NASL releases 2016 schedule, RailHawks to host Minnesota United in opener

The Carolina RailHawks, set to begin their 10th season of play and first with Stephen Malik as owner, will be tested from the get-go this North American Soccer League season.

Carolina faces all five of the teams that finished above it in the 2015 combined standings during the first six weeks of the spring season. Minnesota United – who have six players from last year’s “NASL Best XI” – come to Cary on April 2 to face a revamped RailHawks roster in the season opener.

After making a one-game road trip to expansion side Rayo OKC (Oklahoma City), Carolina runs the gauntlet against the Ottawa Fury, Tampa Bay Rowdies, New York Cosmos and Fort Lauderdale Strikers before hosting Miami FC on May 14.

Miami is one of three expansion teams in the NASL.

The NASL spring season, in which each team faces its league counterparts once, has the RailHawks playing 10 games in 11 weeks. All five of Carolina’s home games (Minnesota, Ottawa, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Jacksonville) are played on Saturdays with times yet to be announced.

The spring also consists of three Sunday away matches.

After a three week break, Carolina opens up the fall season – in which all NASL sides play each other both home and away– at Minnesota on July 2, with the home opener coming against Freddy Adu and Tampa Bay the ensuing Saturday.

All NASL teams will play 22 games in the fall season as Puerto Rico FC – the third expansion team, owned by NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony – joins the league.

Carolina hosts Puerto Rico for the first time on Aug. 13 and Rayo OKC on Oct. 12.

The RailHawks end the regular season playing five of their last eight games at WakeMed Soccer Park

Carolina will likely be as well-traveled as any team in the league this season after the NASL announced that its closest opponent, the Atlanta Silverbacks, are ceasing all operations. The Jacksonville Armada, who play their home games at EverBank Field, are the closest road trip for the RailHawks at 463 miles. New York and Indianapolis are the only other teams that play within 780 miles of Cary.

Carolina will make five visits to its three farthest away opponents – Edmonton, Puerto Rico and OKC – totaling out to approximately 17,536 miles round-trip.

Along with the Silverbacks, the San Antonio Scorpions have dissolved after owner Gordan Hartman sold Toyota Park to the city of San Antonio with the intentions of a USL team making the soccer-specific stadium its home.

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 10:18 AM with the headline "NASL releases 2016 schedule, RailHawks to host Minnesota United in opener."