Strikers Come up Short against RailHawks
May 23, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Carolina RailHawks
(Fort Lauderdale Strikers)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (May 23, 2015) - In their first home match in three weeks, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers came up short in a 1-0 loss to the Carolina RailHawks on Saturday night at Lockhart Stadium in front of a crowd of 4,801. In going scoreless in the match, Fort Lauderdale was shutout for the third consecutive game.
"I think they were very, very lucky that they got three points, and we are sad and disappointed," said Head Coach Marcelo Neveleff. "This is the third game that we cannot score goals. We need to just keep working on it and break that ice."
The home side conceded the game's lone goal against the run of play late in the first half when Tiyi Shipalane slotted one past Lionel Brown after a give-and-go back-heel pass from Nacho Novo inside the box. Lionel Brown made two successive stops just prior to the goal on quick shots by the same two RailHawks players.
The loss is the first at home for the Strikers in the all-time series with the RailHawks (6-1-1) since 2011.
The Strikers outshot the RailHawks 17-7, with 5-4 shots on goal. Fort Lauderdale also had 10 corner kicks while Carolina had three.
Down a goal, Fort Lauderdale pushed for the equalizer for the better part of the second half, particularly in the last 10 minutes when substitutes Jose Angulo and Dani Sánchez had solid opportunities to score.
Angulo's hard shot in the 90th minute went just over the bar, while Sanchez had a header denied by goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald seven minutes prior. Sanchez also tested Fitzgerald with a shot from outside the area in the 81st, one minute after Marlon Freitas attempted a long-range shot that was retained by the keeper.
Shawn Chin, who replaced Evans Frimpong in the 64th minute, was on the receiving end of a long pass three minutes later, but his shot sailed high. Leo Moura's effort early in the second half also went over the net.
Coach Neveleff deployed a 4-2-3-1 lineup, changing from the 4-4-2 used in the previous six matches. Goalkeeper Lionel Brown and midfielder Evans Frimpong made their first starts of the year.
The Strikers controlled play for most of the first half that included two quality scoring chances by Leo Moura and Stefano Pinho.
Stefano was denied twice in the 33rd and 35th minutes when both of his attempts were turnaround shots that were stopped by Fitzgerald.
Moura almost maximized a mistake by the goalkeeper who gave the ball away, and then covered his error by making the save in the 39th minute.
The Strikers next play in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday when they travel to Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C. for a third round match against USL side Charleston Battery. With a win Wednesday, the Strikers will face MLS club Orlando City SC on June 17 in Orlando.
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 Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Carolina RailHawks |
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