NFPL Southwest Championship Preview

by NFPL

The 2022/23 NFPL season will officially come to an end this coming weekend as Brusa FC host New Mexico Flagship FC in the championship game for the Southwest Division. 

Brusa FC have been at the top of the standings for almost the entire season and last played a regular-season NFPL match a month ago on March 26. They'll have either used the time wisely, preparing for their opponent, nursing injuries, and building momentum on the training ground, or they'll have fallen asleep at the helm and allowed complacency to creep in.

On the other hand, New Mexico Flagship played their last game just one week ago, a dramatic draw at home against Colorado Futsal Academy in Matchweek 18 to secure their spot in the championship game as they battled for their season until the very last minute. 

In two matches this season, both teams have earned wins off one another. Brusa FC took down NM Flagship 11-6 on February 11 at home and then Flagship gave Brusa FC their only loss of the season with a 5-3 win in Albuqurque.

It's fair to say that this championship game will feature the top two teams and some of the conference's best players over the course of the season. In general, the NFPL Southwest has been incredibly entertaining with amazing goals, talented players, and tactically proficient teams with exciting home atmospheres.

The championship game should be nothing less as Brusa FC and New Mexico Flagship FC battle it out to crown the first-ever champion of the NFPL Southwest. 

KEY PLAYERS:

Brusa FC:

  • Jonnathan Segura - The most decisive player on the court for Brusa FC, Segura leads the team in points with 16, scoring 7 goals and assisting 9 in just 6 games. He is third across the entire league for points per game and is at the center of nearly every dangerous move as Brusa FC move the ball in attack. 
  • Christian Lima - Leading goalscorer for Brusa FC, Lima takes most penalty kicks and scores most of them. He's chalked up 11 goals and 2 assists in 6 games this season and scored 4 in their home win against NM Flagship on February 11th. 
  • Micah Vasey - Dynamic ala that can frequently be found crashing the net and getting on the end of Brusa's buildup plays, Vasey has been consistent throughout the season, scoring 4 goals and assisting 4 more. 

New Mexico Flagship:

  • Isai Rivas - Undeniably one of the league's top players and perhaps the best in the Southwest Conference, Rivas powers the Flagship team, connecting play and finishing moves in abundance. He dominates the league in points per game with 3.8 and scores frequently from open play and penalty kicks. He's got 14 goals and 9 assists on the season for 23 points, tying Golden Ball winner Marcelo Matos in points but having played 4 games fewer than the Columbus playmaker.
  • Alexander Romero - Romero has come on strong towards the tail end of the season with a number of big goals in two late matchups against Colorado Futsal Academy. He's tallied 8 goals and 3 assists on the season and has 2 goals and 2 assists in 2 games against Brusa FC.
  • Julian Bustamante - Target man and sharpshooter for New Mexico Flagship, Bustamante has 6 goals and 2 assists in 6 games this season and has been a dangerous piece of the Flagship attack. 

MATCH DETAILS:

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