Strikers defeat Puerto Rico to make it to NASL Finals

It seems like a dream but it's true, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers made it to the NASL finals and will meet the Minnesota Stars in a 2 game series that starts next Saturday in Minnesota.
Over 4200 people showed up to see the Strikers beat the Islanders 2-1 (5-2 aggregate) thanks to a brace by Brian Shriver.
Shriver will be on tonight's Miami Ultras Alive show on Blog Talk Radio at 10PM be sure to listen in and call with your questions to (323) 927-1455. MUA is the only soccer specific internet radio show dedicated to the South Florida soccer scene, you can listen to it every Monday night. Be sure to join in on the live chat room that starts 10 minutes before the show. To listen to the show live at 10 PM go here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/miamiultras/2011/10/18/miami-ultras-alive-28 
For more on the game check out the following links:
NASL
Miami Herald
Sun Sentinel
Soccer America 
Bleacher Report
Soccer by Ives
South Florida Caribbean News
Inside Minnesota Soccer
Following are video and pictures:

Big TIFO picture by Victor Palkaninec others by Uncle Ed's crappy cell phone.
For more pictures visit:
http://www.jonvanwoerden.com/Strikers_Islanders1015
and
http://fllstrikers.net/

Strikers vs Islanders playoff game this Saturday at 7:30 PM! Tailgate to start at 3 PM includes Food trucks and more...

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers are 90 minutes away from the NASL final thanks to a 3-1 win over the Puerto Rico Islanders. With a 2 goal lead the Strikers will look to eliminate the Islanders this Saturday, Oct. 15th at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at www.strikers.com or the box office at Lockhart stadium.

Be sure to get there early! There will be Food trucks and a special Supporters tailgate starting at 3 PM hosted by our tailgate specialist Chris Marrazzo. There will be beer, liquor, drinking games, funnels and we’ll also kick the ball around in our drunken stupor. It will be an amazing tailgate worthy of a playoff win.
Here is a special message brought to you by MC Chris Marrazzo to all South Florida soccer fans:


Be sure to follow Chris on twitter @chrismarrazz

MUA #26 with Kartik Krishnaiyer and Chris Marrazzo's Quite Befuddling Van Gogh Tailgate Party!

Everyone needs to rush over to www.miamiultras.com to check out The latest and greatest version of Miami Ultras Alive. South Florida's only unprofessional soccer radio show that you can listen to every Monday night at 10PM. Last night we had a great show covering the USA vs Honduras game in Miami and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers victory over the Puerto Rico Islanders in the NASL playoff semifinals.
We also had NASL PR guru Kartik Krishnaiyer tell us what's happening with Traffic Sports and the resignation of CEO Julio Mariz. He also tells us this shouldn't affect NASL (listen to Kartik at about 32:30 min mark).
Listen here:

Listen to internet radio with Miami Ultras Alive on Blog Talk Radio

Chris Marrazzo's Quite Befuddling Van Gogh Tailgate Party!
At MiamiUltras.com  you can also read and see whats coming up this weekend.
Here is what Pieter Brown wrote:

Your Fort Lauderdale Strikers are bringing the NASL playoffs back home with a 3-1 win over Puerto Rico Islanders. Now with a 2 goal lead the Strikers will look to eliminate the Islanders at the Lock this Saturday, Oct. 15th at 7:30 pm.
7:30 pm is when the game starts but the party starts much earlier with the “Quite Befuddling Van Gogh Tailgate Party!” hosted by our tailgate specialist Chris Marrazzo. There will be beer, liquor, drinking games, funnels and we’ll also kick the ball around in our drunken stupor. It will be an amazing tailgate worthy of a playoff win.

Here is a special message brought to you by MC Chris Marrazzo to all South Florida soccer fans:





Be sure to follow Chris on twitter @chrismarrazz

Copa America Trophy in Miami - Play Guru del Futbol Copa America

COPA AMERICA TROPHY ON DISPLAY AT AVENTURA MALL THIS WEEKEND
AVENTURA, Fla. – June 30, 2011 – Copa America kicks off in Argentina on Friday, but South Florida residents and visitors will have a unique opportunity to view the soccer tournament’s prestigious trophy this weekend at Aventura Mall. MasterCard Worldwide, Copa America’s official card and preferred payment method, will display the trophy in Aventura Mall’s Center Court from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 3. Guests will receive a complimentary photo with the trophy. Following a seven-month, 14-city journey throughout Latin America, the Copa America Trophy Tour, sponsored by MasterCard, will make its only U.S. stop at Aventura Mall. Since December, more than 130,000 people in countries such as Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru have viewed and been able to take photos with the trophy. The trophy will return to Argentina Monday in time for the kickoff of the long-awaited tournament, which runs through July 24. The Copa America Trophy was originally donated to the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) in 1916 by Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The trophy, which was crafted by a Buenos Aires jewelry shop at a cost of 3,000 Swiss francs, is silver with a wooden base and contains small plaques of each Copa America winning team. Twelve national teams from South America (plus Costa Rica and Mexico) will compete for Copa America. Soccer powerhouse Brazil is the two-time defending champion.For more information, visit www.ca2011.com.

Guru del Futbol - Copa America game
From the makers of NASLGuru comes the latest Guru game. This time, its the Copa America version. 12 teams compete for the trophy of the oldest running soccer championship in the world and you can prognosticate the results in this fun game. You can even log in using your facebook account.
The game is catered to the South American crowd and in Spanish but it's easy to figure out. After logging in go to "Predicciones" to make your predictions. You have 3 options Local (Home team) Empate (Tie) and Visitante (Visitor) click on your desired winner and below predict the goal diffrence. It's that simple! You can even go to the "Estadisticas" tab for statistics. If you're not sure about your predictions and want to see what everyone else predicted then use this tool.
Be sure to visit and play Guru del Futbol - Copa America.

Don't forget to also play NASLGuru and win a North American Soccer League team jersey every month!
Check out April and May's winners: Puerto Rico Islanders fans José Alvarado and Francisco Díaz.

Find the Guru in you!

Strikers vs Islanders plus USA vs Spain watch party.

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers announced there will be a double header this Saturday as Lockhart Stadium. Starting at 5 pm. Palm Beach United and the Jacksonville-based Florida Sol of the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) will be playing prior to the Strikers versus the Puerto Rico Islanders to be held at 7:30 pm.
To get ticket and game information visit www.strikers.com

As an alternative South Florida United (The Unified Supporters groups of south Florida) and The American Outlaws have organized a watch party this Saturday at 4:00 PM when the United States takes on 2010 World Cup Champions Spain at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

If you’re not fortunate enough to be traveling to the match, American Outlaws: South Florida invites you to join us for a watch party at the Fox & Hound pub in Fort Lauderdale. Our usual spot for watch parties will be Mickey Bryne’s in Hollywood, but since there is also a Strikers home match at Lockhart Stadium this Saturday at 7:30 PM, we figure gathering at F&H will make it easier for everyone to get from the watch party to the Strikers game.

So come on out and cheer on the Yanks as they get a final tune up before the 2011 Gold Cup, and then join us at Lockhart for some exciting local soccer as the Strikers take on the defending D2 champion Puerto Rico Islanders.

For more information visit the Facebook events page and remember to make it a soccer Saturday by going to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers game. We hope to see everyone there.

Strikers visit the Puerto Rico Islanders

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers will battle the Puerto Rico Islanders tonight Friday, April 29th, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium. The Islanders, the reigning Div 2 champions and also the reigning CFU Club Championship winners, are undefeated in the NASL so far this season winning 2 games away and another in their home debut. The Islanders current form will be a test to the Strikers as they come off their first victory this season versus the Atlanta Silverbacks last weekend (2-1).

“The Islanders are playing well right now and it’s going to be a tough challenge,” said Head Coach Daryl Shore. “We are hoping to build from our effort in Atlanta last week and we are looking forward to going down there and coming away with some points.”
The Strikers four-match road trip will also take them to Minnesota and Carolina. The team will return to action at Lockhart Stadium on May 14th against in-state rival FC Tampa Bay.

Read more HERE
 All Strikers home and away matches are available online via webcast at www.strikers.com/live
More NASL games this weekend include:
Saturday
FC Tampa Bay vs Atlanta Silverbacks at Al Lang Stadium 7:00 pm
NSC Minnesota Stars vs Carolina RailHawks at NSC Stadium 8:30 pm
Sunday
FC Edmonton vs Montreal Impact at Foote Field 9:30 pm
All times are Eastern time.

NASL Supporters Groups Unite and send a letter to the USSF.

After the decision made by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), that revoked their preliminary sanctioning of the North American Soccer Leagues (NASL) for Division 2 soccer, the NASL teams supporters groups united and sent a letter to USSF President Sunil Gulati.
Their message follows:

February 1, 2011

President Sunil Gulati
U.S. Soccer Federation
1801 S. Prairie Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616

Dear President Gulati,

As supporters of North American Soccer League (NASL) clubs, we would like to voice our concern regarding the recent decision by your Federation to rescind the provisional Division 2 status of the NASL. We are personally appalled by the decision of the Federation to deny second division sanctioning to the NASL. Many fans were positively encouraged by the interest the USSF paid to second division soccer this season, and were pleased by the new standards put in place to ensure stability and continuity at the second division level. We thank the USSF for the interest and leadership you have provided during 2010 to stabilize and maintain second division.

Should our community be deprived of high level, but affordable entertainment in the form of NASL soccer for 2011, fans will be starved of access to the beautiful game. Without professional soccer in our community, many fans may simply move on to other sports and an opportunity to continue the upward trajectory of interest in soccer here at home will be lost.

For our youth soccer community, it is imperative that the NASL play at the second division level this season. The USSF is striving to improve soccer in the United States and improve our national team. But if we deny young fans in five key American soccer markets local heroes to emulate and a club to support, we potentially lose a generation of kids who can help make the United States the best we can be in World Soccer. The partner federations and communities in Canada and Puerto Rico would also be severely affected.

The loss of our league will also have an inevitable ripple effect that will hurt not only the US National Team program and supporter’s base, but also development of soccer throughout the CONCACAF region. The NASL serves as a competitive league where many nations throughout the region have players developing their talent. Having better players throughout our region will no doubt be beneficial to the development of US Soccer, providing stronger competition to challenge and grow the US Nation Team.

When our teams played in USL, we were never able to keep track of our opponents or the composition of the league. The NASL has been forthright and aggressive in its local marketing while pledging a needed stability at the second division level. The NASL’s ability to attract the type of investors the USSF wants involved in the sport based on the new second division standards also has local fans excited about the future of both our teams and the league we compete in. We feel ownership and a connection to our league, the NASL that we never felt for USL.

The teams of the NASL have already invested much time and resources to establish this second division league. This is the foundation for creating a stable second division in this country, as opposed to a league that benefits from the constant expansion and contraction of teams. We believe that it is time for the USSF to work for what is best for the future and stability of U.S. Soccer. The mission should be to further the game's roots in our communities by supporting soccer at all levels.

We hope you recognize the vital role second division soccer plays across North American and Puerto Rico. We ask that you reverse this shortsighted and damaging decision. Displacing fans and hurting the development of soccer in the United States should not be what the USSF is all about. Your role as a governing body is to promote the sport and grow the game. Working with the NASL to establish a long needed, stable second division is the type of positive development this sport sorely needs.

Sincerely,

Pieter Brown
President, Miami Ultras
Miami FC / Strikers Supporters

Steve Holler
President, Ralph’s Mob
FC Tampa Bay Supporters

Tim Hayes
On behalf of The Dark Clouds
NSC Minnesota Supporters

Kristian Vázquez-Díaz
President, Islanders Foreign Legion
Puerto Rico Islanders Supporters

Daniel Stroud
Member, Jailhawks Member
Carolina Railhawks Supporters

Chris Martz
Westside 109
Atlanta Silverbacks Supporters

Steven Beauregard
Member, Ultras Montréal
Montréal Impact Supporters

What are your thoughts concerning the USSF decision? Should NASL be sanctioned as Div 2?

Strikers / Miami FC players on the move? NASL AGM info

Our rivals in Tampa have already announced a list of players returning for the 2011 season. Miami FC has still not transformed into the Strikers, nor are there any signs that this has started. Leading only to speculation and concern by those of us that follow the team. Perhaps they are waiting for NASL to be sanctioned as a Division 2 league by the USSF.
Fortunately, player movements have already begun. Word out of Lockhart Stadium (via sources) is that a number of players have been asked to return and a few others have not.

Christian Gomez was seen in Philadelphia a few weeks ago, generating buzz that the former DC United star is on his way to the Union. His play at Miami FC this season was solid, enough so that he received the Fans Player of the year award. Still, no official word out on his possible move but we have learned that Gomez has not closed the door at a possible return to South Florida.

As we all know, Paulo Araujo Jr. was with Real Salt Lake on Loan and had an impressive run scoring 2 goals in their last match versus Mexican side Cruz Azul. Looks like Paulo is destined for bigger things. JP Rodrigues was also on loan with DC United and also played coming on as a substitute. JP is now taking part in the Gold Cup elimination phase where he represents Guyana. He is also set to play Indoor soccer with MISL side Milwaukee Wave. There is no word yet on if any of these players will make the jump to MLS. Stay tuned.

Aaron Hohlbein has returned to the Kansas City Wizards. Chukwudi "Chucky" Chijindu and Gerson Mayen have returned to Chivas USA. No word yet on whether they will stay with their teams or will return to Miami FC/Strikers next season.

Our sources have indicated the following players will not be returning to the team:
Players out:
2 Euzébio Andrade Silva Neto D
19 Jair Cabas M/F
17 Sean Cameron M Playing Gold Cup elimination phase with Guyana.
4 Cristiano Dias D
23 Bryan Dominguez M
3 Zach Kirby D Recovering from season ending injury. Weighing options, has multiple offers.
15 Paulo Henrique Le Petit M Will play with the Omaha Vipers (MISL Indoor Soccer)
40 Caleb Patterson-Sewell GK
20 Bryan Perez M - Will play with The Missouri Comets (MISL Indoor Soccer)
11 Edward Santeliz F - Will play with the Chicago Riot (MISL Indoor Soccer)
16 Kyle Veris D

Players on the list to return:
8 Lennon Eduardo Carvalho Celestino M
Out of all the Brazilians on the team, next to Paulo Jr, Lennon seemed to be the only one that consistently performed.
6 Chris Gbandi D
Chris brought experience and leadership to the team.
24 Matt Glaeser GK
Matt was an important part of the unbeaten streak at the end of the season.
14 Jarryd Goldberg M
The "Hammer", a fan favorite, did not play as much as fans would have liked this season but he always played with heart.
7 Stefan Jerome F
This young forward is the future of the team and American soccer. Look for him to get more playing time.
27 Martyn Lancaster D
Another fan favorite, Martyn can show the youngsters a thing or two about work ethic. A solid player all around.
12 Mike Randolph D
Great at the flanks, Mike used his speed to cut through the opposing sides.
21 Brian Shriver M/F
Brian started to find his playing form at the end of the season. Looking forward to seeing him with the Strikers.

Status unknown:
? 13 Danilio Martins F
A great addition at the end of the season, contributed to the final winning run.
?1 Lance Parker GK
Didn't get the chance to prove himself on the field as much as fans would have wanted.
? 9 Abe Thompson F
Abe started off slow but at the end of the season was on fire! Fans would love to see him back, but we want the Abe that we saw in the end.

***NASL Annual General Meeting in Miami
No real information on the AGM that took place this weekend. We hope to have some information soon. We can confirm the following teams attended Puerto Rico Islanders, Carolina RailHawks, Montreal Impact, Miami FC Blues, FC Tampa Bay, Crystal Palace Baltimore, FC Edmonton, AC St. Louis, Atlanta, NSC Minnesota Stars and San Antonio. The amount of teams or groups attending is a positive sign of things to come.

Our sources out of Austin tells us a minority owner of the now defunct Aztex was at the meeting and is looking at bringing a new team back to Austin by 2012.
Pictures by Robert Scorca

The End of an Era. Good bye Blues, hello Strikers!

A 1-1 tie with the Puerto Rico Islanders marked the end of the Miami FC Blues after 5 years of existence. The team will be re-branded under the Strikers name that was perhaps the only truly successful team in South Florida history. The Blues, hot off a 4 game winning streak were looking to end the season with yet another win but meet up with a strong PR Islanders team that had just defeated Mexican powerhouse Toluca in Concacaf Champions. Miami FC dominated the game but could not come away with the victory.

For more details on the game visit www.miamifc.com

Prior to the Miami FC game there were two preliminary games the first saw U15 youth teams clash as West Pines United FC defeated Real Madrid SAA by a 2-0 in a U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Premier League match. Read more HERE
The second game was the Final of the first ever Miami FC Pub Cup where Sci Sci defeated Lion & Eagle Pub. It was a hard fought game that ended tied at 3-3. It came down to a shootout which saw Sci Sci come out on top. For more details go HERE

The Miami Ultras fan club awarded their annual player of the year award to Christian Gomez. Read all about it at www.miamisoccerfan.com
Following is a video of the trophy being given to Gomez by Miami Ultras President Pieter Brown:

Following are pictures taken by Robert Scorca

Miami FC vs Puerto Rico Islanders. Pub Cup Final and U15 West Pines United FC vs SAA Real Madrid

Miami FC will play its final game of the season this Saturday October 2 at 7:30 pm versus the Puerto Rico Islanders who came off of a come from behind victory in Concacaf Champions game versus Mexico's last champion Toluca. It will be a difficult match for the Blues who will see the end of an era as they retire the Miami FC name and start off the next year under the name of the most successful team in South Florida History. That's right folks, The Strikers will be back in 2011!

Join the Ultras in the stands as we will wear our Miami FC jerseys and wear the Red and yellow of the Strikers underneath. At the Final whistle we will shed the Blue for the Strikers!

Miami FC will look to close out its regular season on a high note at home with a match against the Puerto Rico Islanders on Saturday, Oct. 2 at Lockhart Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start time.
“We are looking to finish the season strong against a very quality opponent. We are on a good run now winning four in a row, but we hope to get that fifth victory not only for us but for our fans,” said Head Coach Daryl Shore

For a pre-match info go to www.miamifc.com

Be sure to join the Ultras as they award the Fan player of the year just before the start of the game. You can still vote by going to www.miamisoccerfan.com

Pub Cup

But, before the Miami FC game we have 2 games. The preliminary game will be the first ever Pub Cup Final, which will be awarded prior to the Miami FC game:After two months of competition, the stage has been set for the PubCup Final. Lion & Eagle will square off against Sci-Sci this Saturday, Oct 2nd at Lockhart Stadium. The winner will be declared the first ever champion of the Pub Cup. Kick off is set for 6pm.
The coveted Pub Cup trophy will be presented to the winning team at the end of the game topped off with Holy Mackerel's special championship edition of their handcrafted Golden Ale. In true pub fashion, tradition dictates that the winning team slam the contents of the Cup on the field immediately following their victory," said Commercial Director Tommy KnappRead more HERE

Region III Premier League

The first game of the day will begin at at 4:30PM, it is a Region III Premier League (R3PL) match between West Pines United FC and SAA Real Madrid, both are U15 teams. Real Madrid is the present Florida State Champion and West Pines is the previous State Champion, so needless to say this is a "Clasico' rivalry match.

Last year -Real Madrid-Miami U14- won the Early Season Championship, the Disney Showcase Championship, the Regular Season Championship and the Florida State Championship. This year at U15 they are competing in the R3PL, which is the top teams in the region at a National level. Most of the games are taking place in Savannah, Jacksonville and Gainesville with only two games in the South Florida area. This is why Saturday's game is a major event.

Tailgate starting at 3 pm

Join the Miami Ultras at the Tailgate starting at 3 pm. Enjoy BBQ and free beer. Plus live band A Beautiful Cage starting at about 5:30 PM Be sure to get out there and enjoy a great day of Soccer at Lockhart Stadium!

Miami FC ties with Puerto Rico. Fan pictures and more...

Miami FC pulled off a last minute tie versus the Puerto Rico Islanders this past Saturday. The game had its up and downs with the Blues dominating but unable to score. The Islanders drew first blood in the first half, but Miami FC did what they do best this season... tie!
For more information on the game go to www.miamifc.com

Following are pictures taken during the game, tailgate, a few from the Pub Cup and at Frog and Toad.

All pictures By Robert Scorca