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Fort Lauderdale Strikers Visit Chicago Fire with Semifinal Cup

July 19, 2016 - North American Soccer League (NASL) News Release


NEW YORK - The Fort Lauderdale Strikers will attempt to be the first North American Soccer League (NASL) club to reach the semifinal round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup when they visit the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer (MLS) on Wednesday night.

The quarterfinal clash, which is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. local time (8:30 ET), will take place at Toyota Park, where the Fire knocked off the NASL's Indy Eleven in a penalty shootout earlier in the tournament.

The Strikers' place in the quarterfinals isn't uncharted territory for an NASL club. In fact, in 2014, both the Atlanta Silverbacks and Carolina RailHawks reached the final eight. The RailHawks fell to FC Dallas, while the Silverbacks were beaten by the Fire.

With the confidence of a side that has beaten two straight MLS opponents, DC United and Orlando City SC, and a knack for playing well in close games, the Strikers believe they are primed and ready for Wednesday night's battle in Bridgeview, Ill., just outside the Windy City.

"We're pretty confident, and we're good on the road because of our style of play," said Strikers defender Gale Agbossoumonde. "We're very good defensively and on the counterattack. I think this is something we can accomplish. We just have to come out and fight like we do every game."

The Fire will prove to be a tough out, though. With four Cup titles, Chicago has always been strong in the tournament, regardless of its place in the league standings. A win over the Strikers would send the Fire into the semifinals for the fourth straight year.

Both clubs advanced to Wednesday's stage with 2-1 victories in the Round of 16. The visiting Strikers needed extra time to oust Orlando City at Camping World Stadium, getting a last-gasp winner from Brazilian midfielder PC. The Fire held off the visiting Columbus Crew at Toyota Park, riding Ghana international David Accam's early double to victory.

Despite reaching the latter stages of the Cup, each side is experiencing its share of struggles in the league. Chicago (4-5-9, 18 pts), which sits in last place in the MLS Eastern Conference, has dropped four of its last six league encounters. Fort Lauderdale (4-4-6, 16 pts) was solid to close out the Spring Season, but has since taken a turn for the worse. The Strikers have only taken one point from their first four Fall Season games.

League form doesn't always translate to Cup form, however, and both sides are surely looking at Wednesday's affair as an opportunity to get back on track.

"We're the only NASL team left in the tournament and it's not something we take lightly," said Strikers forward Jose Angulo. "It's definitely important and I think getting a win against Chicago will translate into success in the league."

A live stream of Wednesday's quarterfinal game will be available on U.S. Soccer's YouTube page, which can be found here. For more on the Strikers' Cup run, visit NASL.com.



North American Soccer League Stories from July 19, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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