1978 Fort Lauderdale Strikers season

The 1978 Fort Lauderdale Strikers season was the second season of the Fort Lauderdale Striker's team, and the club's twelfth season in professional soccer. This year the team were a finalist in the North American Soccer League American Conference.

Fort Lauderdale Strikers
1978 season
OwnerUnited States Elizabeth Robbie
General managerUnited States Beau Rodgers
ManagerEngland Ron Newman
StadiumLockhart Stadium
NASLAmerican Conference: Finalist
Top goalscorerLeague:
England David Irving
(16 goals)

All:
England David Irving
(23 goals)
Average home league attendance10,479
← 1977 Strikers
1979 Strikers (indoor) →

Background edit

Review edit

Competitions edit

Friendlies edit

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
January 7, 1978 Washington Diplomats D.C. Armory 9–2 2,384 (indoor) Fearnley, Proctor
January 8, 1978 Washington Diplomats D.C. Armory 8–5 2,163 (indoor) Vaniger (2), Hamlyn, Aguirre, Nanchoff
February 6, 1978   Stockport County F.C. Edgeley Park 2–4 Irving, Whittle, Gemeri, Hughes
February 8, 1978   Blackpool F.C. Bloomfield Road 3–2
February 10, 1978   Workington A.F.C. Borough Park 0–0 6,127
February 13, 1978   Portsmouth F.C. Fratton Park 2–2 Irving (2)
February 15, 1978   Port Vale F.C. Vale Park 4–2 1,877
February 18, 1978   Swindon Town F.C. County Ground 6–3 1,173 Irving (2), Fowles
February 26, 1978 FIU Sunblazers FIU Soccer Stadium 4–2 Irving, Bodonczy
March 4, 1978 Tampa Bay Rowdies Dade North Stadium 2–0 3,248 Irving, Fowles
March 8, 1978 Detroit Express Bryant Stadium 2–3 350 Irving (2), Bodonczy
March 18, 1978 Minnesota Kicks Lockhart Stadium 1–2 2,333 Vaniger
March 23, 1978 Washington Diplomats Leonard High School 1–0 2,800 Irving
March 25, 1978 Philadelphia Fury City Stadium 0–1 (SO) shootout tiebreaker
May 10, 1978   Blackpool F.C. Lockhart Stadium 2–1 5,173 Gary Jones (2)
May 15, 1978   Blackpool F.C. Atlanta 0–2 9,658 (in Atlanta)

NASL regular season edit

Results summaries edit

Results by round edit

Match reports edit

NASL Playoffs edit

Conference Quarterfinals edit

August 9 New England Tea Men 1–3 Fort Lauderdale Strikers Schaefer Stadium • 18,672

Conference semifinals edit

In 1978, if a playoff series was tied after two games, a 30 minute, golden goal, mini-game was played. If neither team scored in the mini-game, they would move on to a shoot-out to determine a series winner. *Teams were re-seeded for the Conference Semifinals based on regular season point totals. This affected only one of the four series; Tampa Bay versus San Diego.[1]

Higher seed Lower seed Game 1 Game 2 Mini-game (lower seed hosts Game 1)
Detroit Express - Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3–4 (SO, 2–3) 1–0 0–1 August 13 • Lockhart Stadium • 11,517
August 16 • Pontiac Silverdome • 32,219

Conference Championships edit

Higher seed Lower seed Game 1 Game 2 Mini-game Attendance
Tampa Bay Rowdies - Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2–3 3–1 1–0 (SO, 2–1) August 20 • Lockhart Stadium • 16,286
August 23 • Tampa Stadium • 37,249

Bracket edit

Conference Quarterfinals Conference Semifinals Conference Championships Soccer Bowl '78
            
A1 Detroit Express 1
A8 Philadelphia Fury 0
A1 Detroit Express 1
A7 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2
A2 New England Tea Men 1
A7 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3
A7 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1
A4 Tampa Bay Rowdies 2
A3 San Diego Sockers 2
A6 California Surf 1
A3 San Diego Sockers 1
A4 Tampa Bay Rowdies 2
A4 Tampa Bay Rowdies 3
A5 Chicago Sting 1
A4 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
N1 Cosmos 3
N1 Cosmos 5
N8 Seattle Sounders 2
N1 Cosmos 2
N3 Minnesota Kicks 1
N3 Minnesota Kicks 3
N6 Tulsa Roughnecks 1
N1 Cosmos 2
N4 Portland Timbers 0
N2 Vancouver Whitecaps 4
N7 Toronto Metros-Croatia 0
N2 Vancouver Whitecaps 0
N4 Portland Timbers 2
N4 Portland Timbers 2
N5 Washington Diplomats 1

Match reports edit

Statistics edit

Transfers edit

See also edit

1978 Fort Lauderdale Strikers

References edit

  1. ^ Rosenblatt, Richard (August 16, 1978). "Complicated Playoffs May Kick Out Best NASL Team". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 1-C. Retrieved July 3, 2013.