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While FC Tampa Bay exited the NASL playoffs with a 1-0 loss to NSC Minnesota, the NASL playoffs are set to continue this weekend with the first leg of the semifinals.

FC Tampa Bay assistant coach David Hayes sat down with FCTampaBay.com this week to break down this weekend’s matchups. Here are some of his thoughts on the teams and the players.

Carolina (Top seed) vs. NSC Minnesota (6th seed)

Carolina

Strengths:
“Their scoring ability is one of the strengths. They possess the ball with more urgency than most teams going forward. They sacrifice themselves, make unselfish runs and do all of the dirty work. Guys like Etienne Barbara score goals, but you will also see him in his box playing defense. They have some very intelligent players.”

Weaknesses:
“Their weakness is that they don’t know how to lose. They haven’t been down much this whole season. When you get to the playoffs, it is a different game and that puts a little bit more stress on teams. They can also be vulnerable to counter attacks because they attack with numbers.”

Player to Watch: F Etienne Barbara
“Offensively, defensively, he is doing it all. He is scoring goals, but he is also helping defenders out right away when he loses the ball. This season he has been a complete player.”

Sleeper: M Matt Watson
“Their engine and the whole reason why they have been successful is Matt Watson. He is their general.”


NSC Minnesota

Strengths:
“Minnesota is flying high right now. At the end of the year, they gained some momentum with the road win at Carolina to get into the playoffs and then beating us here last weekend. They are reaching their potential right now. Their main strength is their heart and hard work, and the willingness to do everything to win.”

Weaknesses:
“They do get stretched out at times. If other teams possess the ball, they can get frustrated.”

Player to Watch: GK Joe Warren
“Against us, Joe made a couple of great saves to keep us from tying the match. If we score, it is a different ballgame and Joe is a big reason why the Stars are in the semifinals.”

Sleeper: F Luke Mulholland
“With his vision, his mentality, his demeanor and his calmness, Luke is their best right now. For being so young, he is well above his maturity level for the game.”


Puerto Rico (2nd seed) vs. Ft. Lauderdale (4th seed)

Puerto Rico

Strengths:
“With Puerto Rico, the strength is in the coach in Colin Clarke. He demands a lot from them and they play as a complete unit. They always go into each match with a gameplan and they stick to it. They can attack you from anywhere, down the sides, up the middle or even from the back.”

Weaknesses:
“Sometimes you may have someone drift and that’s when you can get exposed. They are excellent on set pieces but they can be vulnerable to set pieces on the defensive end. But Puerto Rico has more strengths than weaknesses and they are a very solid team.”

Player to Watch: F Jonathan Fana
“He is very creative and very sneaky. He is very good technically and can finish. He can beat two or three players and he has excellent agility and quickness.”

Sleeper: M Noah Delgado
“When he is on the field, Noah raises the bar for himself and everyone around him. He keeps everyone focused. They are a different team when he is not on the pitch.”


Ft. Lauderdale

Strengths:
“Their strength is that you never know what to expect from them. They are very technical and have an excellent coach in Daryl Shore, who has played and coached at a high level. He has changed their team around and they are much more organized. Ft. Lauderdale is creative in how they come out of the back and possess the ball in the middle third all the way up to the offensive third.”

Weaknesses:
“In every game, there are stretches when one team has the better run of play and it can shift the momentum of a match very quickly. Ft. Lauderdale can have a difficult time handling this and making the proper adjustments.”

Player to Watch: M/F Brian Shriver
“He is a good player. He holds the ball well and is very smart. He has excellent vision and is skillful and fast.”

Sleeper: D Martyn Lancaster
“I played with Martyn and he is a solid defender in every area. As far as a center back, he is a very good player.”