Restrepo Scores for the Strikers, But Rowdies Win at Lockhart
Published on April 28, 2013 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - A late Fort Lauderdale Strikers comeback fell short as the Tampa Bay Rowdies won the first Florida Derby of the 2013 Spring Championship 2-1 at historic Lockhart Stadium on Saturday night in front of 4,563 fans. Goals from midfielders Luke Mulholland and Alex Dixon put the Rowdies ahead, before Strikers' midfielder Walter Restrepo would score to make it 2-1. A late push by the Strikers was not enough as Fort Lauderdale suffers their third consecutive loss and first at home.
"We had a bad stretch of about 10 minutes in the first half when we gave away too many balls in the midfield and gave up the goal," said Strikers head coach Daryl Shore. "When we brought Walter Restrepo in we knew we were going to give up a bit defensively, but even though we went down 2-0 we were able to get the goal back and pushed hard to score again, and were a bit unlucky not to get the second goal."
Both teams shared possession in the first half with early bookings coming for both sides in the first six minutes of the match. Strikers' starting goalkeeper Cody Laurendi was forced to leave the match in the 35th minute when he was involved in a collision with a Rowdies' player in the penalty area. Matt Glaeser would replace Laurendi for Fort Lauderdale.
Tampa Bay was the first to strike when, in the final minutes of the first half midfielder Luke Mulholland scored his third goal of the season off a shot from outside the 18-yard box that was just out of the reach of Strikers' goalkeeper Matt Glaeser. Mulholland's shot curled into the bottom left corner of the net, taking a bounce off the post before it hit the back of the net.
In the second half, Rowdies' substitute Alex Dixon scored his first goal for Tampa Bay in the 78th minute. What would eventually be the game-winning goal came off a low cross from the left side by forward Georgi Hristov, which Dixon redirected in to make it 2-0 Rowdies.
Fort Lauderdale responded just two minutes later when, as second half substitute, Restrepo made it 2-1 in the 80th minute. Restrepo was able to beat the Rowdies' goalkeeper, who had come off his line, and score from a very sharp angle to the right side of goal.
The Strikers looked for the equalizer in the last 10 minutes of the match, but Rowdies goalkeeper Diego Restrepo came up big on several dangerous chances. The Strikers fall to 0-1-3, with one point on the season, while the Rowdies notch their second win of the year and are now 2-1-1, 7 points.
North American Soccer League Stories from April 28, 2013
- FC Edmonton Earn First Three Points of the Season - FC Edmonton
- Scorpions Lose to FC Edmonton 1-0 - San Antonio Scorpions
- Restrepo Scores for the Strikers, But Rowdies Win at Lockhart - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
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