Pre-match: Strikers vs. Minnesota Stars FC ::: NASL Match 8

Discussion in 'Fort Lauderdale Strikers' started by drSoFlaFan, May 15, 2012.

  1. drSoFlaFan

    drSoFlaFan DEFEND THE FORT!

    Feb 25, 2008
    Plantation, FL
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Saturday, May 19 • Kickoff: 7:30 PM • Lockhart Stadium

    Terrible road trip, but now a good stretch of home games coming up, including the Open Cup.

    Minnesota looks good, but they have never beaten Miami FC/Strikers in the regular season, and have never beaten us overall at Lockhart. The only time they've come out on top over us was leg 1 of the final last year up in Blaine.

    Still, sans Herron and Laing this will be a very tough game.

    P.S. for the Euro-inclined, some of us will be at the Lion & Eagle in Boca at 10AM to watch West Ham vs. Blackpool in the Championship promotion playoff final. Then the Strikers are hosting a watch party at Fritz & Franz on Commercial at 2:45 for the UEFA final(Some of us will probably be at Lockhart tailgating at 3PM right up to kick off anyway though).
     
  2. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Thanks as always for the pre-match thread starter DR! Quite a busy couple of weeks for soccer it's been and will continue to be! Love this time of year! HUGE game for the Strikers this weekend on so many levels. First game back after a long and decidely unsuccessful road trip has the team needing a win to regain some confidence and stay near the top of the standings. The FO has had a few weeks to work their sales magic, and we could really really use a nice crowd (4,000+) for this game. I've been praying for good weather all week, and we'll need that too. Plus a nice crowd means more people to get the word to about Tuesday's USOC game vs. Fresno Fuego. Later today or tomorrow we should know our potential 3rd round matchup if we can take care of business against the PDL Fuego. More on that in the USOC thread. Potential for the next few weeks to really get some big momentum going for the Strikers season!!! Let's pull, push, cajole, and drag everyone we can out to the game Saturday and hope it becomes the starting point for a major positive push for the club for the rest of the season! Go Strikers!!!
     
  3. Antique

    Antique Member

    Nov 11, 2008
    the river of grass
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Fuego won 2-0 over Turlock Express. I've looked all over the net & can't find the location of the 3rd round game vs MLS. We've got to beat Fresno to get it, but I hope that it's at home of we do. That might actually draw a crowd, Tuesday night or not.

    GO STRIKERS!!!
     
  4. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    According to what I've seen on Twitter, it should be later today or tomorrow that the 3rd round draw is done and posted. An MLS side should draw a crowd if properly advertised and covered by the local media. And it could be a really nice crowd if it's a marquee team like the Galaxy or Red Bulls. But first things first. A win this weekend against the Stars, and then stay focused, and don't take the Fuego lightly, and we should take that one as well. Even with a couple of subs to rest key guys we should be able to win next Tuesday if they aren't over confident and just play their game.
     
  5. AmericanMag

    AmericanMag Member

    Mar 23, 2011
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Do I need to warn the landlord at the Lion and Eagle that the TriRail Firm may be coming? They will have to serve pints in solo cups...
     
  6. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Ok Striker Likers, huge game tomorrow night. Called the office today to order some tickets for some friends I'm bringing to their first game this year (yes!) and I asked how sales were going so far for tomorrow's game. I was told they're expecting 4,000+ which is great news. If the rain stays away tomorrow afternoon/evening, maybe we can even get enough of a walk up crowd to equal the opener. Sure would be nice. Then we need to kick off this extended cross-competition homestand with a win to make sure all the casuals will be back for more, and bring their friends!

    So here's my lineup prediction for this week. Wouldn't want the task myself considering the injuries and Lance being called away, but hopefully some guys will really step up and make the best of the opportunities they'll be getting over the next couple of weeks:

    Glaeser
    Lorenz - Stahl - Stewart - Blake
    Motagalvan - Restrepo - Shanosky - Granado
    Hassan - Anderson

    I don't usually do this, but for some reason I have a real good feeling going into this game. I think this team really struggled on the road trip, but coming home is going to be just the lift they need. I'm feeling a 2 - 0 Strikers win tomorrow night. Everyone come out and bring all your family and friends to see if I'm right!
     
  7. Antique

    Antique Member

    Nov 11, 2008
    the river of grass
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The WC site has a 60% chance of rain forecast at game time until 10PM when it drops to 50%. Bring your ponchos to this one. Let's hope we get it in and we get the 3 points...:)
     
  8. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Announced 2,720. Did it rain again?
     
  9. speedcake

    speedcake Member

    Dec 2, 1999
    Tampa
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I sure hope so, or at least hope weather was bad in the area. Otherwise, le sigh :(

    But then, at some point fans will need to realize that it rains in Florida. Alot. So get over it, etc. :D
     
  10. Red Harvest

    Red Harvest Member

    Mar 5, 2001
    Not liking our defense so far. Once Herron went down, our scoring punch seems to have disappeared. Hope things get turned around quickly.
     
  11. Antique

    Antique Member

    Nov 11, 2008
    the river of grass
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It rained before, during and after the match. Not the deluge that Sir Speedy saw last year, but a steady downpour with a deceptive break occurring from time to time. By games end most of the field marking were pretty much obliterated.

    The announced turnout was high, IMO, but I'll take 2,720 considering the conditions.

    They saw the Strikers at their worst. They attacked early, if with little effect, but, got a pretty goal in the 35 min +/-, then gave up a stinker just before the halftime whistle. They then played the worst half of soccer I've seen in a long time and gave up two pathetic goals in the 2nd half while doing it to lose 1-3.

    Their attack was pathetic, they passed more time to Minnesota than to a team mate, and frequently their defending was non existent. If they play like this against a tier 4 team the tier 4 team will win, but, if they should get by that tier 4 team and play like they played last night against San Jose, then San Jose will win in double figures.

    I'll leave it to others to discuss particulars. They simply played a piss poor game.
     
  12. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    It rained all day and night across all of South Florida. Whatever walkup crowd they are usually accustomed to and were expecting for Saturday certainly did not materialize. I'd guess that not even half of the paid/announced crowd should up to brave the rain as well. Very disappointing game all around.
     
  13. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    In the first half the Strikers were actually the better team, controlled play, and deserved their 1 - 0 lead. Until that incredibly poor turnover right in front of our own goal just before half. That right there, looking back, easily stands out as the turning point to the entire game. The Strikers deflated completely in the second half, and the Stars came out of the locker room being able to play their game in the second half of defending strongly like they normally do, and then countering quickly and accurately when the opportunities present themselves.

    Pecka had his worst game of the season. Don't know how much the 3 games in 7 days, and possible 5 games in 14 if we win tomorrow night, factored into Coach's lineup choices, but things didn't work well tonight. We miss Herron badly. I love Abe, he is all class and has had his moments for this franchise. His pass to Anderson for the goal was very nice. But otherwise the Stars were able to keep him in check pretty easily. He's just not mobile enough anymore I think. I would like to see Hassan paired with Anderson tomorrow night. I didn't like the move to put Shanosky in the backline next to Stahl. Shanosky has been really improving his play as a defensive MF. Plus this forces Stewart out to right back. With Lance gone, this means our runs from the back are virtually non-existent now. Lorenz is adequate as a left back, but working at left MF with Lance behind him was far more effective. Can't cry over Lance's call up, but we need more speed from the wings for runs. I'd like to see Blake back in at right back, or maybe give Gebor a shot there. He was one of the bright spots in the game to me doing some decent work as a defensive MF.

    Restrepo wasn't good, and you could see his frustration when he was subbed off and started kicking coolers and stuff around the benches. Motagalvan was rusty as you might expect in his first start. Overall the play wasn't terrible (outside of that giveaway that completely changed the game), it just wasn't good enough in the second half. But then, that's the Stars game, keep their shape and defend strong, and then make you pay on the counter, and this year their talent up front is improved, so they're putting people away rather than just holding them off like they did to us in the Final last year. If they hadn't given up that cheap goal just before half, I think the game would have played out much differently than it did, and we would have at least had a chance to salvage a point.
     
    Antique repped this.

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