2022 National Independent Soccer Association season
The 2022 NISA season will be the fourth season of the National Independent Soccer Association's third-division soccer competition. After three years of split seasons, NISA switched to a full season format, with a single table and a playoff competition to determine the 2022 champion.[1]
| Season | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Dates | Mar. 26 – Nov. 5 |
| Matches played | 17 |
| Goals scored | 39 (2.29 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | 3 players (3) |
| Biggest home win | MAR 6-1 FCU (April 2) |
| Biggest away win | FCU 0–3 MIC (April 9) ASD 0–3 VAL (April 23) |
| Highest scoring | CAL 4–3 BCFC (April 23) |
| Longest winning run | 3 games MAR |
| Longest unbeaten run | 5 games VAL |
| Longest winless run | 4 games 2 teams |
| Longest losing run | 4 games FCU |
← 2021 2023 →
All statistics correct as of April 24, 2022. | |
Teams
Six of the teams that participated in the 2021 Fall season returned, and were joined by four expansion clubs: AC Syracuse Pulse, Bay Cities FC, Flower City Union and Valley United FC. From the existing 2021 teams, San Diego 1904 FC were rebranded to Albion San Diego, after merging with the youth club with the same name,[2] while Chicago House AC, New Amsterdam FC and Stumptown AC will be on hiatus for 2022, and current title holders Detroit City FC moved to USL Championship.[3]
Stadiums and locations
Participating club
Personnel and sponsorship
- Note: The league has signed a deal with Hummel to be the official kit manufacturer, but it still allows clubs to find their own provider.[4]
| Team | Head coach | Captain(s) | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC Syracuse Pulse |  Peter Fuller |
Shaun Russell |
 Givova |
Montreal Construction, SOS |
| Albion San Diego | Jeff Korytoski |
Ozzie Ramos |
Capelli |
|
| Bay Cities FC | Anders Perez |
 Hummel |
Premia | |
| California United Strikers FC | Don Ebert |
Xavier Fuerte |
Nike |
Taco Bell |
| Chattanooga FC | Rod Underwood |
 Juan Hernandez |
Hummel |
Louisiana Hot Sauce, VfL Wolfsburg |
| Flower City Union | Zach Agliata |
Hummel |
||
| Los Angeles Force |  Thales Peterson |
Joshua Culwell |
Xara |
— |
| Maryland Bobcats FC | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Sylvain Rastello |
Kay Banjo |
Hummel |
Jimmy's Famous Seafood |
| Michigan Stars FC | Trevor Banks |
Hummel |
HTC | |
| Valley United FC | Adrian Gaitan |
Nico Gaitan |
Capelli |
|
Regular season
The season will start on March 26, and will see each team play 26 games over 30 weeks: four times against each opponent in the same division and two times against each opponent in the opposite division.
East Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland Bobcats FC | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 11 | Qualification for the semi-finals |
| 2 | Michigan Stars FC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 7 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | AC Syracuse Pulse | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 3 | |
| 4 | Flower City Union | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 3 | |
| 5 | Chattanooga FC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal differential; 3) goals scored; 4) head-to-head
West Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valley United FC | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 12 | Qualification for the semi-finals |
| 2 | California United Strikers FC | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 11 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | Bay Cities FC | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 5 | |
| 4 | Albion San Diego | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 3 | |
| 5 | Los Angeles Force | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal differential; 3) goals scored; 4) head-to-head
Results
Player statistics
- As of May 1, 2022
Top goalscorers
Clean sheets
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Top assists
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Playoffs
The playoffs begin on October 22, and will feature the top 6 teams in the regular season. The East and West division winners will be assigned the first 2 seeds, and will get byes to the semifinals. The second places in the two divisions will be assigned seeds 3 and 4, and the third places seeds 5 and 6. The 2022 Final will take place on November 5.
| Round 1 October 22 | Semifinals October 29 | Final November 5 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||||||
Notes
- First game of the season
- Forfeited by Syracuse due to financial issues
References
- NISA. "NISA Announces 2022 Season Schedule". Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- Mark Zeigler (December 15, 2021). "San Diego pro men's soccer team 1904 FC merges with youth club Albion". www.sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- Detroit City to join USL Championship for 2022 season | USL Championship
- "NISA announces kit sponsorship deal". Twitter.com. Retrieved August 21, 2019.