Looks like the Strikers would be the only NASL team that would play away in round 3. http://nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=2299
Weak sauce. Very disappointed. And we get stuck with freaking San Jose, one of the best teams in MLS this year, and it's not even in their regular stadium(which isn't much to write home about in the first place). Everyone else in the NASL would get to stay at home while our boys have to fly all the way across the country(which they are not conditioned to since there have not been any west coast D2 teams for a year +) I was ready and willing to travel as far west as Colorado for round 3. But San Jose is impractical in time/distance/$$$ and offers little of the experience you'd get in Seattle, Portland, or even LA/Chivas. It's cool that's it's an "NASL heritage" matchup, but sadly I think hardly anyone will get to see it(with the tiny stadium at Stanford they would play at coupled with the unlikeliness of a webcast). If we win round 2, it's everyone's duty to badger the Quakes on twitter, facebook and email to stream of the game. Dallas did it in 2008, Houston did not in 2010.
Yep, Lady Luck failed us this time. Plus, it paired us with an opponent that is in no way a possible road trip. Too far away, too expensive and not a team that anyone here could really love or hate. Few people in SoFL are from the area so there's nothing about San Jose that lights our fuse one way or the other like Red Bulls, DC, the Fire, or even NE. Aside from being MLS they'd not even be that big a draw at Lockhart, IMO. I see now that we had to expect something like this considering our 2nd round opponent. All the other Florida teams play each other or someone from a neighboring state. We get someone from California. It kinda gives me the feeling that USSoccer didn't know what to do with us and gave us a leftover. At least we get that at home. Oh well. It is what it is and all we can do is win at Lockhart & do the same in CA against one of the better MLS teams. Then, if we are successful there, hope for something better in the round after that, but, for some reason, I feel we'll travel to the Pacific Northwest if we're fortunate enough to make round 4. All things considered, I'll love that if it happens, just like I'll be pleased with, and will live with the discouragement, of a round 3 game a long way from home that I can't get to see live. At least they made it that far in the tournament..... GO STRIKERS! I'm cheering for you. No matter where you play or who you play....
As I said before, there is some historical significance to Strikers-Earthquakes. This happened in 1981(unfortunately against the Strikers after Best went to SJ):
That's not pleasant memory or a confidence builder. Thanks.... Here's hoping history doesn't repeat....
Just noticed something that might be a bit of a silver-lining for the Strikers. IF (I'm not taking anything for granted, and I hope Coach and the guys don't either) we beat Fresno, the game in San Jose will be the last of 4 games in 10 days for the Earthquakes. Granted it will be the same for us, but at least ours are all at home before heading to San Jose, while they'll be coming off trips to LA and KC before coming for the 29th, and they have a shorter turn around heading into our possible matchup than we do. Just trying to find something positive about this situation guys!
To this point you brought up earlier Antique: There is something for SoFla fans to hate about SJ if you think about it. The Quakes are a team that A) got the chance to rebrand and embrace local tradition that the Fusion never got, B) got bailed out by AEG and survived contraction, and C) lost the team to Houston anyway, only to be rewarded with a 2nd chance just a few years later. I just hope they are one of the teams that doesn't take the Cup seriously(they haven't qualified since they've been back so we don't know). We would be on very short rest with the game on the 26th(though SJ is playing in KC on the 27th, should force them to rest some guys too). Just gotta take care of business against the D4 Fuego at home, and hope for an exciting match!
Let's do our best to make it tonight. It's gonna be wet and rainy. We are playing a team that can beat us - they have only lost once in their last 50 games! - and the Strikers are in a run of bad form. They need us there to support them. Section 120 or 122 tonight. End zones will be closed. show up as early as yopu can and let's try to be as loud as possible. Tonight, more than ever, the Strikers need us. And, if you listened to Michelle last night, you know that MLS absolutely looks at the Strikers gate. GO STRIKERS!!!!!!!
Strikers 7 v 2 Fresno. Was 1-0 Strikers at the half, then the fun began after Fresno tied the score 1-1 in the 2nd half. Strikers went up 5-1 until Fresno made it 5-2 around the 84th minute. Strikers scored 2 more, including 1 in the 1 minute added time, the finish it off at 7-2. Aly Hassan had another hat trick... The rain and the Heat game held the attendance down a bit. All of 297 people showed up. We had a blast. On to San Jose! GO STRIKERS!
Solid result, that's what's supposed to happen playing a team of amateurs two division below you. Now on to San Jose. Here's hoping all the cards fall our way and we can somehow pull the upset. San Jose plays tomorrow in LA and Sunday in KC, so they'll be on short rest, perhaps a bit more than the Strikers who played tonight and Saturday. Plus they won't have Chris Wondolowski who is in USMNT camp. I wouldn't be surprised to see Coach give a few key guys a rest Saturday, and go all out for the upset in the Open Cup.
I am an old Strikers fan. I have transplanted myself northwestward and support another "heritage" team. I was at Crystal Lake Middle School when David Chadwick brought some of the "lads" around. Here's hoping the Sounders and Strikers both advance far enough to make me feel conflicted. For those of us of a certain age who remember Rick Weaver, that would be David "Twinkletoes" Chadwick.
Looks like no video coverage from the MLS and EarthQuakes Transcript from a chat with the Earthquakes Organization: Jeremy Hollar: Welcome to the San Jose Earthquakes Alive Chat. How may I help you today? Chris Walsh: Will the Open Cup match between Ft. Lauderdale and the Earthquakes be televised or streamed online? I can't make it from Florida for the match Jeremy Hollar: Hi Chris, one second while I find out how you might be able to watch the game from Florida... Chris Walsh: Thanks Jeremy Hollar: It looks like neither the Earthquakes or MLS will be streaming the matches. There are also no plans to televise the match. I'm sorry for the news Chris. I like your determination to watch your team. Chris Walsh: Bummer. Will there be an online match update? Jeremy Hollar: Sorry, we will not be doing anything live for the match on our end, but there will be a press release after the match. I can keep your email on file and forward that to you if you'd like. Chris Walsh: OK maybe the Open Cup website will post an update. I guess we will have to beat your team to see a MLS match on our field Jeremy Hollar: You might be right Chris. It's going to be a good Open Cup this year. I would also suggest checking with their website. Is there anything else I can help you with? Chris Walsh: Nope thanks for the info.
What do you guys think of the Stars and Silverbacks selling their US Open Cup home games (RSL and Seattle respectively) for cash and leaving the home fans out to dry? Their facebook pages are filled with unhappy fan comments. What if the Strikers had an upcoming Open Cup game against an MLS club and at the last minute decided to hit the road for a cash bailout? How would it make you feel as a fan? Atlanta says they will use part of the funds received to improve the team. I can understand paying the bills when you're a lower division club but there's also taking care of the home fans and letting them see quality competition at home.
Miami had over 10" of rain that day with more on Wednesday. The local flooding was widespread and traffic was, and is, a disaster. The few folks that did drive to Lockhart from Miami-Dade, often a 1 hour drive, took 2 hours or more to get to the game. Still, the Heat played to a sellout at the AAA & the Marlins played in front of 20,000 or so at home. That's gotta be 34K or more, but, remember that both of those events were inside. Lockhart is uncovered. It is also one of the worst venues to be in during a rainstorm that I have ever been in. There is no place to hide. I think meveryone down here knows this. Broward was not that much better. I drove to Lockhart in a downpour fully expecting the game to be rescheduled. It rained heavily during the tailgate, which was fairly well attended, before the game, slacked off just at the start & we enjoyed a fairly dry time of it during the duration of the match. I had wet roads & some sprinkles on the way home, but it was still raining in Miami. The Tuesday/Wednesday deluge is one of the worst on record. Broward County is still very soggy. Much of Miami-Dade County is still underwater today and the pumps there are working overtime to get rid of the flooding. The WC says more rain is on the way. South Florida started May in a drought. It's gone...
I don't like it at all. I certainly don't blame them from a business standpoint for doing it, however the system should not allow things like this to happen in the first place. Minnesota's situation is totally different that Atlanta's, as MN has to rent out the NSC and pay all the costs associated with that, while Atlanta owns their stadium and gets concessions revenue etc. Plus RSL is not exactly a "glamour" MLS opponent while Seattle is. I'm sure Minnesota did the math on what kind of crowd they thought could get and figured it made more financial sense to take the deal. However with Atlanta, I've heard what they got from Seattle and I'll just say that by selling 5,000 tickets at $20 a pop(which they probably easily could have done) they would have come close to it on ticket revenue alone. They probably would have made a little less then what Seattle paid them in the end, but the goodwill with the fans and media would have been worth not making that extra bit of revenue. Moving forward I hope the USSF fixes this so it cannot happen. If you want to have a draw, do it for real. IMO all MLS teams should have to play on the road at the lower level team when they enter. It's better for the fans, better for the lower division teams(MLS teams are better equipped, with more $$$ and deeper rosters, to make the trip), and better for the sport. In fact I think that's how the Coupe de France works when Ligue 1 teams enter.
The more rain is here. Today it's Broward Counties turn. We're under a flood watch until mid afternoon and the radar on the WC shows prodigious amounts of rain coming ashore now with much more behind it. My lawn loves it, but I'm gettin a bit weary of it all..
Too bad about the weather. Jacksonville also had bad weather but I would imagine it was nothing like you described.
This lovely weather even was for Miami-Dade, Monroe, & Broward. it may spin into the second tropical storm of 2012 when it gets away from us.
Sorry I'm way behind... There's a glut of eastern and southeast teams in the lower levels and a severe lack of them in MLS....this is going to keep cropping up year after year, let's just hope they cycle through things as years go by.
You forgot the most important reason... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Major_League_Soccer_season#Semifinals The Fusion's final game was at Lockhart in the 2001 MLS semifinals...a 1-0 loss to San Jose on a golden goal. http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20...63_1_ray-hudson-miami-fusion-lockhart-stadium Read the last few paragraphs of that... and/or go through the Sentinel archive: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/keyword/miami-fusion This is particularly depressing given the date: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20..._1_miami-fusion-fusion-games-community-action I hated Donovan (and the MLS, for that matter) for years because of that series. I was 15 at the time...I remember a Serna red card and/or a bullshit PK coming into play in the series, but had to dig this up to job the memory...http://www.xtratime.org/forum/showthread.php?t=49935. It's hard to believe it's been more than a decade now. It's a shame we couldn't hold on to the 1-0 lead (in 2001 or last Tuesday)...