News/Blog

FINAL: Strikers 0-2 Silverbacks

Written by Ken |

WaltervsATL1

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers appeared to be on their way to earning a draw against the Atlanta Silverbacks in front of a sold out crowd of 5,402 fans at Silverbacks Park, until Atlanta goals in the 86th and 88th minutes undid a strong away effort. The Strikers (0-1-1) will next travel to face the Carolina RailHawks on April 20, before returning to Lockhart Stadium on April 27 for their next home match against the rival Tampa Bay Rowdies.

“It was inexcusable on our end to allow a goal in the 86th minute like that,” said Strikers head coach Daryl Shore. "We’ve got to do better in our attacking third. We had a couple of chances today but we didn’t put the ball in the net. You can’t win games if you don’t score goals."

A pair of defenders combined to open the scoring for Atlanta. Beto Navarro beat Strikers captain Toni Ståhl to a long throw from Shane Moroney, stretching to redirect the ball past Matt Glaeser with his right foot.

The Strikers potential comeback was stopped less than two minutes later as Milton Blanco picked up the ball in midfield before slipping Danny Barrera through on goal. The attacking midfielder scored on a difficult shot as he beat Glaeser from a tight angle.

Despite the loss, Fort Lauderdale started the match the stronger of the two sides, testing goalkeeper Joe Nasco on two occasions. The side was boosted by the return of playmaker Walter Restrepo who made his first start for the Strikers since Aug. 11, 2012 after suffering an ACL tear last season.

The game also saw the return of 2012 NASL Best XI player Mark Anderson for the Strikers. The midfielder entered the game in the 66th minute, and had a chance to give the Strikers the lead in the 80th minute, but his free kick opportunity was hit into the Atlanta wall.

The Strikers continue on the road with a match against the Carolina RailHawks on Saturday, April 20. The RailHawks are at the top of the NASL standings following a 2-1 victory over FC Edmonton.

The Strikers return home on April 27th to take on the rival Tampa Bay Rowdies in a Florida Derby match up. Tickets can be purchased on Strikers.com or by calling 954-606-0400.

Lineups:

Fort Lauderdale Strikers (4-2-3-1)- Matt Glaeser; Darnell King, Shavar Thomas, Toni Ståhl (c), Scott Gordon; Carlos Salazar (Rubens 89), Pecka; Jemal Johnson (Mark Anderson 66), Walter Restrepo, David Foley; Stefan Dimitrov (Andy Herron 74)

Atlanta Silverbacks (4-2-3-1)- Joe Nasco; Mark Bloom, Martyn Lancaster (c), Beto Navarro, Shane Moroney; Richie Menjivar, Milton Blanco; Borfor Carr, Danny Barrera, Pedro Mendes; Ruben Luna (Brad Stisser 66)

Goal summary:

ATL- Beto Navarro 1 (Shane Moroney 1)- 86'

ATL- Danny Barrera 1 (Milton Blanco 1)- 88'

Photo by Ron Holt

Strikers vs Silverbacks Match Preview

Written by Ken |

ATL 4 13

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers (0W-1T-0L) make their way north to face the Atlanta Silverbacks (0W-0T-0L) on Saturday, April 13, at 7:30pm at Silverbacks Park. It is the first game of the season for the Silverbacks, who watched the NASL’s Opening Kick weekend from home while the Strikers recorded a 1-1 draw against FC Edmonton at historic Lockhart Stadium on April 6 in front of 5,201 fans. Fort Lauderdale will be looking to secure a win on Atlanta’s home field for the first time since April 23, 2011.

“Building off of last week’s game it’s important for us to go into Atlanta looking to get off to a good start,” said Strikers head coach Daryl Shore. “We like the way the game finished for us, so if we can start to get better in the attacking third then we feel like we can be a good match up for Atlanta and hopefully come away with a result.”

In the Strikers’ opening match last Saturday, it was forward David Foley who opened the 2013 scorebook on his debut to give the home team their first point in the 2013 NASL Spring Championship season. Foley scored with a long-range effort, beating FC Edmonton goalkeeper Lance Parker with a high shot into the far corner.

The turning point of the match was the return of Walter Restrepo in the second half. It was the first game action for the unanimous NASL Best XI selection since tearing his ACL last season, forcing him to miss the final seven games of 2012.

During the 2012 season, Atlanta had the most home losses in the NASL with six, compared to four home wins. However, two of those wins came against the Strikers. Fort Lauderdale will look to reverse the trend as the Silverbacks have several new players in a lineup without a lot of game time spent playing together, but possess a lot of professional experience.

Former FC Dallas forward Ruben Luna, former Charlotte Eagles standout Mark Bloom, and forward Kellen Gulley, who comes to Atlanta on loan from the Chicago Fire, add to the talented group of Silverbacks who posted the NASL’s best record over the final nine games of 2012.

Strikers midfielder Mark Anderson had the most success against the Silverbacks in 2012, scoring a goal in each of the first three matches against Atlanta. His availability for this weekend is in question after sustaining a leg injury during the preseason which forced him to miss the team’s opening game against Edmonton.

The match from Atlanta Silverbacks Park will kickoff at 7:30pm, with gates opening at 6pm to fans.

MATCH FACTS:

FTL went 1W-1T-2L against the Silverbacks in 2012

FTL is 1W-1T-2L at Atlanta Silverbacks Park all-time

This is the first match for ATL this season

FTL’s first open date will be the weekend of May 4

Last meeting: Sept. 15, 2012 ATL 1 – 0 FTL

NEXT UP:

The Strikers will travel to Carolina for their first match against the RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, April 20, at 7:00pm. The team returns home on April 27 for a Florida Derby match against the rival Tampa Bay Rowdies. For all game information and times of matches, visit Strikers.com. Follow the Strikers on Facebook, Twitterand Instagram.