Ft Lauderdale Strikers History: PART III: PRO SOCCER LEAVES MIAMI

The original 'History of the Ft Lauderdale Strikers Part III' was published on www.miamisoccerfan.com date: July 23, 2009.

PART III: Pro Soccer Leaves Miami...
By Robert Scorca - After suffering their worst record in history and years of poor attendance it was time for a big change. After 5 years in Miami the Toros moved to Broward. A new name, new stadium (Lockhart), colors etc. The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were to become one of the cornerstone teams in the N.A.S.L. Team goes through major changes as the Strikers become an instant success at the gate and in the standings. They went from 19th of 20 teams to 1st place tie out of 18 teams. Lockhart Stadium expanded from 8,000 to 11,000 seats to make room for the large crowds. On the road a playoff game between the Strikers and Cosmos drew 77,691 a record that still stands for a soccer match in the United States.
Coach: Ron Newman. Assistance Coach was Gordon Banks
Players of Note: Gordon Banks, Ray Hudson, David Irving and David Chadwick add an English flavor to the club. 1977 saw Ronnie Sharp retire. General Manager was Krikor Yepremian. Strikers Radio WSRF 1580 AM the voice of the team was Rick Weaver color commentary was provided by Garo Yepremian.

1978 saw expansion to Lockhart as 4,000 more seats were added to total 15,000. The big addition was acquiring George Best in a trade with the Los Angles Aztecs. Roberto Aguirre retires being the only person to play for the Gatos, Toros and Strikers. 1979 saw Arnie Mausser replace Gordon Banks who retires. Coach Ron Newman is fired, becoming a thorn in our side as coach of the San Diego Sockers. Also gone are David Irving (Tulsa Roughnecks) and David Chadwick who becomes joint head coach of the Atlanta Chiefs.

Players of Note: Teofilo "Nene" Cubillas, and Gerd "der Bomber" Muller. 1977 Gordon Banks 1st team all star
Team Colors:
1977 hot orange, yellow and black
1978 red, yellow and black

North American Soccer League (Division I)
W L Finish
1977 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 19 7 1st Eastern Div.
1978 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 16 14 3rd Eastern Div.
1979 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 17 13 2nd Eastern Div.
The NASL was on the down slide. The NASL lost their drawing card when Pele retired after the 1977 but attendance did not drop. Over expansion is the big problem as many people with no soccer experience bought their way into the league.

The next 2 years the Fort Lauderdale Strikers play both an outdoor (1979,1980) and indoor schedule (1979-80, 1980-81) The 1980 team was the only Strikers team to make it to the Soccer Bowl losing to the Cosmos 3-0. The indoor team was a different story. In 2 seasons they had a combined 4-26 record. The Hollywood Sportatorium was used for indoor soccer and also left a lot to be desired. 1980 Arnie Mausser plays for the New England Tea Men and Gerd Muller returns to Germany.Players of Note: Jan Van Beveren joins the club in 1980 and Branko Segota (from the Rochester Lancers) and Bernd Holzenhein in 1981.
1980 Teofilo Cubillas 1st team all star
1981 Jan Van Beveren, Teofilo Cubillas 1st team all stars
North American Soccer League (Division I)
W L Finish
1979 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 17 13 2nd Eastern Div.
1979-80 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 3 9 4th Eastern Div.
1980 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 18 14 2nd Eastern Div.
1980-81 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 1 17 4th Eastern Div.
1981 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 18 14 2nd Eastern Div.

The NASL days were numbered. 1982 saw the NASL lose 7 teams. The Fort Lauderdale Strikers play their final season.
Player of Note: Brian Kidd who comes here from the Atlanta Chiefs in 1982.
1983 Jan Van Beveren 1st team all star

North American Soccer League (Division I)
W L Finish
1982 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 18 14 1st South Div.
1983 Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 14 16 2nd South Div.

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers become the Minnesota Strikers. The NASL looks to indoor soccer for the survival of the league. Unable to find a sufficient facility the Robbies move north. Branko Segota goes to the Golden Bay Earthquakes. The team plays in the Hubert H. Humprey Metrodome Stadium and retains the same colors adding yellow to their away jerseys. Teofilo Cubillas opts to remain here playing for the Fort Lauderdale Sun of the United Soccer League.
Player of Note: Tino Letteri coming to Minnesota from the Vancouver Whitecaps in 1983
1984 Ray Hudson 1st team all star

North American Soccer League (Division I)
W L Finish
1984 Minnesota Strikers 14 10 3rd Western Div.

Would like to credit the following for help on this article: " The History of American Soccer " by Steve Holroyd and Dave Litterer. Also of help was www.ftlauderdalestrikers.com a site hosted by Jeffrey Duly.

Stay Tuned for PART IV: THE NASL IS GONE, WHAT NEXT?

Ft Lauderdale Strikers History: PART II: PRO SOCCER COMES TO MIAMI

The original 'History of the Ft Lauderdale Strikers Part II' was published on www.miamisoccerfan.com on July 7, 2009.

By Robert Scorca - In this second part soccer grows to the level many of us fans remember. Professional soccer comes to Miami, the Miami Gatos are born. The N.A.S.L. has crowds of over 70,000. No that is not a typo.

PART II: PRO SOCCER COMES TO MIAMI

The birth of South Florida professional soccer starts with the birth of the Miami Gatos. They are owned by Garo Yepremian of Miami Dolphins fame. President of the club was John Bilotta. General manager was Norman Sutherland. They struggle at the gate and also in the standings.

Stadium: Miami Dade North Stadium

Players of Note: Warren Archibald, and Roberto Aguirre, 1972 Willie Evans 1st team all star
Team Colors: purple and white
North American Soccer League (Division I)
W T L Finish
1972 Miami Gatos 3 3 8 4th in Southern Division


The team changes name to Miami Toros, colors and ownership. The gate and standing are getting better. They have 4 people listed as General Partners most notably was Elizabeth Robbie. She was listed in this position as a rule prohibited her husband Joe Robbie from owning a second professional sports franchise. The 1974 team makes it all the way to the championship game losing to the Los Angeles Aztecs on penalty kicks 4-3. The game was played in the Orange Bowl and sadly was the closest we would come to winning the N.A.S.L. Championship. 1973 Warren Archibald wins MVP award.

Stadium: Orange Bowl and Tamiami Stadium
Player of Note: Ronnie Sharp and Steve David. 1973 David Sadler, Warren Archibald 1st team all stars, 1974 Ronnie Sharp, Roberto Aguirre 1st team all stars.
1973,1974 Team Colors: red and white

North American Soccer League (Division I)
W T L Finish
1973 Miami Toros 8 6 5 3rd in Eastern Div.
1974 Miami Toros 9 6 5 1st in Eastern Div.

Early in 1975 the New York Cosmos failed in an attempt to sign George Best.
June 3, 1975 was to be the biggest day in professional soccer history in the United States as the New York Cosmos of North American Soccer League signed Pele.This was international news and led to many major signings in the league. Even though he had yet to play for any team in the N.A.S.L., his signing lead to many international stars joining the league. On a lesser note the N.A.S.L. did away with tie games and the Miami Toros changed colors. 1975 Steve David wins MVP and scoring title. Steve David goes to the Los Angeles Aztec, Warren Archibald goes to Rochester Lancers and Bill Nuttal plays for 2 years than leaves to coach at F.I.U.

Player of Note: Bill Nutttal, Ronnie Sharp, Steve David 1st team all stars
Team Colors: 1975 maroon and white
1976 fire engine red and white
Played in the Orange Bowl

North American Soccer League (Division I)
W L Finish
1975 Miami Toros 14 8 2nd in Eastern Div.
1976 Miami Toros 6 18 5th in Eastern Div.

Coming Up Next : Part III Pro Soccer Leaves Miami
and Comes to Ft. Lauderdale

Credit the following for help on this article: " The History of American Soccer " by Steve Holroyd and Dave Litterer. Also of help was www.ftlauderdalestrikers.com a site hosted by Jeffrey Duly.

Stay Tuned for PART III: Pro Soccer Leaves Miami...

Ft Lauderdale Strikers History: PART I HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

With the second coming of the Strikers to South Florida in 2011, we here at FMB (Football in Miami and Beyond) think it's a good idea to educate the fans that have no idea of the history behind the name.

We thank Robert Scorca for taking the time to do this project.
The original 'History of the Ft Lauderdale Strikers' was published on www.miamisoccerfan.com on June 25, 2009.

By Robert Scorca - The history of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers goes back before Fort Lauderdale. The team even goes back before the North American Soccer League. The N.A.S.L. was soccer in it's heyday. Players like Pele, George Best, Gordon Banks, Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, "Nene" Cubilas, etc., all graced the fields in the United States and Canada but I am getting ahead of myself. Before we get there we start with humble beginnings

PART I HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Things started out with very humble beginnings. Up north the Washington Britannica was formed. They were an amateur club playing locally on any field that was available. They were formed in 1963. I could not find any records or players for this team as information is almost nonexistent. Even proving the existence of the Britannica proved to be a challenge. Here is the only information I was able to gather. Playing in the Washington DC league

1963 Washington Britannica

1964 Washington Britannica

1965 Washington Britannica

1966 Washington Britannica

9 wins 3 ties 0 lost 18 pts winning

That year they won the Maryland State Open (Rowland ) Cup and the Virginia Festival Cup.

The Washington club goes through a name change and becomes a professional team. In 1968 Lincoln Phillips became the first African American to coach professional Soccer in the United States. He was also the teams goalkeeper. The Washington Darts played 2 years composed of 3 seasons.

American Soccer League (Division II)

W T L Finish

1967-68 Washington Darts 7 2 6 3rd

1968 Washington Darts 9 1 1 Champion

1969 Washington Darts 14 5 1 Champion versus the Syracuse Scorpions winning the first leg on the road by 2-0 and then winning at home by the same score.

The Washington Darts join the N.A.S.L. finish with the best record but get eliminated in the playoffs by the Rochester Lancers. The Washington Darts were founded by Norman Sutherland. In 1970 the team had 30 owners and 15 players!

Team Colors: Silver, Blue and White.

North American Soccer League

W T L Finish

1970 Washington Darts 14 4 6 1st Southern Div.

1971 Washington Darts 8 10 6 3rd Southern Div.

BR: John Muir, Leroy DeLeon, Vic Gamaldo, Selris Figaro, Lincoln Phillips, Winston Alexis, Bert Grell, Frank Donlevey, Willie Evans
FR: Warren Archibald, Gerry Browne, Roland Crispin, Johnny Kerr, Victorio Casa, Billy Fraser, Joseph Gyau
1970 Washington Darts

I would like to extend the help I received to work this article. Many game programs along with media guides were used for this article. Also of great help was " The History of American Soccer " by Steve Holroyd and Dave Litterer.

Stay Tuned for PART II: PRO SOCCER COMES TO MIAMI

Burrito's greatest Hits! Evo Morales and more Presidents playing futbol

The season is over for our South Florida team so now is when Burrito take over the blog and writes mucho stuffs about futbol.
Today Burrito bring you some of his greatest hits! We start with Videos of Presidents playing Soccer.

The first is of Bolivia President Evo Morales who hits political rival cause he give him ouchie in previous play. Don't mess with Evo!


Here video of everybody's favorite Communist! Hugo Chavez of Venezuela who even scores gol at end of video.


Here video of many presidents! (In Spanish) Sorry gringos pero muy funny. Staring King of Spains and lots of Latin American Presidentes!


And to say good bye Burrito leave you with hot womenseses playing futbol! Enjoy!

Miami FC's JP Rodrigues on loan to DC United?

Hola amigos! Burrito here with latest gossips.
You gots to love facebook! Just get players to add you on as a friend and they will eventuallys spill the refried beans on somethings the team they play for might want to keep secrets.
This time Burrito's amigo JP Rodriguez does it and here is what the carnal had to says today:

Wow how things change... Going on loan to D.C United! Leave bright and early in the morning! The soccer gods are on my side!

Si, this is second player to go on loan for Miami FC. The first was Burrito's amigo Paulo Jr. who went to Real Salt Lake.
Well, if its true JP then Burrito wish you much successeses and don't for get the little people (or in Burrito's case the little chihuahua!)
If you want to Join the JP Rodrigues Fan page on facebook go HERE
Hasta los huevos amigos!
Burrito

Picture 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!