There's no other way to put this: Ft. Lauderdale was an absolute disaster last spring and hardly looked like showing any signs of life. Accordingly Daryl Shore was fired as manager, Günter Kronsteiner was brought in to reverse a sinking ship's course, and slowly but surely, the Strikers began to look rather competitive.
Fast forward to the dawn of this season and you can sense an air of optimism amongst Strikers fans that would have been quite misplaced only a year prior. In looking at the offseason moves the club made, one can understand that these good vibes throughout the fanbase may indeed be warranted.
Goalkeepers
Loanee Richard Sanchez did well for Ft. Lauderdale last fall, but he has since returned to FC Dallas. In addressing their goalkeeping needs, the Strikers and Günter Kronsteiner turned to some old German connections to bring in Oka Nikolov, who was a fan favorite for years with Eintracht Frankfurt. Yes, Nikolov will be 40 next month, but he'll do just fine at this level. Lionel Brown returns as Nikolov's young deputy.
Defenders
This unit was absolutely leaky last spring, but proved to be a bit more formidable during the fall.
The key to the upward trajectory shown in the back at the end of last year is certainly the evolving center back partnership of Rafael Alves and Stefan Antonijevic. Alves had some early struggles at the outset of the Fall Season after moving up from the PDL, but he improved exponentially as the season approached its end. His ability to hit a good free kick is an added bonus as well. As for Antonijevic, he's a towering presence in the back at 6'5" and was voted as the club's player of the year by Strikers supporters group Flight 19. With a full preseason under their belts and the chemistry between them still developing, Alves and Antonijevic should continue to be a bright spot. Justin Chavez returns as Ft. Lauderdale's second-choice center back, but it will take an injury for him to see any significant playing time.
Ivan Guerrero returns at left back, and while he isn't getting any younger, he is still a solid player in the NASL and does well in joining the attack and providing quality crosses. New man Matt Hall will be the starter at right back after coming over from the USL's LA (now Orange County) Blues. Those in Ft. Lauderdale circles have raved about his pace and overall play this preseason, and with Stephane Guillaume still on the way back from injury, there's no reason to think Hall will be giving up his spot anytime soon.
Midfielders
The midfield will be an absolute strength for the Strikers this season, whether by way of speed, skill or grit.
Chris Nurse arrives from Edmonton and immediately gives this area of the team an imposing figure that it so lacked last season. Nurse is playing some of the best soccer of his career after garnering player of the year honors with Edmonton, and his presence alone will allow the myriad of attacking talent around him to push forward without having to worry as much about what's going on behind them. With Pecka returning after his loan spell in Brazil, this could be a solid central midfield pairing should Günter Kronsteiner decide to deploy them together. Carlos Salazar and Manny Gonzalez return, and while not first choice, they will provide decent depth centrally.
Out wide, Ft. Lauderdale looks set to terrorize fullbacks across the league. Darnell King, while still a bit raw and developing, showed flashes of potential last year and should take another step forward this season. In combining with the aforementioned Matt Hall down the right, look for a lot of chances to be developed from that side. New addition Fafa Picault, formerly of Tampa Bay, brings equal pace from the left wing, and after having enjoyed a solid preseason, will be in contention to start in the opener. Shawn Chin, who has played with Edmonton and Minnesota in recent years, will also fight for minutes off the bench.
When it comes to attacking midfielders, the Strikers are in very good shape. Mark Anderson looks to be fully fit this season, and when healthy, there can be little argument that he is one of the most dangerous players at his position in the league, whether through facilitating or having an eye for goal from almost anywhere. Martin Nunez will operate in tandem with Anderson more times than not, and based upon his performances last fall after re-signing with his once former club, there is every indication that these two will be in amongst the goals to some effect.
Strikers
In assessing the striking options at Kronsteiner's disposal, the formula is apparent: the big, tall target forward will serve as the fulcrum around which the offense will function.
Marius Ebbers, he of St. Pauli fame and only signed in recent weeks, will lead the line as long as he stays fit. Indeed, he is now 36, but he still has plenty to offer in this division. He's looked fantastic in Ft. Lauderdale's friendlies so far, so every indication is there to suggest that he'll be getting on the end of his share of crosses and flicking on plenty of headers to the likes of Anderson and Nunez.
Should Ebbers miss action from time to time this season, Yaikel Perez will be a very serviceable replacement. Perez had some good outings last fall after signing on, so he won't be short of confidence when called upon. Aly Hassan returns to provide yet another tall target as well, but he'll need to take advantage of the few minutes he gets and improve upon the anonymous performances he put in last season.
Verdict
It's hard to blame people for talking about the likes of New York, San Antonio and Tampa Bay as challenging for honors this season, but lost in that talk is the threat posed by the Strikers. This is a team that is deep, dangerous in a lot of areas, and plays a rather attractive, free-flowing game. There looks to be a perfect blend of youthful enthusiasm and cool-headed experience that should pay dividends.
It was a tall order to make Ft. Lauderdale competent last fall, but Günter Kronsteiner did just that will little time to impress his identity on the squad. Now that he's had the luxury of a full preseason to meld this team as he sees fits and to bring in some very vital pieces, there is every reason to believe that the postseason is well within Ft. Lauderdale's grasp.
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