Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994)

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

History

Previous club the Strikers were the Washington Darts, which played since 1969 in the NASL before they moved to Miami in 1971 and under the new name Miami Gatos further participated in the match operation of the NASL. Just one year later, the team was renamed the Miami Toros and involved the Miami Orange Bowl as a venue. For the 1977 season the team was ultimately transferred to Fort Lauderdale and was named Strikers.

In only six years of participation of the Strikers in the highest U.S. professional league several well-known football players found their way to Miami. So played from 1977 to 1978 with Gordon Banks, the English goalkeeper World Cup winners from 1966 for the Strikers. In the middle of the second season in 1978 was followed by the Northern Irish national player George Best, after he had, falling out with his previous club, the Los Angeles Aztecs with management.

For season 1979 came next to the Peruvian national team Teófilo Cubillas also the former German national team and world champion of 1974 Gerd Müller to the Strikers. Müller played between 1979 and 1981 in 71 games for the team, scoring 38 goals.

Sporty the Fort Lauderdale Strikers were successful. So you had already reached in the first season in 1977 the first place in the Eastern Division, but already retired on the Division Playoffs against the New York Cosmos after defeats in return game before the end of the best-of -three series 0-2 from.

In 1978, finished second in the Eastern Division in third place, but defeated in the subsequent Division playoffs the First New England Tea Men 1-0 and moved into the Conference semifinals. Here they met Detroit Express, which was defeated after two wins and one defeat in the best- of-three series. In the subsequent American - Conference- finals, the Strikers met the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who had finished second in front of the Strikers in the Eastern Division. Here, the Strikers were subject to after three games with 2-1 and thus eliminated from shortly before reaching the Soccer Bowl. In 1979, the Strikers second in their division, but left in the first playoff round against the Central Division Representative Chicago Sting after two defeats.

The following season in 1980 was the most successful of the Strikers. After they had finished second behind the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Eastern Division, they won in the Conference playoffs with a 2-1 in the series against California Surf. In the following Conference semi - final against the Edmonton Drillers you won again 2-1 in the series and moved to in 1978 for the second time in the American Conference final and played for a place in the final of the U.S. Championships. Opponents in this Conference Finals were the San Diego Sockers. Again, won Fort Lauderdale the series with 2-1 and drew for the first time in the Soccer Bowl.

This final game was on September 21, 1980 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, DC instead. Opponents were the New York Cosmos, who had won their division sovereign and were considered favorites. It supported players like Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto and Johan Neeskens on the part of New York that position yet. After two goals from Giorgio Chinaglia and a Julio Romero won New York 3-0 and gained for the fourth time the championship. It should only appearance in Fort Lauderdale Soccer Bowl stay.

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

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

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

Statistics of the individual years

The specified under Division ratio corresponds to the Victory Loss ratio.

Players and coaches

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers played among others the following players:

• Gordon Banks (1977-1978)
• George Best (1978-1979)
• Teófilo Cubillas (1979-1983)
• Bernd Hölzenbein (1981-1983)
• Ray Hudson (1977-1983)
• Gerd Müller (1979-1981)
• Jan van Beveren (1980-1983)
• Alexander Szatmari (1982-1984)

In the six years in the NASL following coaches trained the Fort Lauderdale Strikers:

• Ron Newman (1977-1979)
• Cor van der Hart ( 1980)
• Eckhard Krautzun (1981-1982)
• David Chadwick (1983-1984)

After the NASL

1988, a team named Fort Lauderdale Strikers was established for the newly established American Soccer League again. In the first season they finished the regular season in first place with 14 wins in six losses and moved into the play-off semi-finals. In the following 1989 season, although they finished with 12 wins in eight defeats in the regular season, only the second place, but could the title after a win in the playoff final win for the first time against the Boston Bolts. In the next game of ASL WSL National Championship they won 3-1 against the Western Soccer League champions San Diego Nomads. Another success in aggregating resulting from ASL and WSL American Professional Soccer League could not be achieved despite an indention in the playoff finals in 1990.