by Fat Hand
Over the weekend the FTLC checked out Ft. Lauderdale’s newest professional sports team: The Strikers. The new NASL soccer team plays its home games in Lockhart stadium and this past Saturday was their season opener against Ft. Lauderdale’s traditional rival city: Edmonton, Alberta. Edmonton is basically the Tallahassee of Alberta. When people move out of Edmonton to try to find a little culture, you know where they move? Calgary, which is just a larger version of Davie.
A sizeable (approx. 6,400 attendance) and enthusiastic crowd filtered in after a lively tailgate to cheer on the hometown team, with much of the crowd donning Strikers colors: striker red and striker yellow. Enthusiastic supporters were everywhere, with the area behind the north goal being the focus of the stadium’s drumming and singing.
The first half featured several Strikers scoring chances, but no goals. The Strikers struck first on a header early in the second half, but Edmonton rallied with two of their own and ultimately held on for a 2-1 victory, a disappointing result to an otherwise successful opening match.
Great things about the Strikers game include exciting minor-league American soccer action, inexpensive general admission tickets, and an overall fun atmosphere.
My only complaint (other than losing to a team from that horrible craphole of a city Edmonton) is that the beer is a little overpriced, at $6-$8. These prices are not unordinary for professional sports, and concessions revenue is obviously important, but this is a Strikers game not a Dolphins game. It would be nice if we enthusiastic Strikers fans could get sloshed for our team at a more reasonable price.
But that one drawback aside, the FTLC wholeheartedly supports and endorses the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. The next home game is Friday against another traditional Ft. Lauderdale rival, the Alberta of the US: Minnesota. Tickets can be had for about the price of a beer. So grab your drum, paint your face yellow, smuggle a couple airplane bottles of gin in your pockets, and we will see you at Lockhart.
Scope out a few pics we took, after the jump…
some South American Striker Likers
Apparently, you can't bring empty bottles of water in (our makeshift drumsticks), but a 20 pound African drum is OK
