The Fort Lauderdale Strikers could once again be a surprise and reach The Championship Final

Venue: Lockhart Stadium

Coach: Marcelo Neveleff (first year)

Last Season’s Finish: 4th place – Combined Standings, The Championship Final

Key Players: M Léo Moura, F José Angulo

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers brought in several Brazilians into the fold and none may be more important than Léo Moura. The Flamengo legend, who played over 300 times for the Brazilian club, has primarily played as an outside back, but will move to a central midfielder position for the Strikers. How well he settles in South Florida and in the NASL will be crucial. If he can acclimate quickly, Moura should have plenty of success pulling the strings and being the creative hub for the Strikers.

The beneficiary of attacking opportunities will be José Angulo. The club’s top three goalscorers from a season ago have all moved on, and Angulo will need to fill that void. He certainly won’t have to do it all on his own, with a potential partnership with Stefano Pinho on the horizon. However the forward, who has won a Golden Boot in USL PRO in the past, will shoulder most of the burden in finding the back of the net. If he can lead the line and be a nuisance in the box to finish off the chances he will get plenty of, the Strikers will have a potent attack.

What They’re Saying:

“Everybody’s looking forward to Saturday and anxious to step onto the field. We need to do a good job managing that anxiety so we don’t get overexcited. We’re going to take things one game at a time. Right now our thoughts are only on the opener against the Cosmos.” – Marcelo Neveleff

“I’m excited for the season to start. We’ve been in preseason almost seven weeks now so we’re just anxious to get going. You can see it in training, everyone’s active, engaged and focused.” – José Angulo

Season Outlook: The Strikers made a late push in 2014 and made a run to The Championship and ultimately the final. However, it will be a mostly changed side in 2015. While it took a bit longer than most teams to put the pieces together, what looks to be the final product could be a very intriguing side in the North American Soccer League (NASL). Certainly bringing an attacking flair, the Strikers could be near the top in goals scored with the aforementioned Moura, Angulo, and Pinho as well as Marlon Freitas and Shawn Chin should have a big impact. However, questions will still be asked of the defense. The majority of the backline that helped the Strikers to The Championship Final is gone. James Marcelin’s physical presence should provide a solid shield in midfield, but the defense will need to get off on the right foot. Coach Neveleff will need to get his squad to gel quickly and not let that hinder their Spring Season. One thing is certain though, the Strikers can never be counted out – and they could once again be the NASL’s surprise story.