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?

NASL Annual General Meeting in Miami

The North American Soccer League will hold it's Annual General Meeting tomorrow in Miami's Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Biscayne Bay. The event takes place on November 7 and 8 and will bring together representatives from all existing NASL teams starting with the current Champions Puerto Rico Islanders, Carolina RailHawks, Montreal Impact, Miami FC Blues, FC Tampa Bay, Crystal Palace Baltimore and new expansion team FC Edmonton. Also attending will be representatives of two teams that still don't meet USSF's new standards AC St. Louis and NSC Minnesota Stars who are in process of acquiring new investors.

Not attending as you may imagine will be the Rochester Rhinos as they aligned themselves with USL Pro and The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps who will play in MLS next season.

Several topics will be covered including tentative schedule for next season, league staff and future expansion.

The NASL, while busy planning for the 2011 season, was surprised by league member Rochester Rhinos’ announcement earlier this week that they plan to play at the USSF third division level (USL PRO) despite their multi-year commitment with the NASL. The NASL is evaluating all of its options and will proceed accordingly. “It’s unfortunate that the Rochester Rhinos, a team with such a successful track record over its fifteen year history at the second division level, is stepping down to third division," said Aaron Davidson, CEO of the NASL

Read more HERE

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

Watch Party at America's Backyard. Wednesday as Miami FC faces PR Islanders

Time to support your local team!
South Florida's only professional Soccer team Miami FC travels to Puerto Rico to take on the Islanders this Wednesday at 8 pm. As always the party is at America's Backyard located at 200 East Broward Boulevard Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-1963 T:(954) 727-0950
What will we get for attending the watch party at Americas Backyard? You will get complimentary admission and a free drink ticket!
Can’t make the watch party? Miami FC will be streaming its game live on www.miamifc.com.(Remember to say you are there for the Miami FC game).

Here are some interesting facts going into the game:

Chris Gbandi will square off against his younger brother Sandi Gbandi who currently plays for the Puerto Rico Islanders… The clubs shares historical ties with Josh Sounders, Sean Cameron, Alen Marcina, Kyle Veris, Edwin Miranda, and Mevin Tarley… Kyle Veris played for Puerto Rico as recently as last year.

For a full review of the game visit www.miamifc.com

The Burrito poll's results are in!
Burrito, every-bodies favorite blogging soccer dog asked: Which is Hottererer?
Hot Shot (Miami FC Mascot) or Jessie (Miami FC Hottie) and the 52 people that voted gave Hot Shot only 14 (26%) while Jessie received 38 (73%). So there you have it, Jessie is hottererer then Hot Shot. Sorry Hot Shot.

Miami FC sites voice their opinions on the latest results.
Miami Soccer Fan's Juan Ruiz says:

We had barely made our ways back from outer space, when we were abruptly forced back into orbit and crash landed—o, so suddenly, to a place called RealityCheck.

read more HERE

Miami FC2's Victor Palkaninec says:

A Note to the players : if your reading this. There is no "I" in team. If you don't feel like playing or are not up to your part you should tell the coach. I can think of at least 2 players that should not have been on the field last night...

Read more HERE
The Blues have only won 1 game, tied 5 and lost 1 so far this season. Most games have been at home. Fans are a little upset. We have a good team on paper but they haven't meshed well so far.
Let's support our team at America's Backyard!
Vamos Miami!

Miami FC Challenge, last game of the season at Lockhart Stadium! Come see them shave their heads.

The final game of the year is here! ...and to show their level of commitment to South Florida, Miami FC players and staff are willing to shave their heads if fans fill Lockhart Stadium!

When: Saturday Sept 19th 2009 8:00pm
The game: Miami FC vs Puerto Rico Islanders

For every 500 ticket sold, one player will shave his head.

There are 22 players willing to do whatever it takes to make Miami FC your team.
And to show their dedication and passion for this soccer club.
If you come out to see Miami FC play against the Puerto Rico Islanders even coach " Zinho" and Club President Aaron Davidson are willing to shave their heads.

So let's do it South Florida come out and support your only professional Soccer team! Come out and paint your face, join the Miami Ultras at the Tailgate (starts at 5 pm) for free beers and If you want MLS then bring signs and tell Miami FC what you the fans want.
Vamos Miami! Let's go Blues!

UPDATE 9/18/09 2:45 PM
Tailgate Starts at 5 PM,FREE BEER while supplies last so get there early! There will be a parade and "El Presidente" Pieter Brown of the Miami Ultras will present the Ultras Player of the Year just prior to the game. Let's go to Lockhart people! We all want Aaron Davidson's hair!
Read more at the Ultras site CLICK HERE

Miami FC has gone Viral! Videos storm the internet

In my last blog post I wrote how this new viral campaign was a step in the right direction for Miami FC. Goalkeeper Pat Hannigan, Coach Zinho and even President Aaron Davidson are willing to go bald if the Stadium gets filled! I hope this is a sign of things to come. I hope that Miami FC can close this season off with a bang and a full Lockhart Stadium.

Some people call this move desperate, but I think this is brilliant! Miami FC taught us a lesson on what needs to be done to show the fans how passionate they really are for this town. There is a month left before this game and it's enough time to bring attention to their cause.

All South Florida needs to mobilize and join Miami FC's campaign. Go to their Facebook page MIAMI FC CHALLENGE and join them . Send emails and text messages and be part of History. Attend the Miami FC vs Puerto Rico Islanders game Saturday September 19th 8 pm at Lockhart Stadium!
Check out the different versions in Spanish, Portuguese and English!
Coach Zinho in Portuguese

In Spanish Walter Ramirez and Orlando Bueso

Yes, even Mascot Hotshot wants to shave his head...

Miami FC President Aaron Davidson wants a hair cut!

We will shave our heads to fill up the Stadium! Miami FC coach Zinho and players!

Yep it's come to this folks... Miami FC is going to extreme measures to get the Stadium packed Coach Zinho first volunteered his scalp if Miami FC made the playoffs.
I've got to say I called them out on this one, I thought they wouldn't take advantage of this idea but they went way beyond just the coach.
Now, for every 500 fans who go to the Miami FC vs Puerto Rico Islanders game Saturday September 19th at 8 pm there will be 1 player who will shave their head. Lockhart Stadium is said to hold 20,000 souls, give or take so if we fill it, then that's 40 people that will be bald! I think they only have 20 something players and some are already bald so staff members including the President Aaron Davidson are willing to do it! Let's go people lets fill the stadium!
For more info check out the Miami FC site!
Vamos Miami! Let's go Blues!