Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Strikers are back! Season tickets now available.

Yes folks, the Strikers are back in 2011! I already bought my season ticket and so should you! Tommy Knapp brings us this special; good only till this Friday December 3rd! 14 regular season games for only $99!!! What? That's just over 7 bucks per game...
Check it out:Tons of events are being planned out as we speak. Support South Florida's only professional soccer team as they prepare for the 2011 season.
Get your season tickets now by calling Tommy Knapp at 954-829-9213 or email him: tommy@miamifc.com

Saturday, November 27, 2010

NASL Commissioner Candidates

Hola amigos! We all have heard about the new NASL and hope it will one day reach the glory of the old league back in the 70's and 80's. So Burrito listen to "Its called Football" interview of NASL CEO Aaron Davidson and he mentions an NASL Commissioner...
So, Burrito decide to make a list to help out el Senor Davidson and the rest of the NASL teams make a decision on the best candidates out there so they can SIZE them up... hmmm --->

So here it is, in no real order of preference:

Ray Hudson
Currently a GOL TV commentator. Has the best quotes ever in the history of Futbol! Imagine how the press conferences could be!? Just the other day he say: "Ronaldo's gem is a Koh-i-Noor diamond of a hit & bamboozles poor Iraizoz who's got eyes like Marty Feldman seeing that coming at him."... whatever that mean... Ok, so Ray was the coach of Burrito's favorite teams of all time, the Miami Fusion! He also coach DC United and played for such teams as Newcastle United and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers with Nene Cubillas and George Best just to name a few! Who better to lead the NASL than someone who played in the old NASL?

Fernando Clavijo
USA national team player, Ex Coach for the Colorado Rapids, New England revolution, Haitian national team and so on. He even comes out as commentator on Univision sometimes. Fernando is currently working for Traffic Sports owners of Miami FC and has brought youth talent such as Gale Agbossoumonde, among others. Fernando is a very down to earth person who goes out of way to talk to anyone about futbol. Clavijo would be an asset to the NASL guiding them to future glory. Clavijo, Clavijo, he's our man if he can't do it no one can!

Eric Wynalda
Soccer legend, 2nd all time leading scorer for the USA. He one time play for Miami Fusion. Said to be in the eye of Chivas USA for open coach position. He speaks his mind and don't take caca from anyone. If he have to he do what Burrito do when other dawgs that get in Burritos face; Wynalda hump them and dominate them and say "Yeah who's the bitch now?..." like he say to Jim Rome... (ok, ok he didn't say that to Rome but he should have!) but Burrito digress... Eric would work to make NASL a league like no other. Sure, he sometimes doesn't think when he talk but who doesn't? Give Burrito Wynalda or give him death!

Marcelo Balboa
Experienced MLS player, like Clavijo also speaks Spanish. Passionate to the point of orgasm about futbol, Marcelo would do anything for the sport. He once cut his famous hair for charity! Burrito need to point out his hair was never cut since 1994! You no believe? check out video, sorry it in Spanish. (At about the 6 minute mark)

Henry Kissinger
German born, ex secretary of state under Nixon. Nobel peace prize winner. His Love of Futbol is legendary. He was once Chairman of the old NASL. Kissinger is a famous person with all the right connections. He would be an asset to NASL from the start! (as long as he doesn't fall asleep!)
In 1986 Henry Kissinger wrote "World Cup According to Character" for The Los Angeles Times.
Here is a little bit:
Soccer has never taken hold in the United States partly because neither a national team nor a national style has been encouraged. Still, as an unreconstructed fan, I hope for another attempt to popularize the sport...

Read entire article HERE

Kartik Krishnaiyer
Kartik is Burrito's compadre and as mentioned in previous blog entry: "Eats, drinks, talks and even sleeps with soccer. (Burrito hopes he use protection!)" Currently he works as NASL PR and Communication Guru so he already in the loop! He is no 'Yes' man and speaks his mind. Kartik knows a lot about Futbol in USA and more important is so passionate about it that he would work 24 hours a day to make the NASL the best league in the Universe! Aliens beware of Commissioner Kartik!

Zinedine Zidane
What is ZZ doing now? He is a retired French World Cup-winning futballer. Widely considered one of futbols all-time greats, Zidane played for club teams in France, Italy and Spain. A great player on the field and a humanitarian off the field Burrito think Zidane would be perfect as the new NASL Commissioner! Worse case scenario if he no like someone he can always head butt them!


Francisco Marcos
Jajaja! Sorry, Burrito laugh in Spanish here translation to English: "Hahaha" Burrito just kitten! Pero Marcos have over 30 years experience with USL here in USA. Maybe if the money is right he say hasta la vista USL and come to NASL in search of more moneys and look to repair his legacy witch is tarnished by the bad move in selling USL to Nurock. Si, all USL had to do was talk to the teams and none of this would have happened! Que pendejos!

Dennis Rodman
He's a drunk, party animal who now make living doing what he do best... partying and getting drunk! Would he be good for NASL and Futbol in general in the USA? Hell no! Butt Burrito think
he would bring much attention to the sport with his wild antics. Burrito bet NASL would be on ESPN sports center everyday! Hire the vato for 30 days and everyone in USA will know NASL exists, its about getting free advertising!

Diego Armando Maradona
Considered along with Pele the greatest Futbol player to walk the Earth. Suspended for talking bad to the press, his time as Argentina coach was numbered cause you know he bound to do something crazy! Like Rodman he would attract attention to the league but in Maradona's case the whole world would know! He wont be in office long enough anyway, you can expect him to get fired for drugs, women or booze! Offer Maradona an office in Miami and he will be only 90 miles away from his buddy Fidel Castro! Everyone in the world would know about the NASL for sure!

Victoria Beckham
Now here is a woman who's leg Burrito would like to hump! Victoria must be bored with the kids in LA and after years of managing "Golden Huevos" career she must have tons of Futbol connections all over the world. She would be perfect as NASL Commissioner since you know she's got the pants in her family! Wherever she goes Becks will follow or else she put him on restriction!

Burrito hope NASL bigwigs read this list and give Burrito's suggestions a thought.
Burrito like to thank Robert Scorca for giving him bone and ideas (even though Burrito prefers quesadillas!) and Kartik for being a good sport.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you The Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

...Or at least we hope to hear this soon.

The news is in, the new North American Soccer League has been sanctioned (More on that HERE) or should I say 'Provisionally' sanctioned, whatever that means. The USSF says the official sanctioning will be in February. So unless there is some major drama, it's all good.

The NASL will have 8 teams in 2011: Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, FC Edmonton, FC Tampa Bay, Miami FC, Montreal Impact, NSC Minnesota Stars and the 2010 champions Puerto Rico Islanders. The late addition of AC St Louis was thought as an almost certainty which would have brought the league to 9 teams in 2011. But reports are saying St Louis is done.

With all this mentioned, concern lies in whether the NASL will really "undertake an extensive marketing campaign in the months leading up to its inaugural weekend". More important is my concern that the soon to be announced Strikers will not get the attention it deserves.

It's no secret Traffic Sports, owners of Miami FC and majority owner of the new NASL have been somewhat stingy when it came to Miami FC. With exception of their inaugural season, when they brought in aging star Romario, little has been done to actually capture the attention of the general public in this admittedly unfriendly sports town. Sparks of promise came with the signing of Fusion great Diego Serna in 2009 and the same happened with the signing of Christian Gomez in 2010. But in both cases Miami FC failed to market these (arguably) high profile players.
In recent random unscientific polls made by the Miami Ultras throughout Broward and Miami Dade counties, we asked the average person outside of supermarkets, at pubs and random places if they were soccer fans? If they were, we asked if they had heard of Miami FC? Out of 10 people claiming to be soccer fans I asked in Miami Dade 1 had actually heard of Miami FC and asked me if Romario still played with the team?... Most people don't know Miami FC exists and no matter how much I try to reach out via this blog or passing out flyers there is not much a fan can do to make their team any more known in the community. Word of mouth is not enough.
Soccer is a poor mans sport. It is the working man of Europe, South America and other regions that fill the stadiums of the world in an effort to escape their daily 9 to 5 jobs. So when you go to Traffic Sports offices in Miami's exclusive Brickell and pay $20 for parking... Well, you kinda get the picture that these folks are not in touch with the average "Joe" fan.
Makes you wonder why? Why having offices in such a prestigious area in Miami does not equal to Miami FC being the flag ship team of the USL or NASL? Hell, why not MLS? Shouldn't this team be full of superstars? Or is all the money in the budget going to paying the rent?

But fear not fans, Miami FC has moved the 'TEAM' offices (Not Traffic Sports and perhaps NASL headquarters, they remain in Brickell) to Ft Lauderdale Stadium just across the road from the 'Mecca' of South Florida soccer; Lockhart Stadium. Now, the soon to be Strikers staff will be in the middle of a working class area. The place they should have been from the start. Can this be a sign of things to come? Is Traffic finally getting the picture?

I still worry. The more I read and find out about the Strikers, the more I realize that the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers were arguably one of the most talented sides in the old NASL. If the Cosmos were the Real Madrid of its day then the Strikers was Barcelona. You can't really argue when the Strikers had such stars as Nene Cubillas, Gordon Banks, Gerd Muller, Elias Figueroa, George Best and the list goes on.

Some of the old timers have not embraced the idea of Miami FC becoming the Strikers. Evidence of this is a piece written by Jeff Rusnack of the Sun Sentinel titled Transformation of Miami FC to Strikers has begun
I think it's unfortunate some of the people like (Tim) Robbie and (Ray) Hudson are wary of Traffic and MFC using the Fort Lauderdale Strikers name, but it's the fans that really matter. It makes no difference that this team will have no real connection, organization wise, to the old Strikers team(s). The Pacific Northwest clubs and the SJ Earthquakes have little or no connection to the old NASL teams in their cities. And in the end the old timers will come around and support the new team because they are the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
I think we all could live with a name like Strikers FC or South Florida Strikers, but it just wouldn't be the same as going all out with the Fort Lauderdale name.
Now Traffic has the opportunity to start fresh and erase all the bad decisions made with Miami FC. But I guess the question will be: Can Traffic promote the league and not neglect the Strikers?
The Strikers need to be the Flagship of the league. The example to be followed and of which the rest of the league strives to emulate. I realize Division 2 is a difficult sell but Traffic needs to start to put the team together NOW! Put together a winning team and use the Strikers name as they should and no one will ever blame them for not trying. If we have learned anything from our experience so far with Miami FC is that even a soccer company can fail to run a soccer team if they don't embrace the community.
Now is the time for them to prove all the haters wrong! The ball is in Traffic's side of the field, lets hope they intend to attack.
Are you a Striker liker?

Friday, November 19, 2010

Soccer Movie of the Month: El Chanfle aka the original Waterboy movie

Hola Amigos!
Today Burrito bring you the soccer movie of the month! It's called "El Chanfle" It's like the original Waterboy movie except in Spanish and with the real Football not that pig skin thing Burrito like to chew on. "El Chanfle" is a movie created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, also known as Chespirito. El Chanfle is the main character and he is club America's waterboy. It was filmed in Mexico in 1978. Chespirito should sue Adam Sandler for stealing his idea!

Go get you some popcorns or make you some taquitos! Get you some drinks, a cervecita or some tequila! Sit back and enjoy "El Chanfle"!

See Video in Spanish Here:

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Jamaica and Costa Rica tie at the 'Mecca' (Lockhart Stadium) with Video

Ricardo LaVolpe's debut as a coach for Costa Rica was not the best during Wednesday night's match versus Jamaica .

Costa Rica and Jamaica's game ended in a 0-0 tie in front of about 5,000 fans at Lockhart Stadium.

Costa Rica barely created chances and it was the Reggae Boyz that had the best scoring opportunities.

Read more here: Miami Herald
or Sun Sentinel Here

Video:

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Ex Miami FC player Gale Agbossoumonde gets first cap with the US National team

Ex Miami FC player Gale Agbossoumonde had his first cap for the U.S. National team today (on his birthday) as the USA beat South Africa 1-0. Five players made their national team debuts with Juan Agudelo and Mikkel Diskerud coming off the bench to create the game's only goal.

Gale Agbossoumonde came on in the 87th minute. Gale played 6 games for the Blues and was signed by Traffic Sports in a deal that took him to Portugal.
See the video.

Estoril - Gale Agbossoumonde from Comprimido on Vimeo.

Picture by Robert Scorca

Monday, November 15, 2010

Jamaica vs Costa Rica, Lockhart Stadium November 17 at 8 pm

It's on folks! Come out and support Soccer in South Florida. Here is the press release for this great match up to take place at South Florida's 'Mecca' (Lockhart Stadium).

Traffic Sports, one of the premier soccer marketing companies, in collaboration with Kics International, announces an international friendly between Costa Rica and Jamaica. The Reggae Boys, in hopes of defending its current Digicel Caribbean Championship will play its final warm up match before traveling to Martinique on November 27th. Costa Rica will play its first match under Ricardo LaVolpe who led Mexico to its 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup title and to the second round of World Cup 2006. Kickoff is set for 8pm EST at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday November 17th.

“Traffic Sports is proud to bring this high level international match to South Florida. This should be an exciting match featuring two teams who have a history of fine play in the CONCACAF region. We expect both teams to be in full form with all of their stars. Ricardo LaVolpe will begin his tenure as “Ticos” manger in this match and we are excited for that. Jamaica will be looking to continue its outstanding play of recent months heading into the Digicel Caribbean Championship,” said Vice-President of Traffic Sports USA Enrique Sanz de Santamaria.

Last Time Out
In September Jamaica defeated Costa Rica 1-0 in Kingston. Ryan Johnson scored in the 66th minute to give Jamaica only its fourth win in 20 matches between the countries. Costa Rica leads the overall series with 10 wins versus four losses. The teams have drawn six times. Jamaica looks to regain its form and return to its second World Cup after an admirable performance in France ’98.

Costa Rica
Costa Rica is currently the fifth highest ranked CONCACAF nation in the most recent FIFA World Rankings. This will be the first match for under renowned head coach Ricardo LaVolpe who brings over 25 years of coaching experience to the job. LaVolpe was hired as the new manger of Costa Rica on September 9th. Costa Rica’s newest manager aims to qualify Costa Rica to the 2014 World Cup that will be held in Brazil. The Ticos lost in the CONCAF/COMNEBOL playoff to eventual semi-finalist Uruguay after finishing just outside the automatic qualification spots in CONCACAF.

Jamaica
Jamaica’s most recent match was a 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago at Independence Park in Kingston. Jamaica has won four of its last seven matches, suffering its most recent lose at Lockhart Stadium against the Peru national team. Jamaica aims to defend its Digicel Caribbean Championship on November 27th.

Ticketing Information
You can purchase tickets to this exciting match from as low as $25 dollars. You can also purchase tickets on the phone or online at 877.877.7677

Compreboletos.com or ctstickets.com. You can also pick up buy tickets at the following authorized ticket distributers:

WEST PALM BEACH- SEA BREEZE - 5075 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach (561) 478-8651
POMPANO BEACH – DONNA’S - 2617 W Atlantic Blvd, Pompano Beach (954) 979-7047
FT. LAUDERDALE – AUNT I’S - 1178 N State Road 7 Lauderhill (954) 321-0190
DONNA’S - 5434 North University Drive, Lauderhill (954) 578-6970
CARL’S SEAFOOD - 2934 N State Road 7, Lauderdale Lakes (954) 676-5700
BOSTON JUICY JERK - 5530 West Oakland Park Blvd, Lauderhill (954) 484-2620
RAINBOW RECORDS- 4124 NW 21st St. Lauderhill (954) 733-6580
PEMBROKE PINES – BARBICAN SQUARE - 11030 Pembroke Rd, Hollywood (954) 885-5422
CARIBBEAN EXPRESS - 6033 Miramar Pkwy, Miramar, FL (954) 981-4989
MIAMI – JUNIE’S - 18400 Northwest 2nd Ave, Miami, FL (305) 654-2955
You can also purchase tickets on the phone or online at 877.877.7677
compreboletos.com or ctstickets.com

Thursday, November 11, 2010

NASL AGM 2011 press release.

As we reported Tuesday, many teams and groups attended the NASL AGM including a representative from Austin.

Today the NASL will sent out a press release confirming they have applied for Division 2 status with 8 teams. The USSF should have an answer during the weekend of MLS Cup.

The teams that will play in Division 2 next year will be:
Puerto Rico Islanders, Carolina RailHawks, Montreal Impact, Miami FC Blues, FC Tampa Bay, FC Edmonton, Atlanta and the NSC Minnesota Stars

For the full press release go HERE

Look for a late St Louis addition to the list for 2011 and San Antonio and Baltimore for 2012. Could Austin make it in 2012?

Rumored future teams include San Diego, Phoenix, Hamilton Canada.

Veterans Day Commemoration Match‏ at Fort Lauderdale Stadium

Join the City of Fort Lauderdale, Miami FC and the Commissioning Committee of the United States Navy Destroyer USS JASON DUNHAM (DDG 109) at a Veterans Day Ceremony to honor the men and women who have valiantly served in the United States Armed Forces. The ceremony will celebrate the commissioning of the ship and pay special tribute to its namesake, Marine Corps Corporal Jason Dunham, Medal of Honor Recipient, who died in 2004 during Operation Iraqi Freedom bravely sacrificing his own life to save the lives of his fellow Marines.
This event is today Novermber 11, 2010 at 2:30 pm It is free to the public and will be followed by a soccer Exhibition match set to start at 3:45 pm
Miami FC vs. Crew Members of the USS JASON DUNHAM (DDG 109) at Fort Lauderdale Stadium 1301 NW 55th Street - Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309

Players set to play are former professional soccer stars such as Ian Bishop, Fernando Clavijo, Mark Chung, Eric Eichman, Pete Marino, Ivan McKinley, Jim Rooney and many more.

For more information, visit www.fort lauderdale.gov or www.miamifc.com

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Strikers / Miami FC players on the move? NASL AGM info

Our rivals in Tampa have already announced a list of players returning for the 2011 season. Miami FC has still not transformed into the Strikers, nor are there any signs that this has started. Leading only to speculation and concern by those of us that follow the team. Perhaps they are waiting for NASL to be sanctioned as a Division 2 league by the USSF.
Fortunately, player movements have already begun. Word out of Lockhart Stadium (via sources) is that a number of players have been asked to return and a few others have not.

Christian Gomez was seen in Philadelphia a few weeks ago, generating buzz that the former DC United star is on his way to the Union. His play at Miami FC this season was solid, enough so that he received the Fans Player of the year award. Still, no official word out on his possible move but we have learned that Gomez has not closed the door at a possible return to South Florida.

As we all know, Paulo Araujo Jr. was with Real Salt Lake on Loan and had an impressive run scoring 2 goals in their last match versus Mexican side Cruz Azul. Looks like Paulo is destined for bigger things. JP Rodrigues was also on loan with DC United and also played coming on as a substitute. JP is now taking part in the Gold Cup elimination phase where he represents Guyana. He is also set to play Indoor soccer with MISL side Milwaukee Wave. There is no word yet on if any of these players will make the jump to MLS. Stay tuned.

Aaron Hohlbein has returned to the Kansas City Wizards. Chukwudi "Chucky" Chijindu and Gerson Mayen have returned to Chivas USA. No word yet on whether they will stay with their teams or will return to Miami FC/Strikers next season.

Our sources have indicated the following players will not be returning to the team:
Players out:
2 Euzébio Andrade Silva Neto D
19 Jair Cabas M/F
17 Sean Cameron M Playing Gold Cup elimination phase with Guyana.
4 Cristiano Dias D
23 Bryan Dominguez M
3 Zach Kirby D Recovering from season ending injury. Weighing options, has multiple offers.
15 Paulo Henrique Le Petit M Will play with the Omaha Vipers (MISL Indoor Soccer)
40 Caleb Patterson-Sewell GK
20 Bryan Perez M - Will play with The Missouri Comets (MISL Indoor Soccer)
11 Edward Santeliz F - Will play with the Chicago Riot (MISL Indoor Soccer)
16 Kyle Veris D

Players on the list to return:
8 Lennon Eduardo Carvalho Celestino M
Out of all the Brazilians on the team, next to Paulo Jr, Lennon seemed to be the only one that consistently performed.
6 Chris Gbandi D
Chris brought experience and leadership to the team.
24 Matt Glaeser GK
Matt was an important part of the unbeaten streak at the end of the season.
14 Jarryd Goldberg M
The "Hammer", a fan favorite, did not play as much as fans would have liked this season but he always played with heart.
7 Stefan Jerome F
This young forward is the future of the team and American soccer. Look for him to get more playing time.
27 Martyn Lancaster D
Another fan favorite, Martyn can show the youngsters a thing or two about work ethic. A solid player all around.
12 Mike Randolph D
Great at the flanks, Mike used his speed to cut through the opposing sides.
21 Brian Shriver M/F
Brian started to find his playing form at the end of the season. Looking forward to seeing him with the Strikers.

Status unknown:
? 13 Danilio Martins F
A great addition at the end of the season, contributed to the final winning run.
?1 Lance Parker GK
Didn't get the chance to prove himself on the field as much as fans would have wanted.
? 9 Abe Thompson F
Abe started off slow but at the end of the season was on fire! Fans would love to see him back, but we want the Abe that we saw in the end.

***NASL Annual General Meeting in Miami
No real information on the AGM that took place this weekend. We hope to have some information soon. We can confirm the following teams attended Puerto Rico Islanders, Carolina RailHawks, Montreal Impact, Miami FC Blues, FC Tampa Bay, Crystal Palace Baltimore, FC Edmonton, AC St. Louis, Atlanta, NSC Minnesota Stars and San Antonio. The amount of teams or groups attending is a positive sign of things to come.

Our sources out of Austin tells us a minority owner of the now defunct Aztex was at the meeting and is looking at bringing a new team back to Austin by 2012.
Pictures by Robert Scorca

Saturday, November 6, 2010

NASL Annual General Meeting in Miami

The North American Soccer League will hold it's Annual General Meeting tomorrow in Miami's Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Biscayne Bay. The event takes place on November 7 and 8 and will bring together representatives from all existing NASL teams starting with the current Champions Puerto Rico Islanders, Carolina RailHawks, Montreal Impact, Miami FC Blues, FC Tampa Bay, Crystal Palace Baltimore and new expansion team FC Edmonton. Also attending will be representatives of two teams that still don't meet USSF's new standards AC St. Louis and NSC Minnesota Stars who are in process of acquiring new investors.

Not attending as you may imagine will be the Rochester Rhinos as they aligned themselves with USL Pro and The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps who will play in MLS next season.

Several topics will be covered including tentative schedule for next season, league staff and future expansion.
The NASL, while busy planning for the 2011 season, was surprised by league member Rochester Rhinos’ announcement earlier this week that they plan to play at the USSF third division level (USL PRO) despite their multi-year commitment with the NASL. The NASL is evaluating all of its options and will proceed accordingly. “It’s unfortunate that the Rochester Rhinos, a team with such a successful track record over its fifteen year history at the second division level, is stepping down to third division," said Aaron Davidson, CEO of the NASL
Read more HERE

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Interview with Fake David Beckham by Burrito

Hola amigos! Burrito get the biggest interview of his career as a soccer blogging dawg! Si, this is an interview with the one and only Mister Fake David Beckham! Burrito ax him about Futbol, Mexican food, underwear, and if it really hurt to be so pretty. But most important, if he really want to bring MLS back to South Florida.

Burrito : [Barking, whining and wimpering but in Spanglish] Hola Fake David Beckhams! Burrito really excited to be in your presence!
Fake Becks: [In a British accent, kinda like James Bond but girlyerer] I can see that, your tail is really wagging...

Burrito: Si, it a bad habit. Can Burrito smell your butt?
Fake Becks: Ummm, NO.
Burrito: Can Burrito hump your leg now?
Fake Becks: Hell no!
Burrito: Burrito be quick...
Fake Becks: Get off me!
Burrito: Sorry, is just cause you are so pretty for a homeboy and Burrito like to dominate his bitches... Does it hurt to be so pretty?
Fake Becks: Not really. I'm married and have 3 wonderful kids. I really don't think about that. I'm not that vain.
Burrito: A-ha
Fake Becks: Seriously

Burrito: So how Spicy is your spice girl in the sack?
Fake Becks: That's a little personal don't you think?
Burrito: Answer Burrito! Grrr
Fake Becks: Very spicy...

Burrito: Ok, you fight with your wife, who wins?
Fake Becks: She does. If I protest too much she puts me on restriction.
Burrito: Que? What is restriction?
Fake Becks: That's like a timeout but for adults [whispers] I don't get none, if you know what I mean...
Burrito: Oooooh... chingada madre!
Fake Becks: Yeah, it really sucks.

Burrito: So have you been to Miami? Do you like it here and more important. You gonna give Burrito his South Florida MLS (Major League Soccer) soccer team or what?
Fake Becks: I like Miami! There is a possibility that I will be involved with a team in MLS so it might happen. I'm still playing for the MLS until 2011. After that I will weigh my options.

Burrito: There are some people that believes you gonna be involved with the Cosmos in NY. Tell them they no no what they talking about, tell them they are estupid and that that will never, ever, whever happen! Tell them NOOOOO or Burrito will bite you in pipi!
Fake Becks: What? Are you threatening me?
Burrito: Just kitten, but why go to cold, concrete/no trees except in Central Park New York when you can chill with a cold drink by the beach in South Beach, looking at hot mamacitas?
Fake Becks: Vicky does like the Beach...
Burrito: Ok, so NO New York, Thank you!
Fake Becks: I didn't say that...

Burrito: So what you wear? Boxers or briefs?
Fake Becks: I really didn't answer the previous question...
Burrito: Yes, you did!!! Boxers or Briefs?
Fake Becks: Briefs

Burrito: What your favorite Mexican food?
Fake Becks: I like to go to the Plaza Olvera in L.A. and order some Chilerkuilees...
Burrito: You mean Chilaquiles?
Fake Becks: No, Chilerkuilees.
Burrito: Grrrr its Chilaquiles, Burrito knows, Burrito was born in Toluca, Mexico!
Fake Becks: No, I'm pretty sure its Chilerkuilees...
Burrito: ----- [blank stare]

Burrito: You ever heard of the Strikers?
Fake Becks: NO
Burrito: The Fort Lauderdale Strikers?
Fake Becks: NO
Burrito: Que? You never heard of George Best, Gerd Mueller, Nene Cubillas?
Fake Becks: Yeah, I heard of those players but not all were Strikers... Best was a midfielder and...
Burrito: The Strikers was a team those peoples played for... pinche puto...
Fake Becks: What? What does that mean?
Burrito: Puto? Means you are a happy person
Fake Becks: Oh, yeah, I'm a puto then. [Smiles as he readjusts balls, cause of his tight briefs]

Fake Becks: But, going back to the whole New York thi... Why are you biting my arm?
Burrito: That's all the time we have. Burrito want to tank Fake Becks for answering questions and wish him luck in next game versus Seattle. Burrito hope you can give us good news about MLS Miami soon. Any encouraging words to Soccer Fans in South Florida?
Fake Becks: Thanks Burrito, I'd like to tell all South Florida Soccer fans to continue to support local soccer and watch MLS and hopefully I'll have some good news soon. I'd also like to tell New York fans that...
Burrito: Ok, bye!

***Please note this interview was not with the 'Real' David Beckham, so please don't ask us if it was the 'Real' Beckham you idiots!

Football in Miami and Beyond is not to be held accountable nor responsible for any claims, comments, misspelled insults, bad grammar, nor anything written by Burrito. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Warning: Frequent reading of subjects brought up by Burrito may cause diarrhea, erectile malfunctions or depression. Children please ask your parents for permission before reading.
May the force be with you...

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Strikers...

Everything you want to know about the Strikers you can find out by just going to www.ftlauderdalestrikers.com It's a site created by Jeffrey Duly, a soccer fan who grew up following the most successful team in South Florida soccer history. Jeffrey was kind enough to answer a few questions about the Strikers of old and the Strikers to come.

Uncle Ed (UE): I appreciate you letting me interview you for my humble blog.

Jeffrey Duly (JD): Not a problem at all. Glad to talk Strikers old and new.

UE: Could you tell us a little about you? Where do you live now?

JD: I grew up in Plantation and started playing as part of that first big wave of youth soccer. I didn't play more than a few years, but unlike a lot of people who played in their youth and then didn't make the transformation from player to fan and supporter I remain a devout follower of the beautiful game. In fact when I travel overseas I try to catch a match if possible. I've been to games in England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium and Japan so far.

I have lived in Nashville now for almost twenty years now. I've been a supporter of our local USL team, the Nashville Metros since around 1994 or so. In fact I worked with the club for eight years from 2001 through 2008 (for no pay I might add) as their webmaster, scoreboard operator, match textcaster, music coordinator and occasional National Anthem singer. I eventually gave it up because I was getting burned out, but I still go to the games despite their recent run of awful play lately.

UE: What made you a fan of the Strikers?

JD: The first professional match I attended as a kid was either in 1975 or 1976 when we drove down to the Orange Bowl to see the Miami Toros play. It was great when they moved up to Lockhart in 1977. We went to a few matches that first year and from 1978 until the team left after the 1983 season we had season tickets. My sister and I were members of the Striker Liker Club and sat in their section in the east end zone. My parents' tickets were in the south stand so we didn't even watch the matches together. I think in later years we eventually sat in the south stand as well.

It was new. The excitement was there. It broke my heart when in December 1983 as a freshman at Florida State I was walking through the union to the post office and saw the cover of the Sun-Sentinel in the machine announcing that the team was moving to Minnesota.

UE: Do you by any chance have video of games?

JD: I have about a half dozen or so old matches on DVD that I got on Ebay over the past few years, including Soccer Bowl 80.

UE: Who was your favorite player?

JD: In the early years my favorite player was Maurice Whittle, mostly because he was a defender like me and we shared the same uniform number 2. But when you talk about the eternal Strikers, two names have to beat the top of the list: Ray Hudson and Teofilo 'Nene' Cubillas. Rocky was so enthusiastic from the time the club was a conglomeration of English lads through the later years when it was more of an international mix. Nene was in many ways the same after he came. After all he not only played for the Strikers in the NASL, but also the South Florida Sun in the USL and the new Strikers in the ASL. And let's not forget Hudson's involvement with the Fusion. Those two guys weren't just players who came and went. They came and stayed. They became part of the community.

UE: Why create a page dedicated to the Strikers?

JD: I had noticed only a couple of other pages devoted to old clubs. If I remember correctly there was one for the Cosmos and maybe the Sting (I can't find one now. I might have been dreaming that one.). I think the one that impressed me most was the one for the Philadelphia Atoms. There is so much information there. Remember this was before Wikipedia was around so sites like this were the only place to get information like this.

Then I asked myself "Why is there no page for the Strikers?" So I took it upon myself to do one. I had kept some stuff from the old days and acquired other memorabilia on Ebay, so I had plenty of information to use. It's not fancy and for a club that ceased to exist almost thirty years ago it doesn't need much updating, but I enjoyed putting it together. In fact it has gotten interest from all over the world, including a former player or two (I specifically remember Steve Zerhusen being one of them), a former general manager, Greg Cote at the Miami Herald, a few Brits who stumbled upon my site when looking for information about George Best after he passed away, and a man from the Netherlands who was writing a book about Jan Van Beveren.

UE: What persuaded you to acquire the www.ftlauderdalestrikers.com address? (Do you also own another web page?)

JD: A couple of years ago I thought about getting a proper domain name. Prior to that the address was just part of my Comcast account. The only way you would find it was from a Google search, but people still found it just the same. I just figured it would be easier to remember or find if it had a good domain name. I think the fortlauderdalestrikers domain was taken at the time so I got the ftlauderdalestrikers.com. Then when Miami FC announced their intention to "honor the legacy" of the old club I noticed that the fortlauderdalestrikers.com domain was
available. I decided to get that one too just so that someone wouldn't buy it and try to hold the club hostage for lots of money if they wanted to buy it. And if they didn't want it I would just have both of them for my website. I have some experience with these people who buy domain names in hopes of getting a payday. Right before I became the webmaster for the Nashville Metros, the club let the domain expire before renewing it. Some guy in Taiwan bought it and wanted money to get it back. Of course he didn't know the Metros' owners. If he had he would have known that he wasn't going to get any money out of them. We just registered a different domain. That Chinese fellow still has the name and renews it every couple of years.

UE: Did you also follow the Miami Fusion?

JD: By the time MLS started up I was living in Nashville, so following any MLS club wasn't really an option. I do have a Fusion jersey hanging in my closet though.

UE: Could you tell us an anecdote of your time as a Ft. Lauderdale Strikers fan?

JD: My fondest memories were the matches against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. They were spectacles and not so much for the play on the pitch. When they would come to town their supporters would drive through the parking lot at Lockhart wearing their green and yellow and singing that annoying
Rowdies song. Of course the Strikers fans would naturally responded in kind changing "the Rowdies are a kick in the grass" to "the Rowdies are a pain in the ass". And I recall the song we sang to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" that went "Rod, Rod, Rodney Marsh. He has got no class. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily. We will kick his ass." We took a trip to Tampa one year to see a match at the old Tampa Stadium.
When we were leaving after the Strikers win, my mother and her friend were skipping down the ramp happily singing at the tops of their lungs.
It was great. Both fan bases cared passionately. I like what I see now at MLS matches with the supporters group sections standing and singing the whole match. It's reminds me a bit of the passion of the Strikers-Rowdies days.
I won't even mention being a kid and smelling the odor of marijuana wafting up from under the east stand. It was the '70's after all. ;)

UE: What do you think of the new 2011 Strikers?

JD: I think it can be a good thing if done right. With the Clash becoming the Earthquakes several years ago and the Sounders, Timbers and Whitecaps from the USL all moving up to MLS, there is a lot of nostalgia for the old teams. I think the move to Lockhart made all the sense in the world. No offense to any fans from Miami, but clubs in Broward have always been better supported. I can understand the concern of some that if it doesn't go well that it will taint the legacy and I hope that is not the case. But I remain optimistic that despite the ever-changing landscape of second division soccer in the U.S. the Strikers will survive and flourish. Success on the field would help too. The NASL Strikers played in the Soccer Bowl. The ASL Strikers won a national title. This version needs to start winning trophies. Oh, and bring back the red and yellow hoops. That is a must.

UE: A word to the fans?

JD: Support your team through thick or thin. If you do not, you won't have a team. It's as simple as that. Heck, even if you do you might not be there the next year. That is just the perpetually unstable landscape of soccer in this country. The Fusion won the Supporters' Shield in 2001
and the next year they were gone. Make Lockhart Stadium live again, even if the old gal is going to be in a water park soon enough.***A lot of the player photos on JD's website came from Dave Morrison's NASL jerseys website
(http://www.nasljerseys.com/) He was happy to let JD use some of them for his site.
For more information on the Strikers to come, be sure to check out: http://www.strikers2011.com/ for updates.