The 1977 Fort Lauderdale Strikers season was the first season of the new team, and the club's eleventh season in professional soccer. It is also the first ever incarnation of the club's new name. Previously they were known as the Miami Toros. The 1977 squad won the North American Soccer League's Eastern Division of the Atlantic Conference, and was the top team in regular season with 19 victories for 161 points.
Background First ever match The Strikers first-ever game was a preseason indoor match played on February 27, 1977 at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Though only an exhibition, this was the first meeting in what was to become one of the most enduring rivalries in North American soccer, the Florida Derby. It would also set the tone for many years of indoor frustration for the Strikers as they fell, 9–8, to the hosts.
Match report
Review
Competitions Friendlies DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersFebruary 27, 1977Tampa Bay RowdiesBayfront Center9–85,016 (indoor)Sharp (3), Mulroy, Nanchoff, Ceballos, Chadwick, HamlynMarch 5, 1977Rollins College TarsSandspur Bowl1–6March 12, 1977Washington DiplomatsWilde Lake High School3–21,093Sergio Ceballos (2)March 13, 1977Washington DiplomatsCity Stadium3–4David Chadwick, Fred Pereira, Sergio Ceballos, Curtis Leeper March 26, 1977Miami Dade SouthMDC South Campus March 27, 1977FIU SunblazersFIU Soccer Stadium0–51,100 April 6, 1977Rochester LancersLockhart Stadium2–0Bobby Bell, Tony WhelanJune 10, 1977 S.S. LazioLockhart Stadium1–43,500Norman PiperOctober 2, 1977Business Machines, Inc.Leonard High School2–3500Tony Whelan, David Proctor, Mike Fazee
NASL regular season W = Wins, L = Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, BP = Bonus Points, Pts= point system
6 points for a win, 0 points for a loss, 1 point for each regulation goal scored up to three per game.
Atlantic Conference Eastern Division W L GF GA BP Pts Home RoadFort Lauderdale Strikers19749294716111–28–5 Cosmos151160395014010–35–8Tampa Bay Rowdies141255454713111–23–10 Washington Diplomats1016324932926–74–9
Northern Division W L GF GA BP Pts Home Road Toronto Metros-Croatia13134238371158–55–8 St. Louis Stars12143335321047–65–8Rochester Lancers11153441339910–31–12 Chicago Sting1016314328884–96–7 Connecticut Bicentennials719346530724–93–10
Results summaries
Results by round
Match reports
NASL Playoffs Divisional Championships Higher seedLower seedGame 1Game 2 (lower seed hosts Game 1)Fort Lauderdale Strikers – Cosmos 3–8 2–3 (SO, 0–3) August 14 • Giants Stadium • 77,691August 17 • Lockhart Stadium 14,152
Bracket
Match reports
Statistics
Transfers
See also 1977 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
References