Strikers Drop 2-1 Decision at Atlanta in Game Marred by Three Ejections

Published on August 5, 2015 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release


Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Atlanta Silverbacks
Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Atlanta Silverbacks
(Fort Lauderdale Strikers)

Atlanta (August 5, 2015) - The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were topped by the Atlanta Silverbacks 2-1 Wednesday night in North American Soccer League action at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta.

The match was capped off with a flurry of bookings late in the match, five after the 84th minute, that included three Strikers being sent off -- Stefano Pinho, Karsten Smith and James Marcelin. Fort Lauderdale will be without those three players Saturday night when they host the New York Cosmos.

Atlanta's Pedro Mendes opened and closed the game's scoring with a pair of goals in the 41st and 66th minutes. The Strikers equalized shortly after the second half restart through Walter Ramirez. The midfielder deftly placed a shot through a narrow opening at the near post for his third goal of the Fall Season to pull the Strikers even in the 49th minute of play.

It appeared that the two sides might play to a third consecutive draw this season until Mendes went unmarked and put a shot past Strikers' goalkeeper Josh Ford from inside the box. The brace gives the 25-year-old Brazilian his third and fourth goals in six games.

The first half was played without a single booking being issued to either side, with the Strikers coming into the game having been whistled for a league-low 148 fouls. The two sides entered the game tied for the NASL's fewest yellow cards with 22 for each team in 2015.

The slew of bookings started in the 84 minute with Stefano's red following a collision with Josh Hughes. After sending the forward off, the referee again pulled a card, this one earmarked for Silverbacks' defender Josh Hughes.

The fireworks picked up again in extra time as the Silverbacks looked to run down the clock by holding the ball in the corner. Fort Lauderdale defender Fabian Kling picked up a yellow, followed by ejections to Smith and Marcelin two minutes apart after overzealous challenges.

The loss was the first for the Strikers against the Silverbacks in more than two years. Atlanta's victory moves them one game ahead in the all-time series, six games to five (with seven draws). The defeat also drops Head Coach Günter Kronsteiner's record against the Georgia-based side to 3-3-1 (WTL). The Strikers are now 1-3-2 in the Fall Season.

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Fort Lauderdale will return to home action Saturday when they play host to the New York Cosmos at Lockhart Stadium at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Tickets are available at Strikers.com.

First Half

1' Match begins under partly cloudy skies with a game-time temperature of 88 degrees. The Strikers receive the ball to start while wearing their white kits.

3' Jaime Chavez shot from the top of the 18-yard box is scooped up easily by Strikers' goalkeeper Josh Ford

4' Fabian Kling blocks Chavez' shot

6' PC takes a pass at the top of the box, and then turns and shoots. His shot doesn't have much mustard on it, and it trickles wide left

7' Jose Angulo shot on goal saved by Atlanta's Steward Cues

10' Junior Burgos' shot from the edge of the box to the far post knocked away by Ford as he makes a fingertip save

11' Walter Ramirez finds Gabriel with a whipped ball to the back post, and the Brazilian's header whistles directly at Cues, going for a shot on goal

22' Gabriel fires a rocket at the Silverbacks' goal from 26 yards out that hits the side netting

30' Ramirez' shot from distance skips once and is saved by Cues

31' On the free kick, PC's left-foot blast is high and wide

36' Gabriel with the long chip up the left side finds Iván Guerrero in the box. Guerrero collects it, but his left-foot shot is right at Cues

41' Silverbacks' goal: Pedro Mendes takes a backward pass from Chavez, and his shot from the center of the box smashes off the crossbar and into the net

42' Strikers come close to evening it up as Jose Angulo effort at the far post goes just wide -- and the attempt is nullified for offside

45'+1 The referee blows the whistle to end the first half. Atlanta goes to the locker room with a 1-0 lead and a 53 to 47 percent advantage in terms of possession

Second Half

46' Atlanta kicks off to start the second half

47' Burgos shot, a worm burner, saved by Ford

49' Strikers' goal: Walter Ramirez nets the equalizer with a piercing effort into a narrow opening in the far side of the net

51' Burgos' attempt to regain the lead is stopped thanks to a diving save by Ford

65' Marlon Freitas comes in for Ramirez. Tactical shift: PC slides to left midfield.

66' Silverbacks' goal: Mendes is unmarked at the back post, skips the shot past just Ford from inside the box to once again give Atlanta the lead and earn the brace

69' Bruno Nunes comes in for Angulo

77' Gabriel free kick with the right foot goes over the well, and Cues makes the save

84' Stefano Pinho comes up for the challenge and collides with Hughes. The Brazilian is issued a red card and is sent off

85' Josh Hughes receives a yellow for his actions

89' Shaka Bangura comes on for Pedro Mendes

90' Paulo Mendes comes on for Burgos

90+2 Kling receives a yellow card

90 + 3 Matt Horth comes on for Chavez

90 + 4 Karsten Smith receives a red card, Strikers go two men down

90 + 6 James Marcelin issued a red card; Fort Lauderdale goes down to eight men

90' + 6 The referee blows the final whistle; Atlanta claims the match by a 2-1 margin




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Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Atlanta Silverbacks
Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Atlanta Silverbacks
   



North American Soccer League Stories from August 5, 2015


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