The National Arena League (NAL) had exciting, yet not-so-exciting Week 14 matchups. The Carolina Cobras manhandled the Orlando Predators 72-0; the Columbus Lions controlled the New York Streets 55-19; the Jacksonville Sharks were able to defeat the Massachusetts Pirates 59-42. The NAL top three seeds are now locked, but which team will be able to take the fourth spot?
NAL: Top Three Seeds Locked
The entire league had their eyes on the Jacksonville Sharks (11-1) and the Massachusetts Pirates (7-5), as that was the deciding game for many teams and where they ranked. The Sharks were just one win away from securing home field for the playoffs and the top-seed. The Cobras needed the Sharks to win in order to clinch home-field, which would put them in the two-spot. Since the Pirates were four games ahead of the Lions and hold the tiebreaker, that would give the Pirates the third-seed.
Well, now all of that is over, so we have our top three seeds all set. The Cobras will host the Massachusetts Pirates on Saturday, August 3, but it is unclear as to who the Sharks will host.
Lions and Streets Battle
The Columbus Lions (4-8) can’t possibly finish with a winning record this season, but they can definitely take the final spot in the playoffs. They are a heavy favorite, as they have defeated the New York Streets (3-9) in both games and are currently one win ahead of the Streets. The Lions are just one victory away from clinching the playoffs OR just one Streets loss away from clinching.
In order for the Streets to clinch, they must win both of their remaining games (vs. Carolina Cobras and @ Massachusetts Pirates), AND the Lions must lose the remainder of their games (@ Orlando Predators and vs. Carolina Cobras).
Sorry, Orlando…
Too little, too late for the Orlando Predators (2-10), as they were shut-out for the second time this season against the Cobras (0-60 the first time, and 0-72 previously). This loss makes Orlando two games behind the Lions, which knocks them out of the playoffs since the Lions hold the tie-breaker.
Now that the top three seeds are locked, here is what the current leaderboard looks like.
| NATIONAL ARENA LEAGUE STANDINGS | ||||
| Team | Record | Percentage | Games Behind First Place | Games Behind Fourth Place (Playoffs) |
| Jacksonville Sharks (Y) | 11-1 | 0.917 | N/A | N/A |
| Carolina Cobras (Y) | 9-3 | 0.750 | 2 | N/A |
| Massachusetts Pirates (X) | 7-5 | 0.583 | 4 | N/A |
| Columbus Lions | 4-8 | 0.333 | 7 | N/A |
| New York Streets | 3-9 | 0.25 | 8 | 1 |
| Orlando Predators* | 2-10 | 0.167 | 9 | 2 |
X – Clinched Playoff Berth
Y – Clinched Home-Field Advantage
* – Eliminated From Playoff Contention
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