From the days of Rocky Hudson, Gerd, Nene and Georgie Best,
Lauderdale has beat the Cosmos, Tampa Bay and all the rest!
Every challenge that we face is met with victory and success.
This is the beginning to one Flight 19, the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers supporters groups, songs. Much like other parts of the NASL it is a representation of where this team and this league come from and where they see themselves going in the future. It is filled with optimism and excitement and a certain level of confidence that they are the best.
On Sunday, the Strikers get the chance to prove it on the pitch as they will travel to Toyota Park on Sunday to take on the San Antonio Scorpion for the NASL Soccer Bowl (7:30PM ESPN3, One World Sports, and NASL Live).
Although MLS Multiplex’s own Jerod Young gave some pretty strong reasons as to why the Scorpions might win, let’s be real here: this is the Strikers game to lose.
Don’t believe Flight 19 and the rest of the Strikers supporters? Here are ten reasons why the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers will win the Soccer Bowl.
1.) It would mean more to Ft. Lauderdale.
While the Scorpions certainly have a strong supporters group and an excellent fan base, if the Strikers players can deliver the victory to their fans it would be a massive story in North American soccer. Throughout their storied history, the Strikers have a very glaring hole in their C/V: they have never won the Soccer Bowl. Although they did win the 1989 American Soccer League, the 1974 title as the Miami Toros, and have finished as the runners-up in the Soccer Bowl twice (1980 and 2011) they have never won one of the most prestigious trophies in North American football as the Strikers.
For one of the oldest teams in the current league, being able to the lift the Soccer Bowl trophy for the first time ever would be a fantastic honor. One would expect for the players on Sunday to feel the pressure associated with such a moment. But great players and great teams often come through in the clutch. The Ft. Lauderdale Strikers are such a team.
2.) They are the hot team.
While pedigree and regular season results are great what really matters is being hot at the right time entering into the playoffs. Although the Strikers had a less than stellar spring season (4-1-4, 9 points,) they had one of the best seasons in the fall going 7-6-5 and taking 45 points.
In particular their recent run of play has been superb going undefeated in their last seven matches and eight out of their last ten.
3.) Defense wins championships
Although this statement is a bit cliche, it is true: the team that can defend the best will have the best opportunity to win the match. Part of the reason is due to nerves. In a championship scenario no one wants to be seen as that player who misses the big shot.
The San Antonio Scorpions is certainly very imposing (43 goals scored second highest in the NASL season). But the Strikers have already shown that they can hold Alen Marcina’s side at bay. In August’s 2-0 victory over the Scorpions, the Strikers defense played down a man for close to 30 minutes. The Strikers sealed the victory on a Mark Anderson goal in the 79th minute.
4.) Fafa Picault is a man on a mission.
One of the breakout stars of this NASL season, Picault has used his speed and his pace to deliver 12 goals to the Strikers this season. The number two leading goal-scorer in the league. Picault is former US U-20 National Team player who recently earned his first-ever call-up to the Haitian national team in September.
San Antonio might have one of the better defenses in the league, but they struggled at times with teams that can produce on counter-attacks and with speedy forwards. Picault has made a habit of these types of goals in 2014 and could pose a problem for the Scorpions defense in these situations on Sunday night.
Look for Strikers midfielder James Marcelin to play a prominent role in setting up the attack for the Strikers.
5.) Midfield possession.
In their 2-0 win over San Antonio in August, the Strikers were able to seal their victory by controlling the ball in the midfield and making the Scorpions chase. Strikers midfielder Stephen Chin has been superb for this team all season at slowing the match down and finding that one pass to preserve an advantage. His relationship with Marcelin is pure instinct, the two can find one another without even looking at each other.
6.) They will forget about the past.
Aside from previous title experiences, the Strikers need to move on from their 2-0 loss that they had to the Scorpions earlier in the year at Toyota Park. While the club should remember to track midfielder Tomasz Zahorski, they will likely not be caught off-guard by Scorpions forward Billy Forbes. Forbes, the Turks and Caicos international, scored the game’s decisive goal in the 23rd minute.
But this is a different Strikers team, a team that has learned how to win on the road and get results against the best of opposition. Their 2-2 draw in the spring season against San Antonio at Toyota Park shows that they aren’t spooked by the Scorpions. All other doubts should have been erased club when they dispatched the number one seed of the tournament, Minnesota United FC.
7.) All of the pressure is on the Scorpions.
Having the NASL Championship at home is a double-edged sword. While it is great that the Scorpions will have their supporters cheering them on, what happens if the Scorpions go down a goal? As we saw in last year’s final, with Atlanta Silverbacks fans booing their team as they lost 1-0 to the New York Cosmos, the supporter edge can backfire quickly.
Jerod made an excellent point about the fouls being an issue in this match and the need to be cool, calm, and collected. But what happens if the Scorpions make a clumsy challenge and is either sent off or the Strikers score? Instant mood change. The Strikers are playing with house money at this point. No one expected them to be there and as the road team all of the expectations will be on San Antonio.
8.) The Strikers have the better goalkeeper.
While Scorpions goalkeeper Josh Saunders experience in MLS is impressive, it pales in comparison to Strikers goalkeeper Kamil Contofalskiy. The Slovakian goalkeeper might not have the three MLS Cups, he does have six Russian Premier League titles with Zenit St. Petersburg and was part of the Zenit side that won the 2007-2008 UEFA Cup.
Many players have come to North America looking to ride their C/V to the bank and go on vacation. But Contofalskiy is not like the rest. His save on Minnesota United’s Kevin Venegas in Saturday’s semi-finals kept the Strikers in the match and he has seven clean sheets this season.
His big match experience coupled with his comfort in playing in the NASL will factor in prominently on Sunday night as he will be expected to hold back the potent Scorpions attack.
9.)The Scorpions fall record is deceiving.
When looking at the Scorpions plus 15 goal differential and 11-2-5 record in the fall the first one thinks is: “Holy cow! This team is unbeatable!”
But if you look at the numbers a little deeper, you see a 7-0 victory over the terrible Tampa Bay Rowdies. When you take that result out of the equation, you see a team that has won 5 matches in the second half and drawn once.
This is not AC Milan of the 1990s. They can be beaten.
10.) The Strikers have this kid supporting them.
I would not want to mess with the kid in the cast.