Strikers Overcome Red Card to Draw Armada FC with Late Equalizer
April 23, 2016 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Fort Lauderdale Strikers remain unbeaten all-time against the Jacksonville Armada FC after a late equalizer by substitute forward Maicon Santos salvaged a point for the 10-man Strikers at Lockhart Stadium. It was the second consecutive home match in which Maicon Santos struck late to secure a 1-1 draw.
Maicon Santos, who replaced an injured Matheus Carvalho in the 35th minute, scored his second goal of the season in just his second appearance with a powerful header in the 74th minute. Fellow substitute Jose Angulo created the goal after his skill on the right touchline fooled defender Bryan Burke and opened space for a pinpoint cross onto the head of Maicon Santos in the six-yard box.
"We had a particularly difficult first half," said Strikers Head Coach and General Manager Caio Zanardi. "After the red card, the match became more complicated, but we managed to keep our tactical discipline, maintain focus to find the equalizer. It was a good sign of improvement, but we still have a lot of work to do."
The Strikers played with a man down from the 55th minute of the match when captain Jean-Marc Alexandre was issued a second yellow card and subsequently sent off.
Despite being shorthanded, Fort Lauderdale managed the game well for the better part of the second half, particularly in the final 15 minutes when they continued to launch attacks in search of the winning goal.
Honduras national team midfielder Ramon Nuî=B1ez, signed by the Strikers earlier in the week, made his debut for the club as a second-half substitute. His introduction changed the tempo of the match, and his attacking quality changed contributed to the buildup of the Strikers' equalizer.
Armada FC left back Matt Bahner opened the scoring for the visiting side in the 16th minute following a corner kick by captain Richie Ryan.
The match was a physical one, as the Strikers were whistled for 17 fouls, while the Armada FC committed 13.
In four matches since Jacksonville's inception, the Strikers are 3-1-0 (W-T-L) in league matches between the sides.
Fort Lauderdale is now 0-2-1 on the season.
The Strikers will be at home again next Saturday, April 30, to square off against another state rival in Tampa Bay Rowdies in a Florida Cup showdown. Tickets are on sale at Strikers.com/tickets.
North American Soccer League Stories from April 23, 2016
- RailHawks, Loons Steal the Show in Week 4 Action - NASL
- 10-Man United Win Third Straight, Defeat Cosmos 1-0 - Minnesota United FC
- RailHawks Move to 4-0 with Win at Tampa Bay - North Carolina FC
- Armada Gains Crucial Point on Road in 1-1 Draw with Strikers - Jacksonville Armada FC
- Rowdies Suffer First Defeat of 2016, 3-1 to Carolina RailHawks - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Strikers Overcome Red Card to Draw Armada FC with Late Equalizer - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Miami FC loses to Rayo OKC - Miami FC
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