetite and ocmplained of extreme fatigue.
Kida examined Toda carefully. There was a definite accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, and the area was extremely swollen. Feeling around the upper abdomen, Dr. Kida found Toda's liver to be quite enlarged and hard as well. In addition, jaundice had appeared in the conjunctive tissue of the eye.

There was no doubt that Toda had cirrhosis of the liver.

Nevertheless, Dr. Kida decided to conduct extensive tests of Toda's blood and urine.
Toda's entire body was riddled with disease. While the icterus index of a healthy person is normally less than seven, Toda's index was forty-eight, indicating acute jaundice. Also, strong positive results for blood in the stool indicated bleeding of the digestive tract. Toda's condition was very serious indeed.

Something something actual proooooof??

In those days, by the time cirrhosis of the liver had advanced to the stage where abdominal edema was apparent, it ordinarily meant that the patient's prospect of recovery was quite poor, with little likelihood of the swelling going down.
Development of fluid retention in the setting of cirrhosis is an important landmark in the natural history of chronic liver disease: approximately 15% of patients with ascites succumb in 1 year and 44% succumb in 5 years. Source

That means 85% of patients with this symptom live more than a year, and 56% live more than 5 years. Glass half full, right? When you've got the Mystic Law on your side?

Dr. Kida suggested that the patient check into a hospital, but Toda steadfastly refused. He felt that he would be unable to take leadership for kosen-rufu if he were hospitalized. With news of Toda's illness, a veil of sadness shrouded the Soka Gakkai Headquarters.
Shin'ichi for his part

...determined to continue making it all about himself...

prayed fervently for Toda's recovery and long life.

Hmmm - wonder how that worked out?

He continued chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, sensing grimly at times that beyond the illness that plagued Toda there loomed the shadow of death.

Ooh - mystical insight! No one else could have possibly guessed that a serious illness like severe cirrhosis of the liver might result in death! 🙄

Toda had devoted himself to kosen-rufu without a single thought for his own well-being. The time he spent in prison during the war had damaged his health irreparably.

See how they're trying to take the focus off Toda's alcoholism and smoking addiction? "No, no - look over there! It was prison! Yeah, that's the ticket!" Yet fellow prisoner Shuhei Yajima, arrested at the same time, for the same reason, and kept in the same prison, was involved equally in rebuilding the Soka Gakkai and lived to 75. However, he did leave the Soka Gakkai to become a Nichiren Shoshu priest. The Ikeda cult spread vile rumors about him being drunk all the time, though...and he didn't do gongyo right, either, according to the Ikeda cult. And his wife was ugly, too!

Toda's first attack of illness occurred in February 1954.

Notice Toda was released from prison July 3, 1945. So almost 9 years later.

Doctors were then unable to discover any serious malady but found Toda to be suffering from a condition of chornic, excessive fatigue. They prescribed that a period of rest and recuperation was necessary. Sometimes when Toda was feeling out of sorts, he would request that Yabe, his family doctor, or Hiroshi Futami, a physician and Soka Gakkai member, examine him. But Toda submitted to these examinations

...that TODA requested, remember that.

simply to confirm the nature of his immediate complaint. As soon as his condition improved even slightly, he would completely forget all about his days of illness as if they had never existed and launch into a flurry of activity once again.

So Toda was stupid. Got it. Toda did not care enough for his health to take proper care of himself until he was stricken with an acute condition. Does this sound like "the wisdom of the Buddha" to YOU?
We then get treated to a description of how Toda had started having to go pee several times a night, but I'll spare you the details.

Reviewing Toda's test results at the time, Dr. Yabe found his patient's blood sugar level to be one hundred eighty milligrams per liter of blood. Because the normal maximum blood sugar level for a healthy person is one hundred milligrams per liter, Yabe diagnosed a full-fledged case of diabetes and began an intensive course of treatment. Though Toda continued to be an idiot did not get the rest he should have, his health returned after several months. By December 1956, the reading for sugar in his urine was hovering around normal and his blood sugar level had dropped to one hundred ten, indicating a return to near normal.

YAY! TODA IS CURED!!

Perhaps due to a weakening of his immune system, however

Hmmm...that doesn't sound consistent with Toda's earlier boasting of how chanting the magic chant to the magic scroll fixes all health problems, though, does it?

Toda began to become increasingly susceptible to colds. This forced him to spend several days at home in bed at the end of the year.

What a baby.

He seemed to experience a respite in his illness at the beginning of the new year, 1957, but by April 30, after the by-election in Osaka to fill a vacant seat in the House of Councilors, Toda collapsed from his second attack. This time, symptoms of liver damage were apparent.
It was just after this that the Soka Gakkai's problem with the coal miners union in Hokkaido, and the "Osaka incident," which led to the arrests of General Director Takeo Konishi and Shin'ichi on trumped up charges,

...for which over a dozen people were convicted and punished, if memory serves...

occurred. The anxieties that accompanied these two events gnawed at Toda, bringing him to utter exhaustion. This only undermined his health further.

"See? It was prison AND the 'Osaka Incident'! Not Toda's out-of-control drinking and smoking habits!"

It was obvious that Toda had driven himself relentlessly over the years,

...because the alternative would have been to recognize that Toda had destroyed his own health due to those attachments he was so insistent upon protecting...

again and again pushing aside his physical pain and discomfort. Now he began to lose weight at an alarming rate. Though he sought to improve his condition by resting at Karuizawa during the summer, his body was fighting a losing battle with disease with each passing moment.

But how can this be with the "good medicine" of the magic chant??

Yet most people were unaware of the gravity of Toda's illness.

I'll bet you can guess who was aware of the gravity of Toda's illness, though...

Obstinate though Toda was, this time he had no choice but to entrust himself to the doctor's care. He was consigned to absolute rest and quiet, placed on a strictly controlled diet and prescribed medication to normalize his metabolism, protect and detoxify his liver, as well as regenerate and repair the cells of that organ. (p. 1819)
It was just a matter of time before the Soka Gakkai realized Josei Toda's dream of 750,000 member-households. But just as Toda was about to make the final ascent to the summit of his great undertaking

...which - note - is apparently what other people are accomplishing, but never mind...

he had fallen seriously ill. Though not in pain, he had been overtaken by severe fatigue that he was helpless to combat.

"Helpless"?? With the Buddhist Law at his command?? How can this be?

At the same time, he had lost the strength in his legs, making it difficult for him to walk. His appetite, too, had waned, and he could thus do little but stay in bed.

Heading [sic] the advice of his physician, Toda gave up his much-loved sake and cigarettes.

THERE it is! It was only at that point that Toda heeded his doctor's advice. Stupid!
And, given what a pack of lies this novelization is, Toda probably just continued drinking himself into a stupor and smoking like a chimney...

His single-minded determination to attend the completion ceremony for the Grand Lecture Hall at the head temple in March the following year, in good health and high spirits, enabled him to control his desire for these things. Toda's doctors were gravely concerned about his condition and continued their tireless efforts to treat his illness,

...and the doctors' efforts won't amount to much when the patient is sabotaging them at every turn, will they?

but the last week or so of November passed with no appreciable signs of improvement. Toda was battling an illness that stood in the way of his endeavors for kosen-rufu.
Around this time, Dr. Hiroshi Futami, who was a Soka Gakkai member and who had examined Toda quite frequently in the past, came to visit Toda to check on his condition and also to spend time with him as a friend.
Upon seeing Futami's face, Toda began to speak as if to encourage himself: "Futami, we are about to realize the goal of 750,000 households. It is only natural that devils will vie with one another to interfere. But the devil of illness I am currently beset with falls only into the category of a minor demon. If I let such insignificant devils defeat me, I will never be able to accomplish kosen-rufu."

This is extremely dangerous thinking on Toda's part - by defining the illness as something outside of himself AND caused by an external agent, in this case, a "demon", he is unable to appreciate the reality of his illness and, more importantly, understand that he MUST use a medical approach to deal with it, NOT an irrational, superstitious, "faith-based" approach! Yet even after what happened to Toda, even though we have made so much progress in medicine since then, we STILL see this sort of self-destructive thinking in SGI - all the TIME!

Fully aware of Toda's condition, Futami interrupted: "Sensei, all this talking is not good for your health. I would also like you to refrain from seeing visitors as much as possible. Now is the most crucial time for your recovery."

I wonder about the translation of this passage - either Dr is telling Toda that he needs to stop flapping his lips so much, or he's cautioning Toda that his way of thinking is not good for him. I suspect the latter. By "refraining from seeing visitors", that will ensure Toda gets more rest, right? It looks to me like Futami was trying to give Toda a REALITY injection, but as you'll see, delusional Toda was NOT having it:

"Don't look so serious," Toda replied. "I know the way for prolonging life, so don't worry. I fully intend to participate in the pilgrimage to the head temple this January."

That was only a little more than 1 month away at that point, mind.

The doctor's examination had indicated that Toda would need at least four to six months of thorough medical treatment and rest. This prognosis was made on the premise that nothing would happen to invite a further deterioration in Toda's condition from now on. For this reason, Toda's statement that he intended to participate in the January pilgrimage to the head temple was extremely bold.

"Reckless" is more like it - we've been talking about that lately. Also, "stupid" again comes to mind. Funny... "Toda, you're at death's door!" "Then I'll fling it open and throw myself through! I know the way for prolonging life!"
There's only so much doctors can do when their patients refuse to follow medical advice.

Faced with Toda's confident tone, however, Futami found himself at a loss for words.

Convincing Toda to become a partner in his recovery had proven utterly futile.

In early December, Toda's condition began to show slight signs of improvement. The strong sense of fatigue did not leave him, but his appetite gradually began to return and the excess fluid in his abdomen was being slowly absorbed. It was extremely rare for abdominal fluid resulting from cirrhosis of the liver to abate on its own. Yet, by around December 10, the fluid had disappeared almost completely.

Ooooh - mystic, right? Everyone's already forgotten how Toda had been "consigned to absolute rest and quiet, placed on a strictly controlled diet and prescribed medication to normalize his metabolism, protect and detoxify his liver, as well as regenerate and repair the cells of that organ" just 3 pages ago, right? So the medical treatment is helping - why not say that??
Oh, and YAY! TODA IS CURED!!

It was an astounding improvement. Even Dr. Kida was unable to conceal his surprise at the remarkable change. Kida even secretly wondered if it might not be a miracle.

MY.
ASS.
If Dr was "secretly wondering" something, how did our ghostwriters learn of his "secret" thoughts?? Did they just make this all up the way SGI members do to this very day? It's extremely popular within SGI for SGI members to report that their doctors were "amazed", "couldn't believe it", even declared their recovery to be "a miracle". Yet these same doctors aren't interested in finding out anything at all about SGI - isn't that "amazing"?

With that worry off their minds, the doctors were thus finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. From that point on, they went about Toda's treatment with renewed confidence. (pp. 1820-1822)

But nowhere do we read that the treatment the doctors prescribed was proving to be effective! THAT's what the narrative is describing, but we're supposed to credit Toda's srs battel uginst deeeemoans as the cause, NOT competent medical treatment!
Fast forward about 5 pages:

A short time later, physician and assistant professor Toshiharu Kida came by to examine Toda. As soon as the examination was over, Toda asked, as if he had been waiting for an opportunity to do so, "Why did my stomach become so swollen, even though I had no appetite?"
"You lost your appetite because your liver wasn't functioning efficiently, which affacted your other organs, inhibiting the function of your entire digestive tract. In addition, one of the symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver is a buildup of abdominal fluid. Pressure from this fluid causes the abdomen to distend, further contributing to a loss of appetite. In your case, however, the fluid buildup has subsided remarkably. The swelling is going down and your appetite is returning as a result."
Toda then asked another question: "Is there any surefire method for treating cirrhosis of the liver?"
"At present there is no method of treatment that could be called surefire," Kida replied. "What we try to do is to see that the patient gets plenty of rest and administer a diet that will aid in recovery. With this kind of illness, it is important to consider how to assist and enhance the patient's own natural recuperative powers."
"In other words," Toda remarked, "it's all up to the patient's life force, isn't it?"

Toda's trying to set up an opening to preach at his doctor - just watch...

"Life force?...I guess you could say that."
"If it's a matter of life force, then I'm absolutely confident. Yes, extending my life for a little while should prove no great hardship."
Looking perplexed, Dr. Kida peered over his glasses at Toda, who smiled in amusement when he saw Kida's expression.
"In the sutra it states 'let us live out our lives.' This means that through the power of Buddhist Law one can extend a life span that has already been fixed by karma."

Okay - notice how "the sutra" is expected to be accepted by all parties to this conversation as an authoritative source (so typical of religious zealots). AND the zealot expects his interpretation- his opinion - to be automatically accepted as authoritative as well. This is standard zealot behavior; we continue to see it. AND the zealot just casually inserts religious terminology - in this case, "Buddhist Law" and "karma" - without defining it, expecting everyone to just go along, nodding and agreeing. This is bully behavior. Low-level, sure, but still bullying.

Dr. Kida did not quite seem to grasp what Toda was saying.

So what does Toda do?

Laughing, Toda asked another question: "What are your thoughts on prolonging life from a medical standpoint?"

Toda laughs at him. Seeing the bullying pattern here?

"From the perspective of aging," Kida responded, "one way to prolong life lies in preventing degenerative conditions, such as arteriosclerosis, which hasten the onset of death."
"Prevention is certainly important from a medical perspective," Toda said, "but then you have those who are normally health conscious, yet meet sudden, early deaths due to accident or unexpected illness. This is what we call karma or destiny. Buddhism teaches us how to change even this. Genuine faith enables people to change not only their destiny but their environment as well, by effecting a change in their inner determination or attitude."

This is one of the things that makes these novels so tedious - scenarios are set up for the sole purpose of preaching and exposition. "SHOW, don't tell" is the "Golden Rule of good writing". Ikeda was such a yutz that he instructed his ghostwriters to just tell-tell-tell. Lecture, speechify, monologue. On and on and on...

Toda went on to say that the following March, the Grand Lecture Hall would be completed at the Head Temple Taiseki-ji with events and ceremonies being held to commemorate the occasion. He planned to recover by that time, he said, and to attend the events in good health, staying at the head temple for a month.

Who does that? Is there a fee? Who pays for and prepares the food of such a lodger?

"Hmm...March?" Kida said.
Dr. Kida thought it very doubtful that Toda would recover to such an extent by march.

Remember, Toda stipulated "in GOOD health".

Though he showed astonishing improvement, Toda was suffering from a serious case of cirrhosis of the liver. Kida's experience as a doctor told him that his patient would require a much longer period of rest and recuperation.

This scene is taking place in mid-December 1957, just 3 months before the events being described for March.

But Toda's voice was full of confidence. "You might not believe this," he said, "but people can even cure their illness through the power of their mind, the power of their inner determination. Just watch me. You'll see."

We have the advantage of knowing how this story ends. Toda only "proved" the opposite. That he was a foolish, deluded, addicted common mortal who didn't know anything and was incapable of understanding when others were telling him how to properly care for himself.

"There are many things in this world that are inexplicable. Our head temple rests on what is primarily a lava bed, so there used to be little ground water. We had geologists survey the area on several occasions, but each time they said there was no water under the lava bed.

Evidence, please 😐

But when I considered the growing number of members making pilgrimages to the head temple and their need for drinking water, I thought it would be a great problem if we couldn't find water. So I prayed and prayed.

And wept and wept.

And what do you think happened? Water began to gush out of a hole that had been drilled only twenty-six meters deep.

That's 85 feet deep.
So let me see if I've got this straight: MULTIPLE "geologists" had already told them there was no water, but for some reason, they'd decided to go ahead and DRILL BABY DRILL anyhow. THEY certainly weren't doing the drilling; I have some specific experience with well-drilling companies (I have a well) and it costs MONEY to drill. Besides, Taiseki-ji temple already had at least one water source (or there couldn't be priests living there, could there??) AND there are towns nearby. OBVIOUSLY, there's water in the area. You can look at a satellite image of Taiseki-ji here - their property is surrounded by farm fields and woods. If the vegetation and crops are being watered by rainfall, then Taiseki-ji would just need to increase its cistern capacity for collecting that rainfall - and of course limit the freeloaders lodgers. This image shows either a river or a pond/lake right next to one of the Taiseki-ji's large buildings. Here is another view. And another. And another. MOAR water at Taiseki-ji. WAAAAATERRRRR
This was no high desert, in other words. So I have no idea what that yoyo Toda was yammerin' on about.

"It might sound very strange, but this is Buddhism. It is the same even with the human body.

Oh lawdy. I can't even.

"I will definitely preside over ceremonies and events scheduled for our general pilgrimage at the head temple this March. This will be my final mission. I, Toda, will teach you the wonders of Buddhism with my own life."

Yeah, he went, and he was dead by the next month. Impressive 🙄

Toda was fond of the promising young Kida with his good-natured personality. He would often have his wife call Kida at home to request an examination, even when there was no particular change in his condition.

Ewww - stalkerish. "Hey, Fido! Call the doc - I want him to see me naked again!"

And as his health improved, Toda would often decline being examined

So he's just wasting the good doctor's time and taking advantage of him.

and instead ask Kida about various problems confronting modern medicine, firing one question at him after another. Toda was borrowing on Kida's medical knowledge to help him ponder the nature of life itself.

Number 1, Kida was getting PAID for these visits, and number 2, there's just no way to make this sort of inconsideration sound valid.

He said to Kida, "Forgive me for asking you to come by so often, even though I don't always let you examine me. I know you're very busy, but I find talking to you so interesting and enjoyable."

"Don't worry, Mr. Toda - you're paying for my new boat!"

At some point, Toda had turned even his desperate struggle with illness and ongoing convalescence into an enjoyable experience.

Oh brother...

Toda's condition was improving each day. By the end of December, his appetite had practically returned to what it had been before his collapse and his icterus (jaundice) index, which had been as high as forty-eight, had dropped to twenty. In addition, the fluid that had built up in Toda's abdomen had all but disappeared, and his liver was regaining its normal function. Toda's dramatic recovery in such a short time greatly surpassed his doctors' predictions and could be regarded as nothing short of miraculous.

And we can't help but suspect this is more made-up bullshit from Ikeda's ghostwriters.

Drs. Kida and Yabe both breathed a great sigh of relief; neither could help marveling at the strength of Toda's life force. (pp. 1827-1829)

Der HERR der HERR der HERRR
YAY! TODA IS CURED!!

Over the next few days he made an effort to get out of bed in the afternoons and sit upright or practice walking around the house. Though it seemed the worst of his illness had passed, there were times when Toda himself was shocked at how physically weak and unsteady on his feet he had become. (p. 1838)

Or not…

As Soka Gakkai president, Toda had been obliged to attend the New Year's reception on January 7 to which sixteen priests had been invited. But he was so painfully fatigued that he had to leave halfway through the proceedings.

Definitely not!

Although he had almost recovered from his illness, it was not so easy to overcome the physical weakness and debilitation it had inflicted. (p. 1845)

Then he WASN'T "almost recovered"!

Josei Toda's health was improving with each passing day. By the end of December, his symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver had miraculously diminished. The doctors proclaimed his liver to be functioning almost normally again, and the results of tests conducted in January indicated even greater improvement. (p. 1852)

Just like SGI-USA Culture Department leader Pascual Olivera declaring that his doctors had assured him there "wasn't a single cancer cell left in his entire body", and then dying the next year - of cancer.

The readings for urobilin and bilirubin were both negative, while the icterus (jaundice) index had dropped to the near-normal level of eight. There was also a marked decrease in the size of Toda's liver. Although sugar was detected in his urine, it was very slight and for the moment did not indicate a life-threatening condition.

The very specific nature of these details makes me suspect they're made up. Why would anyone else have had access to these specific medical details for someone else?

Toda was still physically weak, but that did not deter him from going to the Soka Gakkai Headquarters on New Year's Day and then trveling on to the head temple. Whenever he became too exhausted, he would rest for two or three days, waiting patiently for the time when he would be able to fully resume his responsibilities. Having victoriously weathered the crisis of cirrhosis of the liver and won a decisive round against the devilish function of illness... (p. 1853)

From February, 1957:

"I am therefore determined to do my utmost as president for another seven years." (p. 1854)

YAY! TODA IS CURED!!

Despite having won a victory over the devilish function of ill health, Toda knew that he did not have long to live. (p. 1853)

OR NOT!

"Happily, when I returned to Tokyo and was examined by doctors on January 7, their tests showed that all symptoms of liver disease, which they had earlier warned me were extremely serious, had completely disappeared. The only abnormality they found was a small amount of sugar in my urine, but this was so slight that it poses no immediate threat to my life."
Toda first sketched the course of his recovery and then proceeded to discuss the relationship of medical treatment and faith. By sharing his own experience, he strove to reveal the great power of the Daishonin's Buddhism. A person's testimony based on actual experience is more powerful than all the words in the world.

SHOW, don't TELL! You're quickly running through all the words in the world!

Josei Toda's article continued: "I do not mean to reject medical science. Just as one must pass through the gates of knowledge in order to gain wisdom, so in the pursuit of good health, it is foolish to ignore medical science.
"But I do not hold modern medicine to be the ultimate treatment for illness."

Okay, whatever.

"Just as an engineer building a road uses the science of surveying to measure the road's route and level, I respect medicine and medical science as a means for measuring the road to good health. Through faith in the Mystic Law, I defeated the devilish functions of illness and death that plagued me and utilized medical science to gauge the progress of my recovery. As a result, I have survived my fifty-seventh year and chose the date of my fifty-eighth birthday, on February 11, to celebrate my full recovery."
Just as travelers of old once made use of milestone mounds to measure the progress of their journey, I, too, hope to advance along the road to kosen-rufu, passing an important milestone every seven years. Looking forward to the continued cooperation and support of all of you, my comrades in faith, I will report here, in summary, on the course of my illness."
Toda here mentioned that he had lost his desire to drink whiskey, which he had so enjoyed prior to his illness, and that he had dramatically cut down his consumption of cigarettes, though now when he did smoke, he enjoyed it much more. (p. 1858-1859)
"Next, the high priest will be treating us all to some sake. Although I've been in somewhat poor health lately and unable to make my body respond as I would like, I still enjoy a drink as I always did. So today I'm going to drink to my heart's content before I die!" (p. 1863)
Dr. Kida arrived from Tokyo on March 24.
When he heard the doctor had been called, Toda was furious. But on seeing Kida's face, he quieted down and submitted to his ministrations. When the doctor had finished his examination, Toda asked him firmly, "Well, what's your conclusion?"
The doctor looked at Toda, surprised at his composure.
"Your illness is completely cured, but your body is extremely weak. Please try your best to eat, even if only some soup or thin rice gruel. It will give you strength." (p. 1904)

YAY! TODA IS CURED!!

NOPE!

But by April 2, only 9 days later, Toda is dead. And, oddly, for all the paragraphs of the emergency activity and doctors and examinations, the cause of his "turn for the worse" is not mentioned. The narrative is that Toda was fine! FINE! He'd completely overcome his cirrhosis of the liver - Toda was CURED! But then he immediately got really sick despite being fine and having no medical issues and died.

An acute weakening of the heart was determined to be the cause of death. (p. 1920)

Yuh huh.

Heart failure (HF) and liver disease often co-exist. ...cardiac dysfunction and failure in the setting of liver cirrhosis... Source

Toda had an 85% chance of surviving over a year (and a 56% chance of living more than FIVE years), but he was dead within 5 months.
The only conclusion is that Toda was, once again, deluded about the reality of his life and he DIED of complications from cirrhosis of the liver brought on by his heavy drinking and too much smoking. Enough of the LIES, Society for Glorifying Ikeda!
I'm older now than Toda was when he died🙄
These page numbers are all taken from The Human Revolution, Book Two: Volumes 7-12, Abridged Edition.

Good morning from the UK. Happy St Patricks day. It'll be a woeful one for many Irish people around the world with pubs and bars shut in multiple US states, several European countries, several Asian countries and worst of all, Ireland itself. Here in the UK you can still go to the pub, although as of late yesterday afternoon the UK government advised against it says the BBC.
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Virus statistics
Several comments from redditors in past days complained the WHO stats I C&P'd did not come very close to reflecting stats being quoted by national media wherever they lived. As a result, I'm abandoning the WHO stats and going back to the John Hopkins University tracker stats for all countries. If it's good enough for the likes of Forbes, Business Insider, FT, USA Today to regularly cite it then it's good enough for me:-
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Region	Today (John Hopkins Stats at time of writing)	Yesterday (John Hopkins stats not the WHO's)	% daily change
Global	182,424	169,387	+7.7%
China	81,053	81,020	+0.4%
Italy	27,980	24,747	+13.1%
Iran	14,991	13,938	+7.6%
Spain	9,942	7,844	+26.7%
South Korea	8,320	8,162	+1.9%
Germany	7,272	5,813	+25.1%
France	6,655	5,437	+22.4%
USA	4,661	3,774	+23.5%
Switzerland	2,330	2,200	+5.9%
UK	1,553	1,395	+11.3%
Netherlands	1,414	1,136	+24.5%
Norway	1,347	1,256	+7.2%
Sweden	1,121	1,032	+8.6%
Belgium	1,058	886	+19.4%
Austria	1,018	860	18.4%

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All other countries with under 1000 identified infections not listed (sorry Denmark), yesterday's threshold was 750. Total countries infected worldwide = 155, an increase from yesterday of 9. Source for all countries (as discussed above): the John Hopkins University dashboard (Link). (Personal note: Western countries infection counts are increasing each day much faster than Asian countries but that may be due to cultural differences or it may be that they're doing my testing, if anyone can shed light on this please do).
Reminder, these are identified case counts and medical experts are reporting this virus has a long incubation period with people being infections despite displaying no symptoms; the true infection figures are likely to be much higher. Note that some countries are reporting shortages of test kits which further skews the data available; assume true cases are much higher.
Finally, no, I don't believe China's official statistics either.
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Selected Virus news
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Warnings of shortages of regeants (ingredients) to make test kits in the US - the Fool (a high quality finance website despite the name) reports that FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn stated last week in testimony before a U.S. House of Representatives appropriations subcommittee that there could be supply chain issues with reagents needed for novel coronavirus diagnostic kits. He noted that the supply issues specifically apply to RNA used in testing for coronavirus disease COVID-19.
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Shortages in US supermarkets likely to continue until panic buying eases - The LA Times says that shortages will continue until people calm down in their shopping habits. The major chains usually get shipments overnight, or perhaps twice a day, to restock essentials such as paper towels, toilet paper and water, but “manufacturers in some cases are having trouble keeping up, and that’s where the void is, they’re not able to keep up with demand,” said Bob Reeves, vice president for the West at the Shelby Report, a research firm that tracks the grocery industry. “We’re seeing shipments coming into the stores sometimes without any of those products, and it will be like that until people calm down a little bit,” he said. In some cases, chains are sending their delivery trucks directly to manufacturers — bypassing warehouses and distributors — to get the items to the stores faster. (Personal note: the same applies for all supermarket supply chains globally)
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Pa. hospitals are rationing protective gear as the number of coronavirus cases grows - (Personal note, this is an example, there seems to be a general global shortage of medical PPE (personal protective equipment) - The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that hospitals across Pennsylvania are drastically limiting the use of key protective gear out of fears that a dramatic increase in coronavirus cases could diminish reserves and cause a dangerous shortage. The rationing comes as the state Department of Health maintains that it has personal protective equipment available and is working with health systems to make sure they have what they need. The gear includes eye protection, gowns, and N95 respirators, which are essential in preventing a health care worker from breathing in infectious particles when in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. In Philadelphia, two doctors who work at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania said it’s barring the use of N95 respirators “except in extraordinarily limited situations.” Penn Medicine declined to comment. Another city doctor, Daphne Owen, said in a tweet Thursday her clinic “for uninsured and undocumented patients” was out of masks. Two days later, the clinic, Puentes de Salud, said it was closed due to the pandemic.
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Other Virus news in brief
- The Scottish courts and tribunals announced today that no new criminal jury trials would be commenced or new juries empanelled until further notice.
- Iran has temporarily freed a total of 85,000 prisoners, including political prisoners, a spokesman for its judiciary said on Tuesday, adding that the prisons were responding to the threat of a coronavirus epidemic in jails.
- Britain had “no time to lose” in changing tactics in order to prevent thousands of deaths and the NHS being overwhelmed, scientists providing guidance to the UK government have said. The Imperial College Covid-19 response team – which is one of several scientific teams advising UK ministers – published a paper (I've put it in the addendum below) showing that 250,000 people could die if efforts were focused only on delaying and slowing down the spread of Covid-19.Separately, England’s deputy chief medical officer, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, could not rule out the strict measures having to last for a year but predicted they would last at least “several months“.
- Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs has advised Australians to return home as soon as possible by commercial means because overseas travel is becoming “more complex and difficult” as countries impose travel restrictions and close their borders.
- Leaders of EU states were expected on Tuesday to suspend all travel into the passport-free Schengen zone by non-EU nationals for at least 30 days in a bid to instil uniformity across the bloc after some member states, including Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland, unilaterally began imposing border checks.
- China has issued an angry reaction (by diplomatic standards) to the US president Donald Trump’s characterisation of the disease as “the Chinese virus.” (he tweeted late last night "The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!"). China’s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the US president should take care of his own matters first and not seek to “stigmatise” China.
- The postponement of soccer’s Euro 2020 Championship may already have been decided after Uefa last week cancelled its hotel bookings in Copenhagen.
- The UK just advised its citizens against all non essential travel worldwide in the past 10 minutes
- Mobile phone networks are struggling in some areas of the UK with significantly increased demands according to down detector. For sure a lot of people seem to be home working, my commute in this morning was like it was the middle of August and everyone else was on holiday.
- Alitalia, the Italian airline flag carrier is to be renationalised by Italy
- Cinema chains are closing in multiple countries due to shutdowns
- Kazakhstan is closing down its two largest cities (despite only having 32 cases so far)
- A preliminary calculation by a US expert suggests that tens of thousands of premature deaths from air pollution may have been avoided by the cleaner air in China, far higher than the 3,208 coronavirus deaths.
- Jordan: the army has said it will deploy at entrances and exits of main cities in the kingdom in a move officials said was ahead of an imminent announcement of a state of emergency to combat the spread of coronavirus.
- In a joint statement, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit and YouTube said they would help ensure people could stay connected to each other during isolation as well as fight any misinformation and fraud linked to the outbreak. “We are working closely together on Covid-19 response efforts,” the statement said. “We’re helping millions of people stay connected while also jointly combating fraud and misinformation about the virus, elevating authoritative content on our platforms, and sharing critical updates in co-ordination with government healthcare agencies around the world.
- Almost all Germans shops are about to close by government decree; supermarkets, pharmacies will remain open (including on Sundays when they are usually closed). Separately, government press briefings there have gone online only.
- Olympic organisers in Japan are asking people not to create crowds along the route of the Olympic torch relay and not to gather near the route if they feel sick. A Boeing aircraft flew to Greece on 15 March to bring the torch to Japan.
- France: No movement allowed except for essential work or health reasons. “There can be no more outside meetings, no more seeing family or friends on the street or in the park. We must slow the spread of this virus by limiting the number of people we are in contact with each day to the strict minimum. If we do not, we endanger the lives of those we hold dear.” said the French President Macron.
- Israel’s government has approved emergency measures to track people suspected or confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus by monitoring their mobile phones, immediately raising privacy concerns in the country. The cabinet unanimously approved the use of the technology, developed initially for counter-terrorism purposes, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said providing the country’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet, with new secretive powers was a “dangerous precedent and a slippery slope that must be approached and resolved after much debate and not after a brief discussion”.
- Indonesian president Joko Widodo said on Saturday that he had withheld some information about cases to prevent the country from panicking, the Jakarta Post reported. He has rejected calls for a lockdown to be imposed on hard hit areas.
- Malaysia has announced it's closing its borders prompting neighbouring Singapore's citizens to panic buy (90% of their food is imported from Malaysia).
- New Zealand on Tuesday deported its first unruly traveller flouting the country’s mandatory 14-day self-isolation rule for almost all arrivals, the health ministry said. The tourist, who had checked into a backpackers hostel in the city of Christchurch, was removed from the accommodation by the police after officials learned she did not have clear self-isolation plans.
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Economics
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Goldman Sachs doesn't think the stock market drops have finished - BusinessInsider says that Goldman Sachs thinks that the S&P 500 might plunge as low as 2,000 before recovering through the rest of the year, the investment bank wrote Friday. The level is the benchmark index's lowest since early 2016 and implies a 20% decline from Monday's open. Such a tumble would also place the index more than 40% below its February 19 peak. The coronavirus outbreak is responsible for "unprecedented financial and societal disruption," the analysts said, and equities have so far served as accurate leading indicators before the release of relevant earnings or macroeconomic data. That said, the analysts pointed out that "The lesson of prior event-driven bear markets is that financial devastation ultimately allows a new bull market to be born,".
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U.S. factories are likely to close because of the coronavirus’ supply-chain shock - Marketwatch reports (link) that there is a very real chance that companies from auto makers to electronics manufacturers will soon begin to cease or limit production. With a downed China as the headstream of global manufacturing, mercantile America simply can’t function as it’s accustomed to. We’re starting to see this happen in official reports: The New York Fed’s Empire State business conditions index, released Monday, plunged by a record 34.4 points to minus 21.5 in March. And Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Sunday he expects a contraction in GDP in the second quarter. (Personal note: I expect similar problems across all G20 countries). The article goes on to explain that many supply chain directors may understand their first tier suppliers but often do not have full visibility of the status of their 2nd or 3rd tier suppliers
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Supply impact of the coronavirus outbreak is waning, but demand shock will linger, economist says - CNBC says that in January and February, industrial output fell by 13.5% from the same period a year earlier, the weakest reading since January 1990 — when Reuters' record began. China's industrial production is likely to improve in March over a slump in January and February due to the coronavirus outbreak, but consumer demand will take longer to recover both in the country and globally, an economist said Monday. "We will see some recovery, but this recovery, I think, is being undermined by the global spread as well," said Bo Zhuang, chief China economist at TS Lombard. Meanwhile, retail sales in January and February shrank 20.5% from a year ago, compared with a 8% growth in December as fearful consumers avoided crowded places like malls, restaurants and cinemas. "We were worried about supply-side issues, but now it's becoming a demand shock issue," said Zhuang. Smaller outfits like restaurants and service-oriented businesses have "resumed work but there are no customers," said Zhuang. "I think we are going to see a delayed V-shape (recovery), and this V may be a tilted V or W, or even U. We are not sure," he added.
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Coronavirus Impacts Every Sector of the Supply Chain - Supply and demand chain executive reports that the global supply chain continues to experience disruption. "We have seen that in the way that it’s spreading across into different hubs where we see alternative routes to be overly burdened, such as the rail system,” says Koray Köse of Gartner. “Now with the crisis and the hubs being closed and product movements are still active to some extent, but not necessarily from those regions, will become crowded and impacted. This means that there’s an additional strain on the overall network to move material.” Some products have experienced significant upticks including Chicken noodle soup (+37%), Hand sanitizer (+65%), Disinfecting Wipes: (+353%) and Cold & Flu medications (+197%) amongst others.
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Coronavirus pandemic worse than 1997 financial crisis, Malaysian ex-PM Mahathir warns - The Strait times reports on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the former premier who steered Malaysia's recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, expects the current coronavirus pandemic to hit the global economy even harder. "This is worse than the financial crisis," he said in a Bloomberg Television interview. "This is really a terrible blow to the economies of the whole world." Dr Mahathir joins other world leaders in warning that the virus impact may be worse than past periods of upheaval (Personal note: I pointed out yesterday the NZ PM also saying this).
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Supply chain news relating to Covid-19
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For Global Supply Chains the Worst Is Yet to Come - Supply Chain Management review says (Link) that most industrial companies have 30-60 days of parts and raw materials either on hand, in-transit, or obtainable on short notice. After these supplies run out, we will start to see shortages of finished products as well as parts needed to produce other goods. Shortages will start to become more evident toward the end of March and beginning of April. Production in some non-Chinese factories will have to be put on hold for lack of parts. Partially finished products will remain in suspension until all parts are available to build finished products. Some companies are pressing their engineers to redesign parts that can be sourced in the U.S., or at least outside of China. Other companies are giving 3D printing a serious try for the first time. The article goes on to point out delays in sea freight ex-Asia and extremely high airfreighting costs are exacerbating the situation.
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U.S. Suspends Truck-Driving Limits to Speed Coronavirus Shipments - The Wall Street Journal reports as of 2 days ago that maximum working hours for truck drivers in the US have been suspended. This applies to truck drivers moving emergency supplies such as medical equipment, hand sanitizer and food in response to the nationwide coronavirus outbreak. It comes as hospitals report shortages of medical masks and as retailers and manufacturers are straining under surging demand for everything from hand sanitizer to staples such as toilet paper and rice. As anxious consumers stockpile goods, grocers have turned to rationing, imposing purchase limits on disinfectant wipes, cleaning supplies and other high-demand products. The move is the first time the FMCSA has issued nationwide-wide relief from hours-of-service regulations, although regional declarations have waived those rules in response to disasters such as hurricanes. Federal regulations limit most commercial truck drivers to 11 hours of driving time in a 14-hour workday, restrictions intended to reduce accidents caused by highway fatigue.
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For supply chain companies, U.S.-Mexico border closures could be catastrophic - Marketplace points out that Mexico’s deputy health minister says he’s worried about people coming into Mexico from the United States; currently the U.S. has far more cases of COVID-19 than Mexico. The Mexican government even said it might consider restricting access at its northern borders. For businesses that operate on both sides of the border, any shutdown could be catastrophic. The article gives a case study of a manfacturer employing 150 people in Texas. The company president says before anyone considers closing the border, President Donald Trump and Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, should discuss a coordinated response to the virus. As for now, he says all of his people can work from home, if the situation calls for it. Everyone here has a laptop, he said. But he says the independent truck drivers and contractors who work on the loading docks, they have to be on site to run things. Those people also only get paid if they show up for work. So, for now, they’re glad the COVID-19 hasn’t shut this part of Texas down, yet.
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It won't be long before Coronavirus shuts down local African supply chains - The major Kenyan newspaper daily nation reports that there are imminent difficulties facing Kenyan pharma firms due to the industry importing 70% of its ingredients from India and China, both of whom have restricted exports. Studies show that the Kenyan pharmaceuticals market is worth Sh100 billion ($965m USD), 80 per cent of which is prescription drugs. Although Kenya exports 50 per cent to the COMESA region and 75 per cent to East African Community, most of these exports are re-exports from India and China.
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European automotive factories shutting down - Ferrari and Lamborghini have both suspended almost all production (says the Express and Star) whilst Yahoo Finance reports that Fiat Chrysler said in a statement on Monday 16 March that it would halt operations at most of its European plants, from now until 27 March because of an “interruption in market demand.” The Italian-American automotive group said the manufacturing stop includes six factories in Italy, the EU country worst hit by coronavirus. Italy has had over 24,700 infection cases so far, and more than 1,800 people have died from the virus. The PSA group, which includes Peugeot, Citroen, and Opel, said today it will close all its European plants, including in the UK, France and Germany for the remainder of the month too. German car giant Volkswagen is also suspending production at a number of manufacturing bases in Europe, including in Slovakia and Spain. VW-owned Seat has shuttered its main factory near Barcelona for at least the rest of the month. Meanwhile, according to the Financial Times, Volkswagen may also be forced to curtail production at the main factory in its home town of Wolfsburg, because of running low on parts.
Useful parcel courier current operational status links for anyone else in eCommerce:Canada Post, DHL Express, DPD, Fedex, Parcelforce, USPS. If anyone has any other major courier links for service status, please let us all know :)
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Good news section
Amazon to hire 100,000 more workers and give raises to current staff to deal with coronavirus demands - CNBC says that Amazon is hiring an additional 100,000 employees in the U.S. to meet the surge in demand from online shopping amid the coronavirus outbreak, the company said Monday. The company is looking to add extra full-time and part-time positions for warehouse and delivery workers. Through the end of April, it will raise pay for these employees by $2 per hour in the U.S., £2 per hour in the UK, and approximately €2 per hour in many EU countries. Amazon currently pays $15 per hour or more in some areas of the U.S. for warehouse and delivery jobs. Amazon encouraged employees in other industries whose jobs were "lost or furloughed" as a result of the coronavirus to apply, including members of the hospitality, restaurant and travel industries. "We want those people to know we welcome them on our teams until things return to normal and their past employer is able to bring them back," the company added.
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Educating in denial older relatives anecdote
Personal story time; my 69 year old Aunt is very grumpy because despite me telling her for well over a month, it is finally dawning on her that her dream guided coach bus tour of the West USA national parks in 10 weeks time is rapidly going up in smoke whilst my 75 year old Dad has realised his third cruise of the year (this time around the med) in 5 weeks time is also about to be toast. My Aunt complained on Facebook yesterday that nobody is mentioning the 46,000 people who have recovered from the illness and that "it's just a bit of flu". It isn't, otherwise governments around the world would not be reacting as they are.
If you have an elderly relative like mine who relies far too much on social media anecdotes rather than good quality fact based mainstream media, maybe point them at this businessinsider article here where it points out that 1) flu mortality rates are 0.1% vs. Covid-19 is 3.4% and 2) for 70-79 the mortality rate is 8% and for over 80's it's 14.8%. Hopefully they might just realise the seriousness of the situation; my Aunt dismissed it as "a website I've never heard of and won't believe" despite the article clearly citing CDC figures.
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Donations
Several asked if they can send me $/£/€ via Patreon (in some cases because I've saved them time or money, others for no reason at all). I don't need the cash (that's lovely though) but food bank charities are getting really hit hard with all this panic buying. Please consider giving whatever you'd have given me to a foodbank charity instead:
UK: https://www.trusselltrust.org/
France: https://www.banquealimentaire.org/
Germany: https://www.tafel.de/
Netherlands: https://www.voedselbankennederland.nl/steun-ons/steun-voedselbank-donatie/
Spain: https://www.fesbal.org/
Australia: https://www.foodbank.org.au/
Canada: https://www.foodbankscanada.ca/
USA: https://www.feedingamerica.org/
Thanks in advance for any donations you give. If there's foodbank charities in your country and it's not listed above, please suggest it and I will include it going forward.
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EDIT: Missed out virus news in brief, added as of 12:45. EDIT 2: Added in the Dutch foodbank link (hat tip siliconfrontier)

So with the end of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, we’re entering the slow part of the golf season, which means it’s the perfect time to look at the standings for Olympic Qualifying for the Tokyo Games. Olympic Qualifying ends on June 22nd and will take the Top 60 players in the Official World Golf Standings (OWGR), with each country getting a maximum of two slots, unless they have more than two players in the Top 15, which in case they can send a maximum of four players. These rules are fairly simple to follow if you aren’t following this wordy explanation, you’ll see how it works as I go along. I’ll be going continent-by-continent grading players on the likelihood that they’ll qualify. A “Virtual Lock” means they’re almost guaranteed to make the Olympics. Someone “On The Inside Track” means they will likely make the Olympics if they continue their form of play in the future. A “Bubble Boy” is someone on the edge of qualifying that needs to pick up the pace to ensure their spot or else they're at the mercy of others playing bad, and finally an “outside shot” has a small chance but needs either a watershed victory and/or declines from people above them to make the Olympic Field.
North America:
Canada: INSIDE TRACK: Adam Hadwin (currently 68th in the world), Corey Conners (71). OUTSIDE SHOT: Mackenzie Hughes (191), Roger Sloan (207), Nick Taylor (255)
Anyone in the top 2 for Canada will be comfortably in the Top 60, the only question is who will get it. Hadwin and Conners are the clear favorites with both of them being in the Top 100 in the world, but a PGA tour win from any of the other three could challenge them. Conners went from 196th in the world to 80th with his win in Texas this year, a win of similar caliber could propel one of Hughes, Sloan or Taylor into Olympic Qualifying contention. It’s still very hard and probably won’t happen, but there’s still a chance, which is why I’m including them here.
Mexico: VIRTUAL LOCK: Abraham Ancer (37). BUBBLE BOY: Carlos Ortiz (239). OUTSIDE SHOT: Roberto Diaz (398), Jose de Jesus Rodriguez (480).
Being a Top 50 player from a weaker golf country like Mexico puts Ancer firmly in the Tokyo Field. At the moment Ortiz would qualify as one of the last players in, but some good finishes on the PGA Tour would help him secure their spot. Both of the outside shots are competing for their Tour Cards in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals right now and will still likely get some PGA Tour starts next year, but will really need to capitalize on them to get to a spot to surpass Ortiz and be among the Top 60 qualifiers.
Puerto Rico: OUTSIDE SHOT: Rafael Campos (474). Campos just got his Tour card by finishing in the Top 25 in the Korn Ferry Tour season. He’s one of the longest shots on this list but just one good finish on the PGA Tour could change this and get him to Tokyo.
USA: VIRTUAL LOCK: Brooks Koepka (1). INSIDE TRACK: Dustin Johnson (3). BUBBLE BOY: Justin Thomas (5), Patrick Cantlay (7), Tiger Woods (8), Xander Schauffele (9), Bryson Dechambeau (10). OUTSIDE SHOT: Tony Finau (12), Webb Simpson (14), Patrick Reed (16), Gary Woodland (17), Rickie Fowler (19), Matt Kuchar (20).
The US is so competitive and the rankings change week-to-week, it’s very hard to predict who the top 4 Americans will be in 6 months. Even still Koepka is the most dominant player in terms of OWGR standings since prime Tiger, with his amazing season this year he’s a sure lock to at the very least be in the top 4 Americans. DJ has dropped his form in recent months (he hasn’t finished better than 20th since the May) but still had a comfortable lead in OWGR over the fourth spot that I feel confident that he will make the Olympic squad. The other two spots are a tossup and a marquee win by the five bubble boys could push them into the field. The outside shots probably need at least two PGA wins in the next 10 months to get them into the Top 4 for the US, which is a tall task.
South America:
Argentina: VIRTUAL LOCK: Emiliano Grillo (67). BUBBLE BOY: Nelson Ledesma (228)
Grillo has been a steady Top 100 player in the world for the past five years, the current best South American player and 2016 Olympian is a lock for 2020. Ledesma will be a PGA Tour rookie and is in the virtual Tokyo field as of right now but will need to sustain his position on the major circuit to stay there.
Brazil: OUTSIDE SHOT: Adilson da Silva (359).
Brazil’s 2016 Olympian needs to have some good finishes on the African Tour if he wants to return to the Olympic stage.
Chile: VIRTUAL LOCK: Joaquin Niemann (83). OUTSIDE SHOT: Huge Leon (498)
The young Chilean rallied hard the last two months of the season to comfortably retain his PGA Tour card, and will be a sure thing to make the Olympics. Leon is projected just outside the Top 110 of the European Tour Order of Merit, which is the cutoff point for a full European Tour Card, but a good result or two could secure is card, which would help tremendously to get into the Olympic Field
Colombia: ON THE INSIDE TRACK: Juan Sebastian Munoz (193). OUTSIDE SHOT: Nicolas Echavarria (475), Marcelo Rozo (503)
Munoz just barely held onto his Tour card by finishing 124th in the FedEx Cup, but still needs to hold steady to ensure his spot in the Olympics. The other two are struggling in the Korn Ferry Tour finals right now and likely won’t get their card unless they have good showings in the next two weeks, it will be an uphill battle for both of them to get inside the Top 250 in the world to try and sneak into the Olympic Field
Paraguay: BUBBLE BOY: Fabrizio Zanotti (235).
The European Tour vet will keep his card for the foreseeable future, but will need to pick up the pace to return to the Olympic Field. He’s hasn’t had a Top 25 finish since the Maybank Championship in March and only two Top 10 finishes since last February. He’s floating just inside the field for now, but not for long if he doesn’t improve
Venezuela: VIRTUAL LOCK: Jhonattan Vegas (113).
Jhonny Vegas had a lackluster year for his standards but still remains one of the few consistent Top 100 caliber players from South America and no other Venezuelan comes close to him. He will be in the Olympics.
Europe:
Austria: VIRTUAL LOCKS: Bernd Wiesberger (41). BUBBLE BOYS: Sepp Straka (184), Matthias Schwab (213).
Wiesberger, currently second in the Race to Dubai, has gone from out of the field to lock this summer with two wins. Straka and Schwab will compete on opposite sides of the Atlantic for the second Austrian spot, though if they both underperform Wiesberger could be the only one to make it.
Belgium: VIRTUAL LOCK: Thomas Pieters (84). INSIDE TRACK: Thomas Detry (161). OUTSIDE SHOT: Nicolas Colsaerts (343)
Pieters has been the best Belgian for years and that likely won’t change soon. Colsaerts represented Belgium in 2016 but has been struggling as of late and has fallen way outside the Olympic field. Detry will likely hold on to that spot unless Colsaerts sees a resurgence.
Denmark: VIRTUAL LOCKS: Lucas Bjerregaard (53), Thorbjorn Olesen (64).
These two Danes are the only two in the Top 200 in the world, they should be easy locks into the Tokyo field next year.
Finland: VIRTUAL LOCKS: Mikko Korhonen (108). BUBBLE BOYS: Kalle Samooja (300), Kim Koivu (315). OUTSIDE SHOT: Tapio Pulkkanen (376)
Korhonen, a winner on the European Tour at the China Open, should be in the Tokyo field. Samooja and Koivu, both rookies on the European Tour this year, are currently on the outside looking in but could easily get their way into the field with some good results that would also help them maintain their tour cards.
France: BUBBLE BOYS: Benjamin Hebert (97), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (100), Romain Langasque (105). OUTSIDE SHOT: Alexander Levy (171), Victor Perez (174), Antoine Rozner (189).
This is one of the juiciest races in the world. Three Frenchmen occupy an eight place gap and only two can make it to Tokyo. All three of them have been having good years, right now placing 13th, 32nd, and 19th, respectively in the Race to Dubai. We could be in for an incredibly tight race, or one or two of these guys could shoot lights out and ease into the Olympics. The outside shots could sneak it in if they get a couple of good results, but overtaking two of the three might be a difficult task.
Germany: VIRTUAL LOCK: Martin Kaymer (95). BUBBLE BOYS: Maximillian Kieffer (281), Stephan Jaeger (313).
The former No.1 player in the world has fallen off a cliff in recent years but some decent results recently has secured his spot in the Olympic field. Kieffer is the last person in the virtual field as of today and Jaeger is right behind him, both of them need to play better to get Germany off this precarious spot. Of the two I give Kieffer the better chance of making it to Tokyo, he should keep his European Tour card whereas Jaeger lost his PGA Tour card and has missed the cut in both KFT Finals events.
Great Britain: VIRTUAL LOCK: Justin Rose (4). INSIDE TRACK: Tommy Fleetwood (13). BUBBLE BOYS: Paul Casey (18). OUTSIDE SHOT: Matthew Fitzpatrick (29), Matt Wallace (30) Ian Poulter (32),
Rose is a Top 4 player in the world and will easily be within the Top 15 in the world even if multiple Brits somehow jump him. Fleetwood and Casey will battle it out for second place, but as long as both of them finish in the Top 15 in the world, they could both make it. I feel like Fleetwood is the favorite of the two, so I ranked him slightly higher. The other three need a solid win or two to try and bump themselves into the Top 15 in the world.
Ireland: VIRTUAL LOCKS: Rory McIlroy (2), Shane Lowry (21). The current FedEx Cup Champion and Open Champion are clear favorites to represent Ireland in the Olympics, other Irish and Northern Irish golfers will likely need at least three major tour victories to have a shot at surpassing their OWGR totals, which won’t happen.
Italy: VIRTUAL LOCK: Francesco Molinari (11). BUBBLE BOYS: Andrea Pavan (76), Guido Migliozzi (110).
Molibot has been a lock to be the Italian representative since his Open win last year. Pavan and Migliozzi are the only other Italians inside the Top 300 in the world, the 40 place gap could easily be covered by Migliozzi in the next ten months. Pavan is definitely the favorite but the gap is close enough that I’m labeling them both bubble boys
Netherlands: VIRTUAL LOCK: Joost Luiten (90). INSIDE TRACK: Darius van Driel (150). OUTSIDE SHOT: Daan Huizing (363).
Similar to Belgium's case, Luiten has been on the top of Dutch golf for years. Van Driel is a solid player that will likely also qualify, unless Huizing has some good results and pushes past him
Norway: VIRTUAL LOCKS: Viktor Hovland (112), Kristoffer Ventura (156)
Hovland has set the golfing world on fire recently, the PGA got some flack that he didn’t automatically qualify for the Tour this year because he didn’t play enough events despite being stellar in most of them, including a T12 at the US Open as an amatuer. Nonetheless, his T2 last week in Boise in the KFT Finals clinched his Tour card next year. But let’s not forget the other young Norwegian. Kristoffer Ventura was apart of that Oklahoma St. men's team that included Hovland and Matthew Wolff that won the NCAA title in 2018, and Ventura won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour to easily earn his Tour card next year as well. Both should be easy locks from the traditionally meh golfing country.
Portugal: BUBBLE BOYS: Ricardo Santos (229), Jose-Filipe Lima (280)
Lima was the last person in the field in 2016, but will need an improvement in OWGR standing or some withdrawals to make it in. Santos is just barely in the field as of now, but like most bubble boys could use some high finishes to keep his spot. Santos and Lima are the only Portuguese golfers in the Top 500 of the World Rankings, so there won’t likely be anyone usurping them here.
Slovakia: VIRTUAL LOCK: Rory Sabbatini (70).
The former South African married a Slovakian and adopted her nationality to have a better shot at making the Olympic team. The 43 year old played excellently this year to all but clinch his spot in Tokyo. No other Slovakians have OWGR points to mention here.
Spain: VIRTUAL LOCKS: Jon Rahm (5). BUBBLE BOYS: Rafa Cabrera Bello (42), Sergio Garcia (45). OUTSIDE SHOT: Jorge Campillo (75).
Pretty self explanatory, almost like the Italy scenario above. Rahm already has a bunch of points locked up already, he’s all but guaranteed to make the field, leaving Rafa and Sergio to battle it out. Campillo already has one win this year, if Rafa and Sergio don’t play up to expectations Campillo could snatch the second Spanish slot
Sweden: VIRTUAL LOCKS: Henrik Stenson (31). INSIDE TRACK: Alex Noren (47). OUTSIDE SHOT: Alexander Bjork (118), Marcus Kinhult (127).
The Rio silver medalist is well on his way to return to improve that medal to gold. Noren isn’t too far behind in the OWGR standings, but he’s been among the worst Top 100 players in the world this year and if he continues to be this bad, don’t be surprised if either Bjork or Kinhult get some good results to edge him out.
Africa:
South Africa: INSIDE TRACK: Louis Oosthuizen (22). BUBBLE BOYS: Justin Harding (52), Erik van Rooyen (62), Branden Grace (77), Dylan Frittelli (94).
Oosty has separated himself from the other Africans and will very, very likely claim the first South African slot if he wishes. The other spot is a free for all, Harding and van Rooyen have had great seasons on the European Tour, each with a win and an additional second place finish. Harding has been looking to jump to the PGA Tour, where he is currently in line for a card. Frittelli has had a bit of a down year but did win the John Deere and looks to be trending up for the 2020 PGA season. Lastly, Branden Grace has fallen off from his Top 10 place a couple of years ago but a return to that caliber could also send him to the Olympics. South African is one of the most competitive countries for Olympic qualifying
Zimbabwe: INSIDE TRACK: Scott Vincent (173)
The only other African country with someone good enough to qualify, Scott Vincent has played fairly well in Asia to carve out a pretty solid spot in the Olympic field. Not really a whole lot to say.
Asia
China: VIRTUAL LOCK: Haotong Li (50). INSIDE TRACK: Zhang Xinjun (138). OUTSIDE SHOT: Wu Ashun (285)
Li has been the best player in China for a while and likely will be the best Chinese player for a long time. The only real competition is Xinjun, who finished second on the Korn Ferry Tour season. While I am tempted to put Xinjun in the “lock” category, he struggled in the 2017 when he had his full PGA Tour card and if he replicates that, he could be caught by Ashun if he isn’t careful. Wu also hasn’t been playing all that well, but if he returns to the World Top 200 form he’s shown for most of the decade, it might be enough to wiggle his way into the Olympics.
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan): VIRTUAL LOCK: CT Pan (51)
The former World No.1 Amateur won for the first time on the PGA Tour this season to jump into the Top 50 in the world and will likely represent the island nation in the Olympics once again
India: BUBBLE BOYS: Gaganjeet Bhullar (217), Shubhankar Sharma (241). OUTSIDE SHOT: Anirban Lahiri (278).
A year ago it seemed like India was a lock for two spots in the Olympic field, but now not so much. Since his two European Tour wins last year, Shubhankar Sharma has been downright awful. He’s not in the Top 110 for the Race to Dubai, and right now he’s trying to get his PGA Tour card in the KFT Finals, but has missed the cut badle in both attempts. The other supposed lock, Anirban Lahiri, finished outside the Top 150 on the PGA Tour, but luckily for him he has played well and should get his card back. Gaganjeet Bhullar, who looked like the odd man out, is now the best player in India, though he himself hasn’t had a Top 20 since the Kenya Open back in March. Bhullar and Sharma are technically still in the virtual field but need to play a lot better if they want to get in, and Lahiri needs to keep the abilities he’s flashed recently to get back into the Olympics.
Japan: VIRTUAL LOCK: Hideki Matsuyama (26). BUBBLE BOYS: Shugo Imahira (80), Rikuya Hoshino (109), Ryo Ishikawa (122). OUTSIDE SHOT: Satoshi Kodaira (132), Yuta Ikeda (141)
The host nation automatically gets one spot no matter what, but Japan won’t need that and will comfortably fit two into the field. Hideki has consistently been the best Japanese player for several years and it’s no different now. The second spot is a free for all. Ishikawa is first in money on the Japan Tour, Hoshino is first in points, and Hoshino is third in both points and money. All of them have been playing great all year in the land of the rising sun, I wouldn’t be surprised if any of them represent their country in the Olympics next year. I’ve put Kodaira and Ikeda in the “outside shot category” because while both of them are moderately close in OWGR, neither of them have been playing all that well as of late. Ikeda has been decent but not good enough to retain his Top 100 spot in the World Rankings, and Kodaira missed the FedEx Cup playoffs entirely this year stateside (his win at the Heritage last year helps him retain full PGA status, which will help). While these guys still have a half-decent shot at making the Olympic team, I’m not too confident in them playing well enough to get there. Anyone else is outside the Top 150 in the world and probably has too many good players to jump to make it into the top 2 for Japan. There’s just so many good golfers from here.
Korean Republic (South Korea): BUBBLE BOYS: Byeong Hun An (49), Sungjae Im (55), Si Woo Kim (66), Sung Kang (78). OUTSIDE SHOT: Sanghyun Park (128).
South Korea is another extremely competitive country, with basically four players competing for two spots. Sungjae Im lead the Web.com Tour in points last year and followed it up with an appearance in the Tour Championship this year, Im might be the best player of the four right now. Si Woo has been incredibly stable in recent years, consistently being 40-60th in the world, and has the best career win of the four with his Players Championship in 2017. An is another extremely solid player, with his best win coming at the BMW PGA in Europe in 2015. I would bet on those three equally, but I also wouldn’t count on Sung Kang. While he did win the Byron Nelson this year and posted a 7th place finish at Bethpage Black, he’s been in a rut lately and hasn’t finished better than 60th since. If he can find the magic he had in Dallas he could make a big push for one of the two spots. Lastly, Sanghyun Park is a veteran of the Japanese and Korean Tours who finished runner up on the Asian Order of Merit last year. His four Top 10’s this year in Japan and a T16 at the Open has helped him maintain his 125ish world ranking but he’ll likely need a couple wins to make a push for the Olympics.
Malaysia: BUBBLE BOY: Gavin Green (209).
Green has been around 175-225 in the world for the past couple of years, which might be seen as a disappointment for the young Malaysian, but it’s still good enough to be the best in the country and good enough to consistently have a place in the Olympic field. However, if can’t sustain this pace he could fall out, which is why he’s still on the bubble
Philippines: BUBBLE BOYS: Miguel Tabuena (296), Angelo Que (305)
These two Filipinos have bounced around between 200-300 all year, but recently they haven’t been able to place on the Asian Tours as well as they were, resulting in both of them slipping down the OWGR rankings. Tabuena did win the Queen’s Cup tournament on the Asian Tour late last year, which probably means he’s the best positioned of the two but they still both need to play better if the Philippines wants to be represented on the course in Tokyo.
Thailand: VIRTUAL LOCKS: Jazz Janewattananond (58), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (65).
Jazz has led the Japan Tour in money and points for most of the year and was in the second last group at Bethpage this year. Bart Rat has had a down year but still finished T3 at the WGC in Mexico and a T5 at the Byron Nelson. Both of them are still almost 200 spots ahead of the next Thai player and safely in the Olympic field.
Oceania
Australia: INSIDE TRACK: Adam Scott (15). BUBBLE BOY: Jason Day (23), Marc Leishman (24). OUTSIDE SHOT: Cameron Smith (46).
Scott, Day, and Leishman all have potential to be Top 10 players in the world, it’s just a matter of who will be playing the best right before the Olympics. Scott gets the ranking of “inside track” just because he’s several spots above the other two, which is a sizeable gap this high up in the rankings. Of everyone in the “inside track” category, he’d be the least surprising to miss. Cameron Smith is also very talented but we haven’t seen him put it all together on the PGA Tour. I think he’s a step below the other three for sure and the current day rankings reflect that, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see him win a big one and jump the others by next June.
New Zealand: VIRTUAL LOCKS: Ryan Fox (103), Danny Lee (133)
To finish off, a nice clear cut double lock. Fox and Lee are the only New Zealanders inside the Top 350 and should safely be in the field
Summary:

• VIRTUAL LOCKS (28): Abraham Ancer, Brooks Koepka, Emiliano Grillo, Joaquin Niemann, Jhonattan Vegas, Bernd Wiesberger, Thomas Pieters, Lucas Bjerregaard, Thorbjorn Olesen, Mikko Korhonen, Martin Kaymer, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Francesco Molinari, Joost Luiten, Victor Hovland, Kristoffer Ventura, Rory Sabbatini, Jon Rahm, Henrik Stenson, Haotong Li, CT Pan, Hideki Matsuyama, Jazz Janewattananond, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Ryan Fox, Danny Lee
  
• INSIDE TRACKS (12): Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Dustin Johnson, Juan Sebastian Munoz, Thomas Detry, Tommy Fleetwood, Darius van Driel, Alex Noren, Louis Oosthuizen, Scott Vincent, Zhang Xinjun, Adam Scott
  
• BUBBLE BOYS (42): Carlos Ortiz, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Tiger Woods, Xander Schauffele, Bryson Dechambeau, Nelson Ledesma, Fabrizio Zanotti, Sepp Straka, Matthias Schwab, Kalle Samooja, Kim Koivu, Benjamin Hebert, Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Romain Langasque, Maximilian Kieffer, Stephan Jaeger, Paul Casey, Andrea Pavan, Guido Migliozzi, Ricardo Santos, Jose-Filipe Lima, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Sergio Garcia, Justin Harding, Erik van Rooyen, Branden Grace, Dylan Frittelli, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Shubhankar Sharma, Shugo Imahira, Rikuyo Hoshino, Ryo Ishikawa, Byeong Hun An, Sungjae Im, Si Woo Kim, Sung Kang, Gavin Green, Miguel Tabuena, Angelo Que, Jason Day, Marc Leishman
  
• OUTSIDE TRACK (34): Mackenzie Hughes, Roger Sloan, Nick Taylor, Roberto Diaz, Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, Rafael Campos, Tony Finau, Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland, Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, Adilson da Silva, Hugo Leon, Nicolas Echavarria, Marcelo Rozo, Nicolas Colsaerts, Tapio Pulkakken, Alexander Levy, Victor Perez, Antoine Rozner, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Matt Wallace, Ian Poulter, Daan Huizing, Jorge Campillo, Alexander Bjork, Marcus Kinhult, Wu Ashun, Anirban Lahiri, Satoshi Kodaira, Yuta Ikeda, Sanghyun Park, Cameron Smith
  

So it looks like I’ve given 40 slots for locks and inside tracks, meaning that the 42 bubble boys look to be fighting for 20 spots, and the outside track people maybe stealing a couple from them. While this may look like an exhaustive list, there is a very real possibility that someone not mentioned at all here steals an Olympic slot, 10 months is still a very long time in the golf world. Still, hopefully this serves as a handy guide for the future.

Whether you knew it or not, the North American Soccer League (NASL), America's second division, is kicking off in two days' time. There's been a whirlwind of activity in the preseason, with new teams coming in, broadcast deals being signed, and recognizable players joining up. I'm someone who follows the league pretty closely, and while I'm certainly not an expert analyst, I've taken some time to put together a capsule for each club competing to provide a brief introduction to the league.
With that said, a quick overview of the NASL and its structure: The NASL is the second tier of U.S./Canadian soccer, having formed in 2011 after breaking away from the USL First Division. It is in no way connected to MLS. Twelve teams will compete in 2016 across two seasons - Spring and Fall. The Spring Season, being previewed here, consists of 10 games and will only feature 11 teams (Puerto Rico FC enters in the Fall). The Fall Season starts in July and will consist of 22 games. At the conclusion of the Fall Season, four teams - the Spring and Fall Season winners, along with the two remaining teams with the best overall records - will enter the Championship playoffs for a chance to win the Soccer Bowl Trophy.
For a short recap on last season, you could watch my attempt at making a season review video. Oh, and be sure to check out /NASLSoccer! I'm over there a lot, and it's a good place to learn more.
Got it? Alright, let’s get started.
Team Name: Carolina RailHawks
Location: Cary, North Carolina
Manager: Colin Clarke
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
History: Founded in 2006, Carolina was one of the breakaway members from the USL First Division that formed the NASL. The team's name is mean to represent both the rail lines that run directly across from the field and the hawks that are indigenous to the area. The RailHawks play their home games at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC. In 2015, the RailHawks' owners, Traffic Sports, were indicted in a FIFA corruption scandal, leading to the sale of the club to local tech entrepreneur Stephen Malik.
2015 In Review: Carolina got off to a promising start in the spring, taking 14 points from 10 games and winning a 3rd place finish in the standings. Led by the creativity in the midfield of club legend Tiyi Shipalane and the goals up front from former Rangers striker Nacho Novo, the RailHawks picked up some good results at the beginning of the Fall Season as well. From that point, though, the wheels came off, particularly in road matches. Out of 10 away matches in the Fall, Carolina took just a single point. In the end, the result was 7th place in the Fall, and 6th in the combined table.
2016 Preview: The RailHawks marked their 10th anniversary in style off the field, inking a local TV deal, making stadium upgrades, and promising higher investment in the club. They doubled down on their commitment by re-signing club captain Connor Tobin as well as key players Tiyi Shipalane and Nazmi Albadawi. Then, they cleaned up by signing several high-level players, such as NASL Best XI midfielder James Marcelin, and former RailHawks Matt Watson and Akira Fitzgerald, who had most recently spent time in MLS. Carolina are the perfect example of a revamped and growing NASL: They've found a new owner who is excited and willing to spend, and they've invested all around the club and have reloaded their roster. Expect the RailHawks to challenge from right out of the gate in 2016.
Key Players: Ty Shipalane, MF; Connor Tobin, MF; Nazmi Albadawi, MF
One to Watch: Marvin Ceballos, MF. The Guatemalan international has been described as a "natural #10" by manager Colin Clarke and has the potential to be a breakout star for Carolina this year.
Predicted Finish: 4th. I think they fly under the radar as a well put-together team, and pressure from FIFA scandal gone. This prediction could blow up in my face.
Team Name: FC Edmonton
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Manager: Colin Miller
Stadium: Clarke Stadium
History: Edmonton is a growing team, having only formed in 2010, just in time for the first NASL season. The Eddies are slight rivals with Minnesota United, participating in the Flyover Cup and raising money for charities together. Edmonton is currently the furthest west of all NASL teams, and has struggled with attendance figures as well as play on the field. Their best season finish was 5th place, and the closest they've been to a championship was the league's quarterfinals in its first year of existence.
2015 In Review: Despite progress made in 2014, things turned south for the league's northernmost club in the Spring Season of 2015. Two wins meant a 10th place finish out of 11. The Eddies' relief came in the form of a Canadian Championship cup run, in which they came inches away from defeating Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the semifinal, only to be knocked out by a goal in the last seconds of stoppage time. In the fall, results picked up for Edmonton. Lance Laing marked his record third appearance in the league's Best XI with eight goals and seven assists throughout the Spring and Fall Seasons, but the team suffered when he was on international duty with Jamaica. The team's playoff hopes fell away during the final five games of the season, during which they found only one point. FC Edmonton finished 5th in the Fall and 7th in the combined table.
2016 Preview: Edmonton would seem to be in a spot of trouble. Over the offseason, winger Lance Laing, who put the Eddies on his back at times, left to join Minnesota United. So, FC Edmonton made some changes. In the front office, they added Jay Ball as general manager; Ball played a significant role in the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada. On the field, they brought back Daryl Fordyce, the club's all-time leading scorer, and made a splash by signing Canadian international Nik Ledgerwood from Germany. Manager Colin Miller called it the most promising offseason in club history, and proceeded to sign the Senegalese center back Papé Diakité and Jake Keegan, 2nd-top scorer in the League of Ireland last season. With the roster set, Edmonton toured Great Britain, showing well in several friendly across the pond. With a lackluster history and a star player missing, Edmonton will look to defy the odds in 2016.
Key Players: Albert Watson, DF; Daryl Fordyce, FW; Nik Ledgerwood, DF/MF
One to Watch: Allan Zebie, MF. An FC Edmonton youth product and Canada youth international, Zebie, only 22, has established himself as the Eddies' regular right back. This year, he could move to a whole new level.
Predicted Finish: 6th. Laing is gone, but most of the roster returns, aided by savvy signings.
Team Name: Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Manager: Caio Zanardi
Stadium: Lockhart Stadium
History: As one of the members of the original NASL, the Strikers have a history dating back to 1977. The team signed some of the world's finest players, including Gordon Banks, George Best, and Gerd Müller. After moving to Minnesota, a second Strikers team popped up in Fort Lauderdale in 1988, playing for six years in the American Soccer League (ASL) and the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). The current incarnation, founded in 2006 as Miami FC, rebranded into the Strikers before the first season of the new NASL. In 2014, after a loss in the NASL final, the club made international headlines when Brazilian legend Ronaldo joined their ownership group. In 2015, the low-budget club shocked the league by once again making the playoffs.
2015 In Review: Following the Spring Season, there weren't many optimists left in the Strikers camp. After dumping most of 2014's star players (Fafà Picault, their star player, went to Europe; Pecka moved to Real Salt Lake), the firing of head coach Günter Kronsteiner, and the flop of much-hyped signing Leo Moura, Fort Lauderdale limped to an 8th place finish in the Spring. The Fall was a different story. After re-signing Kronsteiner, a young Strikers team turned it all around. Fluminense loanees Marlon Freitas and Stefano Pinho shined, with Pinho topping the NASL scoring charts and winning the league MVP award. James Marcelin joined Pinho in the league's Best XI, and midfielder PC just missed out. The Strikers finished 4th in the Fall, and a win against Jacksonville on the last day propelled them to 4th in the overall standings as well, giving them a semifinals spot. The fairy tale ended in New York, with the Cosmos coming from behind to win 2-1 en route to the NASL Championship game.
2016 Preview: For the past two years, Fort Lauderdale has been the surprise team of the league. This year, the rest of the NASL will be as prepared as they can, but the Strikers still present a bit of a mystery. After squeezing into the playoffs in 2015, the team once again dismantled its roster, letting go of manager Günter Kronsteiner (again), watching the league's MVP and top scorer Stefano Pinho leave for Minnesota, and parting ways with Best XI midfielder James Marcelin, who signed with Carolina.
In response, Fort Lauderdale ramped up operations: They created a reserve team in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), announced a whole wave of staff appointments, expanded partnerships and advertisements, got a TV deal, hosted an international tournament, and toured China. They also made some big-name signings, inking World Cup winner Kléberson, Brazilian veterans Adrianinho & Bruno Cardoso, U.S. youth internationals and UEFA Champions League-experienced players. And they unveiled their new jerseys on a yacht. Yeah, what can I say? The Strikers have big ambitions, and they've moved on from being a low-budget side that scraped past other teams. So will new investment bring more success? We'll have to see.
Key Players: Kléberson, MF; PC MF; Adrianinho, MF
One to Watch: Matheus Carvalho, FW. Carvalho has a solid pedigree, having played a few minutes for Monaco in last year's UEFA Champions League. It's possible he could be a welcome surprise in South Florida.
Predicted Finish: 7th. So much change on this roster, and several star players past their primes.
Team Name: Indy Eleven
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Manager: Tim Hankinson
Stadium: Carroll Stadium
History: After years of calls for a professional soccer team in Indianapolis from the Brickyard Battalion (the Eleven's main supporter group), the dream was finally realized in 2013. That year, legendary American soccer executive Peter Wilt announced that he would become the president of Indy Eleven, a team that started play in 2014. Despite struggles on the field, Indy Eleven became the first American soccer team to sell out all its home games in its inaugural home season. Wilt left on good terms in 2016 to pursue a Chicago NASL project.
2015 In Review: After a disappointing first year on the field, things didn't get much better in 2015 for Indy Eleven, though they did once again lead the league in attendance. Star player Kléberson picked up a season-ending achilles injury, and the Eleven won only one in their first eight matches. That record, combined with an embarrassing U.S. Open Cup defeat at home to USL's Louisville City FC, led to the firing of head coach Juergen Sommer. His replacement, interim coach Tim Regan, won the final two games to elevate Indy to 5th in the Spring. However, any playoff aspirations fell away in the Fall, as a string of bad results climaxed with a 7-1 loss in Fort Lauderdale en route to a 9th place finish in the Fall Season and combined standings. Indy could find a silver lining with the strong performances of several youngsters, such as Dylan Mares and Duke Lacroix.
2016 Preview: With one of the largest fanbases in the league and some of the worst performances, Indy are under pressure to finally turn around its performance. To start, they stripped down most of the team to just a couple of players, and hired long-time manager Tim Hankinson to construct a rebuild. Hankinson piled on MLS experience, inking Jon Busch, Siniša Ubiparipović, Justin Braun, Lovel Palmer, and Gorka Larrea, among others. Preseason did not go well, with most friendlies ending in defeat or stalemate to lower-division and university teams, and several players picking up injuries. That said, this Eleven squad is better than any other that has taken the field, and have a good mix of senior players and up-and-comers that are ready to deliver.
Key Players: Dylan Mares, MF; Brad Ring, MF; Siniša Ubiparipović, MF
One to Watch: Duke Lacroix, FW. It's time to meet the 22-year-old forward every soccer fan in Indianapolis is talking about. Lacroix got a chance last year, and electrified on the wing. This season, he'll hope to earn a starting job.
Predicted Finish: 8th. If one of the new central striker signings turns good, they'll have a real chance in this league. If not? Expect the same as before.
Team Name: Jacksonville Armada FC
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Manager: Tony Meola
Stadium: Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville
History: Announced on July 25, 2013, Jacksonville's team was christened as Armada FC on February 18, 2014. The Armada was the only expansion side to join the league in 2015, lead by the ownership collective Sunshine Soccer Group and club president Steve Livingstone. The team chose to play at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville and quickly established themselves in the top tier of NASL attendances, although they didn't do as well on the field.
2015 In Review: Jacksonville got off to a fast start, with Jemal Johnson scoring seconds into their first game as the Armada went on to win three out of its first five. That was the best run of form the team would see all year. After finishing a respectable 6th in the Spring, the Armada fell into a slump, finishing last both in the Fall Season and combined table. The team fired its first manager, José Luis Villarreal, after attempting to give him a co-managerial role with Guillermo Hoyos. The club later fired Hoyos after giving him a contract through 2019 months earlier.
2016 Preview: The Armada began their offseason with a big statement of intention, hiring former USA goalkeeper Tony Meola as head coach. After an unsuccessful inaugural year, much of 2015's roster did not make it back. Instead, Jacksonville refined it by looking to the lower leagues. They signed NASL Best XI midfielder Richie Ryan, USL MVP Matt Fondy, and USL Defender of the Year Bryan Burke, in effect establishing a small collection of some of the best players below MLS last season. Just before the season began, the Armada suffered a blow as young standout Akeil Barrett transferred to the Swedish second division. Yet, after a preseason that included promising signings and friendlies, Jacksonville seem ready to move up the table.
Key Players: Alhassane Keita, FW; Mechak Jérôme, DF; Matt Fondy, FW
One to Watch: Charles Eloundou, FW. Once a highly-touted prospect, Eloundou, 21, saw his career stall with the Colorado Rapids (MLS). Now settled in Jacksonville, this year may be his opportunity to shine.
Predicted Finish: 9th. Good first steps, but still a lot to do after finishing bottom of the table last year.
Team Name: Miami FC
Location: Miami, Florida
Manager: Alessandro Nesta
Stadium: FIU Stadium
History: Unrelated to the original Miami FC (now the Fort Lauderdale Strikers), this team was founded in 2015 and kicked off in 2016. Miami attracted international attention with its ownership (entrepreneur Riccardo Silva and former Italy legend Paolo Maldini) as well as its first head coach (Maldini's Italy teammate Alessandro Nesta). The team began play at FIU Stadium.
2016 Preview: Expansion teams are often an enigma, and the organization of Miami FC is no different. Founded in the eye of a storm of MLS rumors (Miami Beckham United FC?), the brains behind Miami FC will likely want to get off to a running start in order to attract the sort of attention with soccer fans that can make them viable in the city and sustainable into the future. To that end, Miami brought in two star: Dario Cvitanich, who has scored goals and seen success with big clubs all over the world, and Wilson Palacios, the English Premier League veteran with nearly 100 Honduras caps under his belt. Mostly, though, the roster is filled out by players with NASL experience (Pablo Campos, Jaimé Chavez, etc.) and up-and-comers looking to make a name for themselves. In many ways, this is a similar approach that other past expansion teams have taken, with mixed results. The real question for 2016 might be just how well Miami FC establishes a fanbase in an unknown market.
Key Players: Wilson Palacios, MF; Darío Cvitanich, FW; Matuzalem, MF
One to Watch: Blake Smith, MF. Making his return to North American soccer after a year in hiatus, Smith is an unknown quantity. However, if he re-creates the kind of success he saw in Montreal and Indy, he could be a vital part of Miami's attack.
Predicted Finish: 11th. Similar construction as previous expansion teams may yield similar results.
Team Name: Minnesota United FC
Location: Blaine, Minnesota
Manager: Carl Craig
Stadium: National Sports Center
History: Professional soccer in Minnesota began with the Minnesota Kicks of the old NASL, but Minnesota has had a continuous presence of professional soccer since the founding of the Minnesota Thunder in 1990. When that team folded due to the financial shadiness of owner Dean Johnson, a new series of teams all slightly related to one another emerged. The NSC Minnesota Stars were launched in 2010, but the ownership of National Sports Center in Blaine, MN lasted only a season before the NASL took over the team. In 2011, the Stars won the Soccer Bowl for the first time in the new era of the NASL. In 2012, the team rebranded as Minnesota Stars FC and again went to the final, where they lost to Tampa Bay in penalties. The team was league-owned at the time and many fans and players thought that without a win in the final (thinking the league wouldn't dare let its champion fold), the team would no longer have a future. However, after the crushing loss, news began to leak out that the team had found an owner. In 2013, Dr. Bill McGuire (formerly of United Healthcare Group) purchased the Minnesota Stars and rebranded them as Minnesota United FC.
The team is supported by the Dark Clouds, a supporters group founded in the Thunder days. They are known for their bizarre brand of "Jackassery," which is ecstatic support that opposes macho, wannabe hooliganism. They have a gameday zine called the Jackassery Times-Heckler and worship the god DETHLOON. The club announced a move to Major League Soccer in 2017 or 2018, pending the construction of a downtown stadium.
2015 In Review: Buoyed off the field by an MLS expansion announcement, Minnesota continued to show stellar performances on it. Although star player Miguel Ibarra transferred to Mexican club Léon, replacements brought in (including Ibson and Khalif Alhassan) proved to be up to the challenge. A fourth place finish in the Spring was strong, if not ideal. In the Fall, an incredible run of eight wins in 10 matches led to a 2nd place finish. United were 3rd in the overall standings, and Christian Ramirez scored the second-most goals in the league, just missing a second consecutive Golden Boot. In their playoff semifinal in Ottawa, Ramirez's penalty gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead, but an equalizer and extra time winner from opposition forward Tom Heinemann led to an end to their season.
2016 Preview: This could be Minnesota's last year in the NASL, and they're offseason move show a determination to leave with a trophy in both hands. In preparation for the move to MLS, Manny Lagos (manager since 2010) became Sporting Director, and assistant Carl Craig moved up to become head coach. The team returns all four of its Best XI players from 2015: Justin Davis, Ibson, Christian Ramirez, and Kevin Venegas. It made further inroads by signing two other Best XI members: Lance Laing, who carried FC Edmonton and became a regular with Jamaica, and Stefano Pinho, who was named the league's best player and won the Golden Boot with Fort Lauderdale. Is there any stopping this team? Well, while United obviously has an unparalleled attack, there are questions on the defensive side, with the team having lost preseason games 0-4, 0-4, and 1-3 to MLS sides. If defense does not turn out to be a problem, though, this is a side that could really challenge for both the league title and a position deep in the U.S. Open Cup.
Key Players: Christian Ramirez, FW; Stefano Pinho, FW; Justin Davis, DF
One to Watch: Greg Jordan, MF. Minnesota are clearly looking for MLS-ready players this year, and Greg Jordan could be a sleeper pick to move up with them. Since falling out of favor in Philadelphia, he's had a dependable two seasons with the Loons, and will look to step up his game in 2016.
Predicted Finish: 3rd. May take some time for new players to settle, and who know how MLS move will divert their focus, but they'll be competitive no matter what.
Team Name: New York Cosmos
Location: Hempstead, New York
Manager: Giovanni Savarese
Stadium: Shuart Stadium
History: The New York Cosmos brand is one of the greatest in all of world soccer, and their teams in the original NASL were arguably better than any American sides that have come before or since. Centered around players like Giorgio Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto, Franz Beckenbauer, and of course, the legendary Pelé, New York won five Soccer Bowls and became a global phenomenon. Since the team folded, there have been many attempts to revive it. This one is the first to get a real team on the field. The modern iteration of the Cosmos kicked off in the Fall Season of 2013, won the championship the same year, and won it again in 2015 with Real Madrid legend Raúl.
2015 In Review: After announcing the signing of illustrious Spanish forward Raúl, the Cosmos cemented their place as the biggest spenders with the biggest names in the NASL. 2015 marked the final seasons for Raúl and fellow former Spanish international Marcos Senna, and New York looked to send them off with a storybook ending. In the Spring Season, everything went to plan, with the Cosmos winning the title by a point and securing a playoff spot early. A high point came in the team's U.S. Open Cup victory over New York City FC on penalties, though they would later be knocked out by the New York Red Bulls. The Cosmos stayed strong in the Fall with a 3rd place finish, benefitting through performances from NASL Young Player of the Year Leo Fernandes (on loan from Philadelphia Union) and team MVP Ayoze. The Cosmos won the combined season with 56 points, edging Ottawa on goal differential. In the semifinal, the Cosmos came from behind to beat Fort Lauderdale 2-1. Hosting the Championship, relatively new signing Gastón Cellerino scored a hat trick in a 3-2 victory as Raúl and Senna lifted their final trophy.
2016 Preview: With the retirement of Raúl and Marcos Senna, the departure of star winger Walter Restrepo and formerly on-loan Leo Fernandes (both to Philadelphia), and the exit of championship hero Gastón Cellerino, this could have been a transition year for New York. But the New York Cosmos don't rebuild. They reload. This offseason, the Cosmos put together one of the most stunning collections of signings this league has ever seen. To recap: The two biggest names are Niko Kranjčar and Juan Arango, both vastly experienced players who have played at the very top of world soccer; senior internationals include Jairo Arrieta (Costa Rica), David Ochieng (Kenya), Michael Lahoud (Sierra Leone), Yohandry Orozco (Venezuela), and Yasmani Duk; other signings include Gabriel Farfan (MLS/Liga MX experience) and two U.S. youth internationals. On paper, it is hard to argue any team is better than the Cosmos. How the pieces of the puzzle come together is the only question left.
Key Players: Danny Szetela, MF; Niko Kranjčar, MF; Juan Arango, MF
One to Watch: Yohandry Orozco, MF. So, get this, right? There's player in his prime, who plays regularly for his country, had experience with Wolfsburg, and he's coming to the NASL? You'd better believe it, and Orozco has all the skills to make a huge impact.
Predicted Finish: 1st. I've been wrong before with this team, but there's just too much talent to deny.
Team Name: Ottawa Fury FC
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Manager: Paul Dalglish
Stadium: TD Place Stadium
History: A longtime candidate for expansion, Ottawa was welcomed into the league in 2011, with the Ottawa Fury name being decided in 2013. The Fury were a fromer PDL franchise, and brought a history of support with it. The club shares a new stadium (as well as ownership) with the Canadian Football League Ottawa RedBlacks. In 2015, the team surged to the Championship final, but lost to the New York Cosmos.
2015 In Review: Few would have predicted Ottawa Fury's run to the NASL Championship after the Fall Season. Despite making a splash by bringing in Canadian international Julian De Guzman, the results failed to come, and the Fury found themselves in 9th place. In the Fall, though, coach Marc Dos Santos' plan clicked. A back line marshaled by NASL Best XI goalkeeper Romuald Peiser and defender Rafael Alves recorded eight shutouts, and an offense led by the connection between midfielder Siniša Ubiparipović (eight assists total) and forward Tom Heinemann (12 goals total) resulted in one loss in 20 games, and a Fall Season title. Heinemann's two goals in the semifinal knocked out Minnesota United, but the Fury ultimately fell short of the Championship in New York, losing 3-2 to the New York Cosmos.
2016 Preview: After falling short in the Championship, the Ottawa Fury had the offseason from Hell. First, Manager of the Year Marc Dos Santos left to be an assistant and reserve team coach for Sporting Kansas City (MLS). Then, many of the key players in the run to the final chose to part ways: Tom Heinemann, who scored every playoff goal, went to Tampa Bay; Colin Falvey, Ryan Richter, and Mason Trafford, who all started on the back line in the Championship, moved on; Best XI midfielder Richie Ryan left for Jacksonvile, playmaker Siniša Ubiparipović went to Indy, and starting winger Andrew Wiedeman moved to Cinicinnati in USL. Reinforcements have come, mostly in the form of other lower league players, but almost all will have to prove themselves before being considered adequate replacements. If I have to pick one out, the signing to keep an eye on will be Marcel De Jong, the Canadian international brought in who should play as a left back. The Fury will also be bolstered by the return of goalkeeper Romuald Peiser, who won the league's Golden Glove in 2015 and was named /NASLSoccer's player of the year.
Key Players: Julian de Guzman, MF; Rafael Alves, DF; Romuald Peiser, GK
One to Watch: Mauro Eustáquio, MF. Last year, Eustáquio impressed in the midfield when filling in for injured players. With so many departures, the youngster now has a chance to play well and force his way onto the Canadian national team.
Predicted Finish: 10th. This team got completely picked apart in the offseason. They could turn out okay, but they'll have work to do to prove me wrong.
Team Name: Rayo OKC
Location: Yukon, Oklahoma
Manager: Alen Marcina
Stadium: Miller Stadium
History: A fierce battle between the NASL and USL PRO for a team in Oklahoma City ended with both leagues announcing expansions in the city. The USL put together Oklahoma Energy FC in 2013. Meanwhile, the owners of Oklahoma City FC, a Premier Development League (PDL) team, decided to run an NASL side, but an ownership group breakup in 2014 caused a delay to the project. Eventually, Spanish La Liga club Rayo Vallecano partnered with the organization to form what is now known as Rayo OKC. The team name was announced in November 2015, and began play at Miller Stadium in 2016.
**2016 Preview: As much of an enigma I've said Miami FC have been as an expansion team, it's safe to say Rayo OKC have been even more of a mystery. The organization was derided at first, dismissed due to the involvement from a struggling foreign team and its juxtaposition to the already-successful Energy. However, its initial roster has made fans sit up and take notice. Five World Cup veterans and nine national team players headline the squad, which includes illustrious Greek striker Georgios Samaras. Rayo has built its team using players with experience in European leagues (say, Yuma and Juanan) and players who have found success in MLS (Michel, Sebastian Velasquez) and the NASL (Billy Forbes, Erick Norales). Expansion teams typically take time to fare well, but if there's any that might have a chance at making a first impression by challenging for a title, this could be the one.
Key Players: Robbie Findley, FW; Derek Boateng, MF; Georgios Samaras, FW
One to Watch: Billy Forbes, FW. Over the past two years, Billy Forbes has become the breakout sensation of the league with the San Antonio Scorpions. With the Scorpions dissolving, Rayo OKC won their most prized asset in Forbes, who should certainly get a look-in from former San Antonio coach Alen Marcina.
Predicted Finish: 5th. So much talent, but need to build some chemistry and fan support.
Team Name: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Manager: Stuart Campbell
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
History: An original NASL team, the Rowdies won a championship in their first year (1975) and continued to impress until the league collapsed in 1985. The Rowdies kept playing in lower leagues until 1993. In 2008, the team was reborn again, with the vision of recreating its old glory days. However, because of legal problems, the team simply went by FC Tampa Bay until 2012, when the old moniker returned, along with a Soccer Bowl title won on penalties over Minnesota Stars FC. In 2014, the team was purchased by St. Petersburg businessman Bill Edwards, who promised to take the Rowdies to the next level.
2015 In Review: Following a frustrating 2014 season, manager Ricky Hill got the boot, and the Rowdies began building a new roster with the prolific coach Thomas Rongen. Under Rongen, the ball started to roll, and the Rowdies finished 2nd in the Spring Season, just one point behind the New York Cosmos. In July, Tampa Bay made waves by signing former U.S. international Freddy Adu. However, the Fall Season got off to a rough start. After securing only seven points in eight games, Rowdies owner Bill Edwards fired Rongen and general manager Farrukh Quraishi. Under new manager Stuart Campbell, Tampa Bay fell further, eventually finishing 8th in the Fall and 5th overall, missing out on the playoffs by just two points.
2016 Preview: In the third year of the Bill Edwards era, Tampa Bay is under big pressure to finally make the playoffs. The Rowdies haven't been the loudest team in the offseason, and have perhaps been overshadowed by some of their neighbors in Florida, but the transition from 2015 to 2016 has been smooth. Key players were re-signed, including defensive rock Tamika Mkandawire, Freddy Adu, and 2014 MVP Georgi Hristov. They bet big on bringing in Tom Heinemann, the striker who lit Ottawa's season on fire in the second half of 2015. And they brought in a good collection of supplementary players, such as Neil Collins (200+ games in the English Football League), Danny Mwanga (100+ MLS games) and Eric Avila (170+ MLS games). The Rowdies toured England in the preseason, scoring some impressive results (a draw with Stoke City; a win over Notts County). After an offseason that was, for once, not quite tumultuous, it may be Tampa's time to shine in 2016.
Key Players: Georgi Hristov, FW; Tom Heinemann, FW; Freddy Adu, MF
One to Watch: Darwin Espinal, FW. Only 21, Espinal is already having an impact on Honduran youth national teams. He's got several good forwards to compete with on this roster, but he could well become one of the best.
Predicted Finish: 2nd. This could be the year it all comes together for the Rowdies.
Predicted Spring Standings:

Place	Club
#1	New York Cosmos
#2	Tampa Bay Rowdies
#3	Minnesota United FC
#4	Carolina RailHawks
#5	Rayo OKC
#6	FC Edmonton
#7	Fort Lauderdale Strikers
#8	Indy Eleven
#9	Jacksonville Armada FC
#10	Ottawa Fury FC
#11	Miami FC

Opening Weekend Schedule:
Saturday, April 2

Time (ET)	Home	Away	U.S. TV
3:00	CAR	MNU	ESPN3
7:00	FTL	MIA	beIN
7:30	TBR	IND	OWS
8:00	OKC	FCE	ESPN3

Sunday, April 3

Time (ET)	Home	Away	TV
6:00	NYC	OTT	OWS

To follow all the excitement and keep up with the latest news this season, make sure to visit and subscribe to /NASLSoccer - the home of the NASL on reddit. Feel free to add any comments or questions below.

Whether you knew it or not, the North American Soccer League (NASL), America's second division, is kicking off in two days' time. There's been a whirlwind of activity in the preseason, with new teams coming in, broadcast deals being signed, and recognizable players joining up. As someone who follows the league pretty closely, I've taken up the task of putting together a brief capsule for each club competing.
With that said, a quick overview of the league and its structure: The NASL is the second tier of U.S./Canadian soccer, having formed in 2011 after breaking away from the USL First Division. It is in no way connected to MLS. Twelve teams will compete in 2016 across two seasons - Spring and Fall. The Spring Season, being previewed here, consists of 10 games and will only feature 11 teams (Puerto Rico FC enters in the Fall). The Fall Season starts in July and will consist of 22 games. At the conclusion of the Fall Season, four teams - the Spring and Fall Season winners, along with the two remaining teams with the best overall records - will enter the Championship playoffs for a chance to win the Soccer Bowl Trophy.
For a short recap on last season, you could watch my poor attempt at making a video. Oh, and be sure to check out /NASLSoccer! I'm over there a lot, and it's a good place to learn more. We'll even be revealing a redesign tomorrow night just in time for the season!
I'm not an expert analyst, but hopefully this can provide a good introduction for you to each team.
Got it? Alright, let’s get started.
Team Name: Carolina RailHawks
Location: Cary, North Carolina
Manager: Colin Clarke
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
History: Founded in 2006, Carolina was one of the breakaway members from the USL First Division that formed the NASL. The team's name is mean to represent both the rail lines that run directly across from the field and the hawks that are indigenous to the area. The RailHawks play their home games at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC. In 2015, the RailHawks' owners, Traffic Sports, were indicted in a FIFA corruption scandal, leading to the sale of the club to local tech entrepreneur Stephen Malik.
2015 In Review: Carolina got off to a promising start in the spring, taking 14 points from 10 games and winning a 3rd place finish in the standings. Led by the creativity in the midfield of club legend Tiyi Shipalane and the goals up front from former Rangers striker Nacho Novo, the RailHawks picked up some good results at the beginning of the Fall Season as well. From that point, though, the wheels came off, particularly in road matches. Out of 10 away matches in the Fall, Carolina took just a single point. In the end, the result was 7th place in the Fall, and 6th in the combined table.
2016 Preview: The RailHawks marked their 10th anniversary in style off the field, inking a local TV deal, making stadium upgrades, and promising higher investment in the club. They doubled down on their commitment by re-signing club captain Connor Tobin as well as key players Tiyi Shipalane and Nazmi Albadawi. Then, they cleaned up by signing several high-level players, such as NASL Best XI midfielder James Marcelin, and former RailHawks Matt Watson and Akira Fitzgerald, who had most recently spent time in MLS. Carolina are the perfect example of a revamped and growing NASL: They've found a new owner who is excited and willing to spend, and they've invested all around the club and have reloaded their roster. Expect the RailHawks to challenge from right out of the gate in 2016.
Key Players: Ty Shipalane, MF; Connor Tobin, MF; Nazmi Albadawi, MF
One to Watch: Marvin Ceballos, MF. The Guatemalan international has been described as a "natural #10" by manager Colin Clarke and has the potential to be a breakout star for Carolina this year.
Predicted Finish: 4th. I think they fly under the radar as a well put-together team, and pressure from FIFA scandal gone. This prediction could blow up in my face.
Team Name: FC Edmonton
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Manager: Colin Miller
Stadium: Clarke Stadium
History: Edmonton is a growing team, having only formed in 2010, just in time for the first NASL season. The Eddies are slight rivals with Minnesota United, participating in the Flyover Cup and raising money for charities together. Edmonton is currently the furthest west of all NASL teams, and has struggled with attendance figures as well as play on the field. Their best season finish was 5th place, and the closest they've been to a championship was the league's quarterfinals in its first year of existence.
2015 In Review: Despite progress made in 2014, things turned south for the league's northernmost club in the Spring Season of 2015. Two wins meant a 10th place finish out of 11. The Eddies' relief came in the form of a Canadian Championship cup run, in which they came inches away from defeating Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the semifinal, only to be knocked out by a goal in the last seconds of stoppage time. In the fall, results picked up for Edmonton. Lance Laing marked his record third appearance in the league's Best XI with eight goals and seven assists throughout the Spring and Fall Seasons, but the team suffered when he was on international duty with Jamaica. The team's playoff hopes fell away during the final five games of the season, during which they found only one point. FC Edmonton finished 5th in the Fall and 7th in the combined table.
2016 Preview: Edmonton would seem to be in a spot of trouble. Over the offseason, winger Lance Laing, who put the Eddies on his back at times, left to join Minnesota United. So, FC Edmonton made some changes. In the front office, they added Jay Ball as general manager; Ball played a significant role in the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada. On the field, they brought back Daryl Fordyce, the club's all-time leading scorer, and made a splash by signing Canadian international Nik Ledgerwood from Germany. Manager Colin Miller called it the most promising offseason in club history, and proceeded to sign the Senegalese center back Papé Diakité and Jake Keegan, 2nd-top scorer in the League of Ireland last season. With the roster set, Edmonton toured Great Britain, showing well in several friendly across the pond. With a lackluster history and last year's star gone, Edmonton will look to defy the odds in 2016.
Key Players: Albert Watson, DF; Daryl Fordyce, FW; Nik Ledgerwood, DF/MF
One to Watch: Allan Zebie, MF. An FC Edmonton youth product and Canada youth international, Zebie, only 22, has established himself as the Eddies' regular right back. This year, he could move to a whole new level.
Predicted Finish: 6th. Laing is gone, but most of the roster returns, aided by savvy signings.
Team Name: Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Manager: Caio Zanardi
Stadium: Lockhart Stadium
History: As one of the members of the original NASL, the Strikers have a history dating back to 1977. The team signed some of the world's finest players, including Gordon Banks, George Best, and Gerd Müller. After moving to Minnesota, a second Strikers team popped up in Fort Lauderdale in 1988, playing for six years in the American Soccer League (ASL) and the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). The current incarnation, founded in 2006 as Miami FC, rebranded into the Strikers before the first season of the new NASL. In 2014, after a loss in the NASL final, the club made international headlines when Brazilian legend Ronaldo joined their ownership group. In 2015, the low-budget club shocked the league by once again making the playoffs.
2015 In Review: Following the Spring Season, there weren't many optimists left in the Strikers camp. After dumping most of 2014's star players (Fafà Picault, their star player, went to Europe; Pecka moved to Real Salt Lake), the firing of head coach Günter Kronsteiner, and the flop of much-hyped signing Leo Moura, Fort Lauderdale limped to an 8th place finish in the Spring. The Fall was a different story. After re-signing Kronsteiner, a young Strikers team turned it all around. Fluminense loanees Marlon Freitas and Stefano Pinho shined, with Pinho topping the NASL scoring charts and winning the league MVP award. James Marcelin joined Pinho in the league's Best XI, and midfielder PC just missed out. The Strikers finished 4th in the Fall, and a win against Jacksonville on the last day propelled them to 4th in the overall standings as well, giving them a semifinals spot. The fairy tale ended in New York, with the Cosmos coming from behind to win 2-1 en route to the NASL Championship game.
2016 Preview: For the past two years, Fort Lauderdale has been the surprise team of the league. This year, the rest of the NASL will be as prepared as they can, but the Strikers still present a bit of a mystery. After squeezing into the playoffs in 2015, the team once again dismantled its roster, letting go of manager Günter Kronsteiner (again), watching the league's MVP and top scorer Stefano Pinho leave for Minnesota, and parting ways with Best XI midfielder James Marcelin, who signed with Carolina.
In response, Fort Lauderdale ramped up operations: They created a reserve team in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), announced a whole wave of staff appointments, expanded partnerships and advertisements, got a TV deal, hosted an international tournament, and toured China. They also made some big-name signings, inking World Cup winner Kléberson, Brazilian veterans Adrianinho & Bruno Cardoso, U.S. youth internationals and UEFA Champions League-experienced players. And they unveiled their new jerseys on a yacht. Yeah, what can I say? The Strikers have big ambitions, and they've moved on from being a low-budget side that scraped past other teams. So will new investment bring more success? We'll have to see.
Key Players: Kléberson, MF; PC MF; Adrianinho, MF
One to Watch: Matheus Carvalho, FW. Carvalho has a solid pedigree, having played a few minutes for Monaco in last year's UEFA Champions League. It's possible he could be a welcome surprise in South Florida.
Predicted Finish: 7th. So much change on this roster, and several star players past their primes.
Team Name: Indy Eleven
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Manager: Tim Hankinson
Stadium: Carroll Stadium
History: After years of calls for a professional soccer team in Indianapolis from the Brickyard Battalion (the Eleven's main supporter group), the dream was finally realized in 2013. That year, legendary American soccer executive Peter Wilt announced that he would become the president of Indy Eleven, a team that started play in 2014. Despite struggles on the field, Indy Eleven became the first American soccer team to sell out all its home games in its inaugural home season. Wilt left on good terms in 2016 to pursue a Chicago NASL project.
2015 In Review: After a disappointing first year on the field, things didn't get much better in 2015 for Indy Eleven, though they did once again lead the league in attendance. Star player Kléberson picked up a season-ending achilles injury, and the Eleven won only one in their first eight matches. That record, combined with an embarrassing U.S. Open Cup defeat at home to USL's Louisville City FC, led to the firing of head coach Juergen Sommer. His replacement, interim coach Tim Regan, won the final two games to elevate Indy to 5th in the Spring. However, any playoff aspirations fell away in the Fall, as a string of bad results climaxed with a 7-1 loss in Fort Lauderdale en route to a 9th place finish in the Fall Season and combined standings. Indy could find a silver lining with the strong performances of several youngsters, such as Dylan Mares and Duke Lacroix.
2016 Preview: With one of the largest fanbases in the league and some of the worst performances, Indy are under pressure to finally turn around its performance. To start, they stripped down most of the team to just a couple of players, and hired long-time manager Tim Hankinson to construct a rebuild. Hankinson piled on MLS experience, inking Jon Busch, Siniša Ubiparipović, Justin Braun, Lovel Palmer, and Gorka Larrea, among others. Preseason did not go well, with most friendlies ending in defeat or stalemate to lower-division and university teams, and several players picking up injuries. That said, this Eleven squad is better than any other that has taken the field, and have a good mix of senior players and up-and-comers that are ready to deliver.
Key Players: Dylan Mares, MF; Brad Ring, MF; Siniša Ubiparipović, MF
One to Watch: Duke Lacroix, FW. It's time to meet the 22-year-old forward every soccer fan in Indianapolis is talking about. Lacroix got a chance last year, and electrified on the wing. This season, he'll hope to earn a starting job.
Predicted Finish: 8th. If one of the new central striker signings turns good, they'll have a real chance in this league. If not? Expect the same as before.
Team Name: Jacksonville Armada FC
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Manager: Tony Meola
Stadium: Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville
History: Announced on July 25, 2013, Jacksonville's team was christened as Armada FC on February 18, 2014. The Armada was the only expansion side to join the league in 2015, lead by the ownership collective Sunshine Soccer Group and club president Steve Livingstone. The team chose to play at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville and quickly established themselves in the top tier of NASL attendances, although they didn't do as well on the field.
2015 In Review: Jacksonville got off to a fast start, with Jemal Johnson scoring seconds into their first game as the Armada went on to win three out of its first five. That was the best run of form the team would see all year. After finishing a respectable 6th in the Spring, the Armada fell into a slump, finishing last both in the Fall Season and combined table. The team fired its first manager, José Luis Villarreal, after attempting to give him a co-managerial role with Guillermo Hoyos. The club later fired Hoyos after giving him a contract through 2019 months earlier.
2016 Preview: The Armada began their offseason with a big statement of intention, hiring former USA goalkeeper Tony Meola as head coach. After an unsuccessful inaugural year, much of 2015's roster did not make it back. Instead, Jacksonville refined it by looking to the lower leagues. They signed NASL Best XI midfielder Richie Ryan, USL MVP Matt Fondy, and USL Defender of the Year Bryan Burke, in effect establishing a small collection of some of the best players below MLS last season. Just before the season began, the Armada suffered a blow as young standout Akeil Barrett transferred to the Swedish second division. Yet, after a preseason that included promising signings and friendlies, Jacksonville seem ready to move up the table.
Key Players: Alhassane Keita, FW; Mechak Jérôme, DF; Matt Fondy, FW
One to Watch: Charles Eloundou, FW. Once a highly-touted prospect, Eloundou, 21, saw his career stall with the Colorado Rapids (MLS). Now settled in Jacksonville, this year may be his opportunity to shine.
Predicted Finish: 9th. Good first steps, but still a lot to do after finishing bottom of the table last year.
Team Name: Miami FC
Location: Miami, Florida
Manager: Alessandro Nesta
Stadium: FIU Stadium
History: Unrelated to the original Miami FC (now the Fort Lauderdale Strikers), this team was founded in 2015 and kicked off in 2016. Miami attracted international attention with its ownership (entrepreneur Riccardo Silva and former Italy legend Paolo Maldini) as well as its first head coach (Maldini's Italy teammate Alessandro Nesta). The team began play at FIU Stadium.
2016 Preview: Expansion teams are often an enigma, and the organization of Miami FC is no different. Founded in the eye of a storm of MLS rumors (Miami Beckham United FC?), the brains behind Miami FC will likely want to get off to a running start in order to attract the sort of attention with soccer fans that can make them viable in the city and sustainable into the future. To that end, Miami brought in two star: Dario Cvitanich, who has scored goals and seen success with big clubs all over the world, and Wilson Palacios, the English Premier League veteran with nearly 100 Honduras caps under his belt. Mostly, though, the roster is filled out by players with NASL experience (Pablo Campos, Jaimé Chavez, etc.) and up-and-comers looking to make a name for themselves. In many ways, this is a similar approach that other past expansion teams have taken, with mixed results. The real question for 2016 might be just how well Miami FC establishes a fanbase in an unknown market.
Key Players: Wilson Palacios, MF; Darío Cvitanich, FW; Matuzalem, MF
One to Watch: Blake Smith, MF. Making his return to North American soccer after a year in hiatus, Smith is an unknown quantity. However, if he re-creates the kind of success he saw in Montreal and Indy, he could be a vital part of Miami's attack.
Predicted Finish: 11th. Similar construction as previous expansion teams may yield similar results.
Team Name: Minnesota United FC
Location: Blaine, Minnesota
Manager: Carl Craig
Stadium: National Sports Center
History: Professional soccer in Minnesota began with the Minnesota Kicks of the old NASL, but Minnesota has had a continuous presence of professional soccer since the founding of the Minnesota Thunder in 1990. When that team folded due to the financial shadiness of owner Dean Johnson, a new series of teams all slightly related to one another emerged. The NSC Minnesota Stars were launched in 2010, but the ownership of National Sports Center in Blaine, MN lasted only a season before the NASL took over the team. In 2011, the Stars won the Soccer Bowl for the first time in the new era of the NASL. In 2012, the team rebranded as Minnesota Stars FC and again went to the final, where they lost to Tampa Bay in penalties. The team was league-owned at the time and many fans and players thought that without a win in the final (thinking the league wouldn't dare let its champion fold), the team would no longer have a future. However, after the crushing loss, news began to leak out that the team had found an owner. In 2013, Dr. Bill McGuire (formerly of United Healthcare Group) purchased the Minnesota Stars and rebranded them as Minnesota United FC.
The team is supported by the Dark Clouds, a supporters group founded in the Thunder days. They are known for their bizarre brand of "Jackassery," which is ecstatic support that opposes macho, wannabe hooliganism. They have a gameday zine called the Jackassery Times-Heckler and worship the god DETHLOON. The club announced a move to Major League Soccer in 2017 or 2018, pending the construction of a downtown stadium.
2015 In Review: Buoyed off the field by an MLS expansion announcement, Minnesota continued to show stellar performances on it. Although star player Miguel Ibarra transferred to Mexican club Léon, replacements brought in (including Ibson and Khalif Alhassan) proved to be up to the challenge. A fourth place finish in the Spring was strong, if not ideal. In the Fall, an incredible run of eight wins in 10 matches led to a 2nd place finish. United were 3rd in the overall standings, and Christian Ramirez scored the second-most goals in the league, just missing a second consecutive Golden Boot. In their playoff semifinal in Ottawa, Ramirez's penalty gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead, but an equalizer and extra time winner from opposition forward Tom Heinemann led to an end to their season.
2016 Preview: This could be Minnesota's last year in the NASL, and they're offseason move show a determination to leave with a trophy in both hands. In preparation for the move to MLS, Manny Lagos (manager since 2010) became Sporting Director, and assistant Carl Craig moved up to become head coach. The team returns all four of its Best XI players from 2015: Justin Davis, Ibson, Christian Ramirez, and Kevin Venegas. It made further inroads by signing two other Best XI members: Lance Laing, who carried FC Edmonton and became a regular with Jamaica, and Stefano Pinho, who was named the league's best player and won the Golden Boot with Fort Lauderdale. Is there any stopping this team? Well, while United obviously has an unparalleled attack, there are questions on the defensive side, with the team having lost preseason games 0-4, 0-4, and 1-3 to MLS sides. If defense does not turn out to be a problem, though, this is a side that could really challenge for both the league title and a position deep in the U.S. Open Cup.
Key Players: Christian Ramirez, FW; Stefano Pinho, FW; Justin Davis, DF
One to Watch: Greg Jordan, MF. Minnesota are clearly looking for MLS-ready players this year, and Greg Jordan could be a sleeper pick to move up with them. Since falling out of favor in Philadelphia, he's had a dependable two seasons with the Loons, and will look to step up his game in 2016.
Predicted Finish: 3rd. May take some time for new players to settle, and who know how MLS move will divert their focus, but they'll be competitive no matter what.
Team Name: New York Cosmos
Location: Hempstead, New York
Manager: Giovanni Savarese
Stadium: Shuart Stadium
History: The New York Cosmos brand is one of the greatest in all of world soccer, and their teams in the original NASL were arguably better than any American sides that have come before or since. Centered around players like Giorgio Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto, Franz Beckenbauer, and of course, the legendary Pelé, New York won five Soccer Bowls and became a global phenomenon. Since the team folded, there have been many attempts to revive it. This one is the first to get a real team on the field. The modern iteration of the Cosmos kicked off in the Fall Season of 2013, won the championship the same year, and won it again in 2015 with Real Madrid legend Raúl.
2015 In Review: After announcing the signing of illustrious Spanish forward Raúl, the Cosmos cemented their place as the biggest spenders with the biggest names in the NASL. 2015 marked the final seasons for Raúl and fellow former Spanish international Marcos Senna, and New York looked to send them off with a storybook ending. In the Spring Season, everything went to plan, with the Cosmos winning the title by a point and securing a playoff spot early. A high point came in the team's U.S. Open Cup victory over New York City FC on penalties, though they would later be knocked out by the New York Red Bulls. The Cosmos stayed strong in the Fall with a 3rd place finish, benefitting through performances from NASL Young Player of the Year Leo Fernandes (on loan from Philadelphia Union) and team MVP Ayoze. The Cosmos won the combined season with 56 points, edging Ottawa on goal differential. In the semifinal, the Cosmos came from behind to beat Fort Lauderdale 2-1. Hosting the Championship, relatively new signing Gastón Cellerino scored a hat trick in a 3-2 victory as Raúl and Senna lifted their final trophy.
2016 Preview: With the retirement of Raúl and Marcos Senna, the departure of star winger Walter Restrepo and formerly on-loan Leo Fernandes (both to Philadelphia), and the exit of championship hero Gastón Cellerino, this could have been a transition year for New York. But the New York Cosmos don't rebuild. They reload. This offseason, the Cosmos put together one of the most stunning collections of signings this league has ever seen. To recap: The two biggest names are Niko Kranjčar and Juan Arango, both vastly experienced players who have played at the very top of world soccer; senior internationals include Jairo Arrieta (Costa Rica), David Ochieng (Kenya), Michael Lahoud (Sierra Leone), Yohandry Orozco (Venezuela), and Yasmani Duk; other signings include Gabriel Farfan (MLS/Liga MX experience) and two U.S. youth internationals. On paper, it is hard to argue any team is better than the Cosmos. How the pieces of the puzzle come together is the only question left.
Key Players: Danny Szetela, MF; Niko Kranjčar, MF; Juan Arango, MF
One to Watch: Yohandry Orozco, MF. So, get this, right? There's player in his prime, who plays regularly for his country, had experience with Wolfsburg, and he's coming to the NASL? You'd better believe it, and Orozco has all the skills to make a huge impact.
Predicted Finish: 1st. I've been wrong before with this team, but there's just too much talent to deny.
Team Name: Ottawa Fury FC
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Manager: Paul Dalglish
Stadium: TD Place Stadium
History: A longtime candidate for expansion, Ottawa was welcomed into the league in 2011, with the Ottawa Fury name being decided in 2013. The Fury were a fromer PDL franchise, and brought a history of support with it. The club shares a new stadium (as well as ownership) with the Canadian Football League Ottawa RedBlacks. In 2015, the team surged to the Championship final, but lost to the New York Cosmos.
2015 In Review: Few would have predicted Ottawa Fury's run to the NASL Championship after the Fall Season. Despite making a splash by bringing in Canadian international Julian De Guzman, the results failed to come, and the Fury found themselves in 9th place. In the Fall, though, coach Marc Dos Santos' plan clicked. A back line marshaled by NASL Best XI goalkeeper Romuald Peiser and defender Rafael Alves recorded eight shutouts, and an offense led by the connection between midfielder Siniša Ubiparipović (eight assists total) and forward Tom Heinemann (12 goals total) resulted in one loss in 20 games, and a Fall Season title. Heinemann's two goals in the semifinal knocked out Minnesota United, but the Fury ultimately fell short of the Championship in New York, losing 3-2 to the New York Cosmos.
2016 Preview: After falling short in the Championship, the Ottawa Fury had the offseason from Hell. First, Manager of the Year Marc Dos Santos left to be an assistant and reserve team coach for Sporting Kansas City (MLS). Then, many of the key players in the run to the final chose to part ways: Tom Heinemann, who scored every playoff goal, went to Tampa Bay; Colin Falvey, Ryan Richter, and Mason Trafford, who all started on the back line in the Championship, moved on; Best XI midfielder Richie Ryan left for Jacksonvile, playmaker Siniša Ubiparipović went to Indy, and starting winger Andrew Wiedeman moved to Cinicinnati in USL. Reinforcements have come, mostly in the form of other lower league players, but almost all will have to prove themselves before being considered adequate replacements. If I have to pick one out, the signing to keep an eye on will be Marcel De Jong, the Canadian international brought in who should play as a left back. The Fury will also be bolstered by the return of goalkeeper Romuald Peiser, who won the league's Golden Glove in 2015 and was named /NASLSoccer's player of the year.
Key Players: Julian de Guzman, MF; Rafael Alves, DF; Romuald Peiser, GK
One to Watch: Mauro Eustáquio, MF. Last year, Eustáquio impressed in the midfield when filling in for injured players. With so many departures, the youngster now has a chance to play well and force his way onto the Canadian national team.
Predicted Finish: 10th. This team got completely picked apart in the offseason. They could turn out okay, but they'll have work to do to prove me wrong.
Team Name: Rayo OKC
Location: Yukon, Oklahoma
Manager: Alen Marcina
Stadium: Miller Stadium
History: A fierce battle between the NASL and USL PRO for a team in Oklahoma City ended with both leagues announcing expansions in the city. The USL put together Oklahoma Energy FC in 2013. Meanwhile, the owners of Oklahoma City FC, a Premier Development League (PDL) team, decided to run an NASL side, but an ownership group breakup in 2014 caused a delay to the project. Eventually, Spanish La Liga club Rayo Vallecano partnered with the organization to form what is now known as Rayo OKC. The team name was announced in November 2015, and began play at Miller Stadium in 2016.
**2016 Preview: As much of an enigma I've said Miami FC have been as an expansion team, it's safe to say Rayo OKC have been even more of a mystery. The organization was derided at first, dismissed due to the involvement from a struggling foreign team and its juxtaposition to the already-successful Energy. However, its initial roster has made fans sit up and take notice. Five World Cup veterans and nine national team players headline the squad, which includes illustrious Greek striker Georgios Samaras. Rayo has built its team using players with experience in European leagues (say, Yuma and Juanan) and players who have found success in MLS (Michel, Sebastian Velasquez) and the NASL (Billy Forbes, Erick Norales). Expansion teams typically take time to fare well, but if there's any that might have a chance at making a first impression by challenging for a title, this could be the one.
Key Players: Robbie Findley, FW; Derek Boateng, MF; Georgios Samaras, FW
One to Watch: Billy Forbes, FW. Over the past two years, Billy Forbes has become the breakout sensation of the league with the San Antonio Scorpions. With the Scorpions dissolving, Rayo OKC won their most prized asset in Forbes, who should certainly get a look-in from former San Antonio coach Alen Marcina.
Predicted Finish: 5th. So much talent, but need to build some chemistry and fan support.
Team Name: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Manager: Stuart Campbell
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
History: An original NASL team, the Rowdies won a championship in their first year (1975) and continued to impress until the league collapsed in 1985. The Rowdies kept playing in lower leagues until 1993. In 2008, the team was reborn again, with the vision of recreating its old glory days. However, because of legal problems, the team simply went by FC Tampa Bay until 2012, when the old moniker returned, along with a Soccer Bowl title won on penalties over Minnesota Stars FC. In 2014, the team was purchased by St. Petersburg businessman Bill Edwards, who promised to take the Rowdies to the next level.
2015 In Review: Following a frustrating 2014 season, manager Ricky Hill got the boot, and the Rowdies began building a new roster with the prolific coach Thomas Rongen. Under Rongen, the ball started to roll, and the Rowdies finished 2nd in the Spring Season, just one point behind the New York Cosmos. In July, Tampa Bay made waves by signing former U.S. international Freddy Adu. However, the Fall Season got off to a rough start. After securing only seven points in eight games, Rowdies owner Bill Edwards fired Rongen and general manager Farrukh Quraishi. Under new manager Stuart Campbell, Tampa Bay fell further, eventually finishing 8th in the Fall and 5th overall, missing out on the playoffs by just two points.
2016 Preview: In the third year of the Bill Edwards era, Tampa Bay is under big pressure to finally make the playoffs. The Rowdies haven't been the loudest team in the offseason, and have perhaps been overshadowed by some of their neighbors in Florida, but the transition from 2015 to 2016 has been smooth. Key players were re-signed, including defensive rock Tamika Mkandawire, Freddy Adu, and 2014 MVP Georgi Hristov. They bet big on bringing in Tom Heinemann, the striker who lit Ottawa's season on fire in the second half of 2015. And they brought in a good collection of supplementary players, such as Neil Collins (200+ games in the English Football League), Danny Mwanga (100+ MLS games) and Eric Avila (170+ MLS games). The Rowdies toured England in the preseason, scoring some impressive results (a draw with Stoke City; a win over Notts County). After an offseason that was, for once, not quite tumultuous, it may be Tampa's time to shine in 2016.
Key Players: Georgi Hristov, FW; Tom Heinemann, FW; Freddy Adu, MF
One to Watch: Darwin Espinal, FW. Only 21, Espinal is already having an impact on Honduran youth national teams. He's got several good forwards to compete with on this roster, but he could well become one of the best.
Predicted Finish: 2nd. This could be the year it all comes together for the Rowdies.
Predicted Spring Standings:

Place	Club
#1	New York Cosmos
#2	Tampa Bay Rowdies
#3	Minnesota United FC
#4	Carolina RailHawks
#5	Rayo OKC
#6	FC Edmonton
#7	Fort Lauderdale Strikers
#8	Indy Eleven
#9	Jacksonville Armada FC
#10	Ottawa Fury FC
#11	Miami FC

Opening Weekend Schedule:
Saturday, April 2

Time (ET)	Home	Away	TV
3:00	CAR	MNU
7:00	FTL	MIA
7:30	TBR	IND
8:00	OKC	FCE

Sunday, April 3

Time (ET)	Home	Away	TV
6:00	NYC	OTT

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