2010 at the bottom of the North American pyramid was marked by extremes. At the positive end, the Rochester Rhinos dominated the Yashin Conference, earning 65 of a possible 72 points with 21 wins and only a single loss in their league play. Fans of Mérida FC will complain their team had an even better year by going undefeated in their 22 games; however, the Mexican side was held to a draw six times. Similarly, the Vancouver Whitecaps—with a single loss against them all year—would normally be the talk of the league, but in 2010 the Canadians faded into a distant third among the top teams.
At the other end, perhaps predictably, Haiti and Cuba continued to be the most difficult locations for home sides to find winning ways in North American soccer: Cienfuegos failed to gain a single victory in the league, while fellow Cuban side Villa Clara and Haitian minnows Violette managed only two each during their long seasons.
The promotion playoffs were dominated by teams from the Maradona Conference, which saw all four of their playoff participants promoted into NADI for next year. As such, AC St. Louis and Real Miami are both underdogs to survive at the higher level, while X. Tijuana and FC Chicago—both with over 50 points in the regular season—will be quite disappointed to spend 2011 again in the fourth level of play.
The misery ran especially deep at X. Tijuana, who boasted the league MVP in Alejandro Leyva and the only offense in NADII to score more than fifty goals on the year. But Albuquerque—who had faded dramatically at the end of the season—managed a goal in extra time from their veteran leader William Thompson to unseat the Mexican side. Still, the assumption has to be that, if the finances hold up, X. Tijuana will be among the favorites for promotion in 2011.
Individual play was dominated by Nashville’s veteran striker Josh Russell, who found the back of the net 19 times on the year, besting Houston’s Felix Garcia and Santa Fe’s Ricardo Flores by five. Nashville was unable to overcome their defensive woes however, and didn’t even make the playoffs, while both the Comets and the Red Devils both succeeded in gaining promotion.
Awards in NADII were handed out as follows:
- Keeper of the Year. Scott Vallow (Rochester), Adrián Zermeño (X. Tijuana), Diego (Vancouver).
- Defender of the Year. Scott Jones (Vancouver), Marco Reda (Vancouver), Armando Gallegos (X. Tijuana).
- Midfielder of the Year. Ricardo Sánchez (Mérida FC), Juan Carlos Nuñez (X. Tijuana), Simon Nakajima-Farran (Real Miami)
- Striker of the Year. Rogelio López (X. Tijuana), Charel Hernández (Mérida FC), Ricky Schramm (Real Miami).
- MVP. Leyva, Mandjou Keita (Cincinnati), Nicola Brighenti (Georgia).
- Young Player of the Year. Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson (Louisville), Oscar Reyes (Real Estelí), Antonio Cameira (Québec).
- NADII Select XI. Alejandro Barba (Fargo), Brighenti, Cameira, Diego, Gunnarsson, Jones, Leyva, Federico Mancinelli (Mérida FC), Reda, Reyes, Sánchez.
2011 NADII: Yashin At A Glance
Champion: Rochester
Goals: Alejandro Leyva (X. Tijuana) 17
Assists: Danny Earls (Rochester) 8
Rating: Alejandro Leyva (X. Tijuana) 7.82
2011 NADII: di Stefano At A Glance
Champion: Vancouver
Goals: Yarrow Flitling (Kulture Yabra) 15
Assists: Orlando Rodríguez (Kulture Yabra) 10
Rating: Oscar Reyes (Real Estelí) 8.03
2011 NADII: Beckenbauer At A Glance
Champion: Mérida FC
Promoted: NY Giants
Goals: Lewis Corrales (Cavaliers FC) & Miguel Ángel Hernández (Curtidores) 11
Assists: Jaymi Bailey (Tampa Bay) 10
Rating: Jorge Barragán (Mérida FC) 7.75
2011 NADII: Maradona At A Glance
Champion: NFSA Sunshine
Promoted: Charlotte SAS, AC St. Louis, Real Miami
Goals: Ricky Schramm (Real Miami), Dana Scully (Baltimore SC) & Fabian Dawkins (AC St. Louis) 15
Assists: Simon Nakajima-Farran (Real Miami) 13
Rating: Evan Harding (AC St. Louis) 7.87
2011 NADII: Pelé At A Glance
Champion: Georgia Peaches
Goals: Nicola Brighenti (Georgia Peaches) 18
Assists: Tyler Hemming (Georgia Peaches) & George Abbey (Ottawa) 9
Rating: Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson (Louisville) 7.85
2011 NADII: Cruyff At A Glance
Champion: Santa Fe
Promoted: Houston Comets, Albuquerque
Goals: Josh Russell (Nashville) 19
Assists: Doug DeMartin (Nashville) 8
Rating: Marc Schwartz (FC Chicago) 7.53
X. Tijuana's Alejandro Leyva, 2010 NADII MVP denied promotion despite a fantastic year.
Nashville's Josh Russell, NADII's leading goalscorer in 2010 with 19.
MKNN 