Pre-match: Strikers vs. Puerto Rico Islanders ::: NASL Semifinals Leg 2

Will they have all of their players back that were missing because of the Int'l break?

 

They had them for the first leg (give or take Telesford), but mostly on the bench. Puerto Rico plays at Canada on Wednesday, Faña (DR) plays at Suriname and Telesford (T&T) hosts Barbados; they'll have all their players on Saturday.

 

PR plays on Tuesday

 

Yeah, that.

 

read somewhere that the Islanders were missing 6 players last saturday

 

A bit of a concern with their intl players coming back. Having a couple of games under their belt at a higher level of competition may backfire on us...

Just a bit of pessimism...

 

Any worries out there that attendance may be affected by the FAU stadium opener that night? I have been trying to get people to come to the strikers but it seems that they are going to FAU instead.

 

Poop on all of 'em. I have my ticket for the game. I'll get there as early as I can. I hope all the usual suspects are there with me, along with a bunch of 'newbies'......See ya then.

GO STRIKERS!!!!

 

A likely story....

(roflmao)

 

TWC site has today as temps in the mid 80s F, overcast, with a 30% chance of rain from 3PM on.

I hope it holds & we have a decent evening for the game.

 

Gameday! At Last!!! Been anxious all week! Wow, for much of this season, who would have thought we'd be sitting in this position today? I think we all felt the talent was there, but for things to come together, some breaks to go our way, and to find ourselves at home, in leg two of the Semis with a +2 lead already in place? Wow!!!

I expect, and very much hope, we 'll see the same lineup that's played so well the last two games, with a slight change or two perhaps. Big Matt in goal of course; Marty and Stahl who might just be our two biggest players tonight patrolling the back; Laing and I think we might see Arrieta back in the lineup at right back (although Gordon has subbed well for him, so if he's in again I think we'll be fine); the sniper Restrepo, Arguez, Palacio (still go back and forth in my mind between him and Chacho, one of these games our horocious set piece play without Chacho involved is going to bite us in the arse) and hopefully Mayen is back, don't know why he was out last week, but he's performed far better than Pecka or that putz Morales; and lastly up front Shriver the goal machine of course, and you'd assume Abe if whatever injury took him out of the 2nd half in PR is ok now, otherwise I suppose we'll see Nunez, although I've always maintained he is far more effective as a sub later in the game.

We need to be very conscious of our end of the pitch. I'm not saying drop 10 behind the ball, but I'd like to see a little more caution on the counter attacks. Sometimes we get caught with too many upfield and give up good chances. Can't have that tonight. That said, I think the Islanders will have to play with such desperation, there certainly will be plenty of chances for us to break and get good looks. We HAVE to finish chances. If we can score just one goal, PR will be in a real bad spot needing 4 of their own to just force an OT. I don't see that happening. And we have to be DISCIPLINED. The best chance for the Islanders to get multiple goals will be if one of our guys makes a dumb play and gets kicked out. We can't be trying to hold this lead down a man t o this team, they are too good.

I know the crowd won't be as big as it could or should be tonight. I'm resigning myself to the probable fact that our only real chance at a very large number will be in the finals. Let's be loud and proud though, those of us that have been there all year, and those who are coming out the first time! Let's let the Islanders know that there is no way they're coming into OUR HOUSE and taking this lead from us! Everyone, tonight, be there!!!! GO STRIKERS!!!!!!

 

All he can do is score PKs with two late game free kicks. He's too slow to cover enough ground as a central midfielder, and his style of game doesn't fit us, he doesn't have the tackling ability to be a defensive midfielder and he isn't an outside mid (not that we use real outside mids anyway). If you have to get him on the field (you don't), he'd have to be a withdrawn forward, and he's not worth slotting in over Nuñez, Shriver or Abe. If anything, he's a late game sub when we need a goal, nothing more.

...did I mention he's a hot head?

The math's off. If we score one goal and they score four, they win the series 5-4. The away goals rule isn't in play. If we lose by two tonight, the game's going into extra time regardless of the number of goals either team scores.

I don't think the team's going to draw it's largest crowd during football season...especially with the Panthers home opener on the same night (which I wouldn't necessarily give a lot of credence to if it wasn't announced they're 1k away from a sell out). Hopefully I'm wrong and there are enough South Floridians trying to take in a sporting contest live today. I'll be sad with 3k, slightly disappointed with 3500, content with 4k and happy with 4500+.

I think it may be a decent idea to try to switch games to Sunday evening (6 or 7 PM start), not opposite the Dolphins, come September on.

 

TWC now predicts a 75% chance of rain the evening around 730pm to 900pm - game time. I've been fighting a cold all week. Probably won't be there tonight.

Poop.....

 

Strikers up 1-0

 

It's a two-leg final. I'm ok with us having the far more boring of the two semifinal second legs.

Got the job done. Keep it up. Get players healthy/fit this week.

 

Legendary tifo.

 

Yep, embrace the past