Wow, what was all that Dynamite? On the field the team definitely did not perform up to expectations. Don't forget that a number of starters were out injured though as well. Other than that, I don't know how anyone could have asked for a batter start for the return of the Strikers. What I saw all evening when I looked around both before the game outside the stadium, and then during it inside, was a lot of people having fun. I think it's way too early for anyone to be thinking the crowd will diminish simply because of a loss. I wouldn't put money on the crowd hitting 6,000 again Friday, but it's not because we lost last night. It's because the game will be on a Friday at 8:30 instead of Saturday at 7:30. I'll be brave and make the first attendance prediction for Game 2 over in the Attendance thread in a few.
They had the uprights still up for the game because the University of Miami Spring Football game is going to be held this upcoming Saturday, hence why the Strikers are playing there home game this week on Friday. After that the goal posts should be taken down though, unless FAU plans to play there spring game @ lockhart as well, but I doubt it.
Congrats Strikers and Orlando City! Hopefully MLS Commish Don Garber will take FL more seriously for the next expansion teams.
Inaugural home openers in Florida: FC Tampa Bay 8,060 Orlando City 7,990 Strikers 6,400 Not too shabby. Hopefully Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale don't have too big a dip once the new car smell wears off (Orlando fans don't seem to quite get that this is going to happen). Then once FCTB figures out it's stadium situation on the correct side of the bay we could have three very solid D2/D3 franchises in Florida after years of either nothing or aborted attempts at top flight soccer. MLS won't be far behind and it'll just depend on which franchise comes up with the cash first. In the meantime just enjoy what you have in the moment. Worrying too much about what the future might bring will cause you to miss out on or not get as much out of the great times soccer fans in Florida are having right now.
Absolutely. Here's to a successful, long future for pro soccer in all 3 markets. I doubt there is a huge dip in store here in FTL. It'll drop a little, but with what should be a decent team and a favorable schedule we should be in good shape. Every game except this Friday and a Wednesday game in Sept. is on a Saturday night at 7:30. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel. And unlike the first Miami FC game back in 2006 that drew around 6K fans, fans in Fort Lauderdale, the city of Fort Lauderdale itself, and the Fort Lauderdale paper/TV channel(Sun Sentinel and SFL) actually give a damn about this team because it's uniquely theirs. The interest should be pretty consistent all year long. 4-6K average is right where we should be at for a properly promoted D2 team in Florida.
It'd be great if you guys averaged over 4k. I think it is possible and the NASL could use that kind of good news when they are out shopping around for new owners in new markets. Tampa revised our home opener for this season to just over 4k, also good news and we'll see if we can improve on that. The NASL teams definitely have an advantage over OCSC as far as the schedule goes. They have too many Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night games plus their season is squeezed into a significantly shorter time frame. Even so, if they can win I can still see them averaging between 3500 and 4500. Would be fantastic to have them move up to the NASL soon. I wouldn't be surprised if the league courts them heavily as they look for expansion teams.
I think we're going to be well over 4,000, and if the team stays in the top half of the standings and is good at home, 5,000 isn't outside the realm of possibility at all either. And here's one to mull over for a few months LOL..... if the NASL championship is Rowdies vs. Strikers - Lockhart would reach 10,000+..................
Strikers vs. Rowdies in the final would probably be the best thing for the league, and it would be FABULOUS for soccer in the state of Florida.
I honestly believe that would be the greatest soccer event in the United States all year long. The concept of playing one match away and one at home in the finals, beats the "MLS Cup" model hands down as well. Maybe a tiny bit too earlier to talk about that, though.
Yeah but fun to talk about. Having in state, hated rivals battle in a 2 leg home and home finals would put the neutral site MLS Cup to shame.
Anyone have the starting line-up's for Ft. lauderdale? I'm trying to make them on fifa 11 but i want it to be at least some what correct.
I'll give it a shot: GK Nic Platter #1(Matt Glaeser #24 usual starter but he's been hurt) D Zach Kirby #3 D Adam West #13 D Martyn Lancaster #27 D Aaron Hohlbein(Captain) #22 M Paulinho Le Petit #7 M Bryan Arguez #17 M Mike Palacios #10 M Martin Nuñez #23 F Abe Thompson #9 F Aaron Wheeler #12
http://www.ea.com/soccer/fifa/creation-centre?team_id=74368303 Looks like a lot of my guess work was wrong. Anyways heres my first stab at fort lauderdale in fifa's creation centre