Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977-1983)

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Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Logo Fort Lauderdale Strikers.gif
Full name Fort Lauderdale Strikers
place Fort Lauderdale, FL
Founded 1977
Dissolved 1983
Club colors
Stadion Lockhart Stadium
West Palm Beach Auditorium (indoor 1979–1980)
Hollywood Sportatorium (indoor 1980–1981)
Top league North American Soccer League
successes Final Soccer Bowl (1980)
Winner Regular Season (1977)
home
Away
Template: Infobox historical football club / maintenance / incomplete home
Template: Infobox historical football club / maintenance / incomplete outward

Fort Lauderdale Strikers was an American football club based in Fort Lauderdale , Florida . The club was formed in 1977 from the Miami Toros and moved to Minnesota in 1983 , where it continued under the name Minnesota Strikers . The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were members of the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1977 to 1983 . During this time, both George Best and Gerd Müller played for the club.

history

The Strikers' predecessor club were the Washington Darts , which had played in the NASL since 1969 before they moved to Miami in 1971 and continued to participate in the NASL game under the new name Miami Gatos . Just one year later, the team was renamed Miami Toros and moved to the Miami Orange Bowl as a venue. For the 1977 season, the team was transferred to Fort Lauderdale and was named Strikers.

In the only six years of the Strikers' participation in the highest US professional league, several well-known footballers found their way to Miami. From 1977 to 1978, Gordon Banks, the English goalkeeper of the 1966 world championship team, played for the Strikers. In the middle of the second season in 1978, the Northern Irish international George Best followed after he had fallen out with the management of his previous club, the Los Angeles Aztecs .

In the 1979 season, alongside the Peruvian national player Teófilo Cubillas , the former German national player and 1974 world champion Gerd Müller joined the Strikers. Müller played 71 games for the team between 1979 and 1981, scoring 38 goals.

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were successful in sport. So they reached first place in the Eastern Division in the first season in 1977, but were eliminated in the division playoffs against the New York Cosmos after defeats in the two-legged friendship before the end of the best-of-three series with 0-2 out.

In 1978 they finished third in the Eastern Division, but defeated the First New England Tea Men 1-0 in the subsequent division playoffs and moved into the conference semifinals. Here you met Detroit Express , which were defeated after two wins and one defeat in the best-of-three series. In the following American Conference final, the Strikers faced the Tampa Bay Rowdies , who had finished second in the Eastern Division before the Strikers. Here the Strikers lost 2-1 after three games and were eliminated shortly before reaching the Soccer Bowl . In 1979 the Strikers were second in their division, but were eliminated in the first playoff round against Central Division representative Chicago Sting after two defeats.

The following season, 1980, was the Strikers' most successful. After taking second place behind the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Eastern Division, they won the conference playoffs with 2-1 in the series against California Surf . In the subsequent conference semi-final against the Edmonton Drillers they won again with 2-1 in the series and moved into the American Conference final for the second time after 1978 and played for a place in the final of the American championship. Opponents in this conference final were the San Diego Sockers . Again, Fort Lauderdale won the series with 2-1 and moved into the Soccer Bowl for the first time .

This final took place on September 21, 1980 at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, DC . Opponents were the New York Cosmos , who had won their division confidently and were considered favorites. Players like Franz Beckenbauer , Carlos Alberto and Johan Neeskens supported this position on the part of the New Yorkers. After two goals from Giorgio Chinaglia and one from Julio Romero , New York won 3-0 and won the championship for the fourth time. It was to be Fort Lauderdale's only appearance in the Soccer Bowl.

For the 1981 season, the divisions were reorganized and Fort Lauderdale played from then on in the Southern Division, where they finished second behind the Atlanta Chiefs that season . In the subsequent playoffs they won in the first round after two wins against the Northwest Division representatives Calgary Boomers 2-0. With the same result, the Minnesota Kicks from the Central Division was defeated in the quarterfinals and thus one stood in the semifinals. There the Strikers met last year's opponents New York Cosmos and lost the first game of the series just 3: 4. Since the second game was clearly lost with 1: 4 and therefore the series ended with 2-0, New York moved into the final and Fort Lauderdale was eliminated in the semi-finals.

In the following season, 1982, the division was changed again and so there were only three divisions. Fort Lauderdale was assigned to the Southern Division, where they took first place. In the first round of the playoffs, the Strikers met Montreal Manic from the Eastern Division, who were defeated 2-1 after two wins and one loss. In the following semifinals, the Western Division winner Seattle Sounders was the opponent. The first game at the home stadium was won 2-0, but the second game in Seattle was lost 3-4. So the third game in the series had to decide the winner and here Seattle just got the upper hand with 1-0, so that Fort Lauderdale was eliminated.

The last season of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 1983 ended with a 2-0 loss in the series to the winner of the Southern Division, Tulsa Roughnecks after finishing second in the Southern Division . For the 1984 season, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers moved to Minnesota and formed under the name Minnesota Strikers as a team in the NASL.

Statistics for the individual years

season division Division place Playoffs
1977 19-7 1st Eastern Division,
American Converence 		Division playoff
1978 16-14 3rd Eastern Division,
American Converence 		American Converence
Final
1979 17-13 2nd Eastern Division,
American Converence 		American Conference
quarterfinals
1980 18-14 2nd Eastern Division,
American Converence 		Soccer Bowl participation
1981 18-14 2nd Southern Division Semifinals
1982 18-14 1st Southern Division Semifinals
1983 14-16 2nd Southern Division Quarter finals

The ratio given under division corresponds to the win / lose ratio.

Player and coach

The following players played at the Fort Lauderdale Strikers:

During the six years at NASL, the following coaches trained the Fort Lauderdale Strikers:

According to the NASL

In 1988 a team called Fort Lauderdale Strikers was founded again for the newly established American Soccer League . In the first season they finished first in the regular season with 14 wins and six defeats and moved into the playoff semi-finals. In the following season, 1989, they finished with 12 wins and eight defeats in the regular season only the second place, but could win the title for the first time after a win in the playoff final against the Boston Bolts . In the ensuing game for the ASL-WSL-National-Championship they won 3-1 against the Western Soccer League champions San Diego Nomads . Another success in the American Professional Soccer League , which was created by amalgamating the ASL and WSL, could no longer be achieved despite moving into the 1990 playoff final.

year league Reg. Season Playoffs
1988 ASL 1. Southern final
1989 ASL 2. Southern champion
1990 APSL 1st, ASL South final
1991 APSL 1. American Semifinals
1992 APSL 4th Semifinals
1993 APSL 6th not qualified
1994 APSL (2nd division) 2. not qualified

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