Strikers 2014 Season Opener Tomorrow Night at Lockhart Stadium against Ottawa Fury FC
Published on April 11, 2014 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Fort Lauderdale, FL (April 11, 2014) - Professional soccer is back in South Florida when the Fort Lauderdale Strikers kick off the 2014 NASL Spring season on Saturday, April 12 at historic Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. against expansion team Ottawa Fury FC.
A number of acquisitions were made in the offseason including the high-profile signings of German Bundesliga veterans Oka Nikolov and Marius Ebbers. Head Coach G-nter Kronsteiner has also managed to keep intact a core group of players from the previous season.
During preseason, the Strikers went 6-0 against local college and amateur teams. The team also traveled to Haiti to take on Don Bosco FC. The match ended in a 2-0 defeat.
With the Spring season just nine games long the Strikers will be looking to pick up maximum points at home.
Coach Kronsteiner- "The first game is always the toughest to gauge. In all my years of coaching, it's always the same; until you step on the field for your first game of the season, you don't know 100% how the team is going to play.
"It's going to be even tougher this game, because Ottawa is a new team and we've never seen them play. I do know that they have some good players so they should be a pretty good team."
Series History
This is the first meeting between the Strikers and the Fury.
Profiling Ottawa Fury FC
Ottawa Fury FC have built a solid roster in the offseason ahead of their first NASL season, highlighted by a number of impressive international signings and former MLS and NASL players. Key names include defender Mason Trafford, midfielders Richie Ryan and Sini'a Ubiparipoviæ, and forward Tom Heinemann,
The team is coming off an unbeaten 3-2-0 preseason that featured matches against opposition from Canada and Florida. Ottawa wrapped up preseason preparations with a 2-1 win against local PDL side Floridians FC at KICS International Soccer Complex at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Sawgrass Mills, the team hotel of the Strikers.
Players to Watch
Oka Nikolov- German Budesliga veteran goalkeeper Oka Nikolov brings nearly 20 years of professional experience to the Strikers.
Marius Ebbers- Another offseason veteran addition to the roster, Ebbers was a prolific goalscorer in Germany and is expected to be the Strikers' main attacking threat.
Up Next
The Strikers travel to Cary, NC to take on Carolina RailHawks on April 19 in the second match of the nine-game Spring schedule.
North American Soccer League Stories from April 11, 2014
- RailHawks Kickoff 2014 Season in Indy - North Carolina FC
- Saturday's Indy Eleven Inaugural Game Sold Out - Indy Eleven
- Indy Eleven's Inaugural Game Picked up as NASL 'Match of the Week' on ESPN3 - Indy Eleven
- Indy Eleven Adds Pair of Players in Build-Up to Inaugural Match - Indy Eleven
- NASL Match of the Week on ESPN3 - NASL
- Strikers 2014 Season Opener Tomorrow Night at Lockhart Stadium against Ottawa Fury FC - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Silverbacks Open 2014 Season in New York on Sunday - Atlanta Silverbacks
- Limited Number of Tickets Available for Saturday's Home Opener at Al Lang Stadium - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Cosmos Add Seiko to Family of Corporate Partners - New York Cosmos
- Rowdies Kickoff NASL Season Saturday Night vs. FC Edmonton - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Seiko Announced as Official Timekeeper of NASL - NASL
- United Announces Atomic Data Jersey Sponsorship - Minnesota United FC
- Cosmos Sign Midfielder Jimmy Mulligan - New York Cosmos
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