Saturday, April 7 • Kickoff: 7:30 PM • Lockhart Stadium The wait is almost over! Less than a week away from the 2012 Season! We were unbeaten in the preseason, 8 wins, 2 draws and no losses. Considering the competition, not a totally unexpected record, but from what I saw(was at all but the TB game), we've looked really good. Passing is better than it was last year. None of that hopeful long ball crap we saw so much of last season. Andy Herron looks like a great addition up front and Aly Hassan should score a bunch for us as well. Excited!! Tailgate party will start around 2:30-ish, we'll be there bright and early! SEE YOU AT LOCKHART!!
We had 6,402 at last years home opener. Let's try to beat that number! We were also outscored 1-2........Let's hope we improve on that number, too.
Thanks for doing the honors starting up the game thread again this year DR! To say I can't wait for Saturday is an understatement! Standing in that pouring rain last October and watching the clock run out on our season was depressing. Finally we get the chance to wipe out that memory! Hoping to see a really big crowd out for the game Saturday. Weather is supposed to be perfect. Saw a story and an ad in Sunday's Sun-Sentinel for the game which is good. So how about some starting lineup talk. Got to listen to the Ultras Alive podcast today, and Coach Shore made it sound like his starting lineup for Tampa would be his starting lineup for Saturday if I read him right. I'm fine with it for the most part, except Morales. I noticed Coach made a point of saying some fans have been down on him but he expects big things from him this year. Sorry, but I still just don't see it. I think he's costing some promising guys like Anderson valuable minutes by continuing to stick with Morales. So I guess we can expect something like this: Stewart - Orozco - Stahl - Laing Lorenz - Restrepo - Shanosky - Morales (should be Anderson!) Herron - Hassan I think we'll definitely see this group score some goals. SO critical this year to win on opening night and score goals to bring the casuals back for more! Go Strikers!!!
Alternate jerseys are in, you can pick them up at the team office(now on site at Lockhart) or tomorrow at the game. Also if you're one of the people who bought a primary shirt that first night, and the colors have gone sour on you in the wash, you can swap it out for a new one. The new shipment is better quality, the reds match, very nice. Joma dropped the ball on the first shipment. Got mine today and I'm amped for tomorrow!!
Your lineup prediction is spot on, but something tells me we'll see something more like this: Glaeser Blake- Stewart- Ståhl- Laing Morales- Shanosky- Restrepo- Lorenz Hassan- Herron
The current weather projection has 20+ MPH wind from the northeast and a 20% chance of rain from 1 PM to 10 PM. The temp starts at 78 and drops to 73 in the same time frame. Considering what yesterday looked like, no complaints here. Given our style, the wind shouldn't be too much of a hindrance.
Strikers get the result down to 10 men: 1-0. Herron off a beautiful cross from Lorenz w/ the 1 timer. Restrepo looked to be MotM from this distance. Stewart was solid-Laing & Blake picked it up after what I thought was a bad first 45. King gave 'em a real lift off the bench. Shanofsky...........I'm thinking...................
Pretty much it. I also thought that Anderson had some good minutes when he got in. And Stewart and Stahl gave a good account of themselves in back. What are you thinking of Shanofsky? Overall a gutsy win for playing nearly 60 minutes short handed. Hopefully, Aly Hassan won't do many more slide tackles like the one that earned him the red card. Attendance reported at 4,779.....
Holy moly! What an opener! Despite the amateur-hour officiating, the boys opened the season with a big W. For me, the biggest surprise was Blake in right defense. He really seems like a right footed Lance Laing. Both guys make great runs and are explosive off set pieces (shot off the bar late) and play some dangerous balls in from the wings...with them on the outside and Stahl/Stewart looking solid in the interior, this team may be way better defensively than anyone could imagine. Great evening!!!! See you Saturday...
Oh what a beautiful night! Great effort and determination from the guys to get the 1-0 win down a man. Appalling red card call, couldn't believe he was even reaching into his pocket for ANY card, let alone red. Shanosky I thought had a very good game, Restrepo too. Lance... man, two outstanding looks on goal. Andy the hero. Great great night. Tampa Bay lost, Panthers clinch division, wow! Loving it right now! Attendance at 4779 not terrible, better than our average last season. It cleared up by kickoff but that band of rain the blew through around 3:30-4:00ish surely killed some of the walk up for this one.
When I got to 136 Ave last night many, many cars coming from the Panther game. That, too, could have cut into our attendance. glad for the Cats....happier for the Strikers....
Well: 2 things. a). I'm not as comfortable with his game as dr is. b). I miss Arguez. * "smooth" would not be a word I'd use to describe his play. He's very......"unorthodox" in his movements on the ball. He appeared gassed at 40 minutes-and his link play to the attack left a lot to be desired. In fact; I'd go as far as saying the turning point in the game came around minute 50, when Walter basically "eliminated the middle man" took the bull by the horns, put the team on his back and ran the MF all by his damn self. Simply amazing how much better everybody looked after that.
Atlanta sold out- San Antonio was on the road. Their stadium seats just 5,000 and I believe the murmurs are that they sold 5,000, but not the full complement was there.