# 1980 Fort Lauderdale Strikers season

The 1980 Fort Lauderdale Strikers season was the fourth season of the Fort Lauderdale Striker's team, and the club's fourteenth season in professional soccer. This year the team made it to the finals of North American Soccer League by reaching the Soccer Bowl. They were this year's Runners-up.

## Competitions
### Friendlies

Fort Lauderdale finished their preseason exhibition schedule with one victory over an NCAA Division II squad, and two draws versus Peruvian First Division teams, three losses against NASL clubs and one loss to an NCAA Division II team. In April after the NASL season had begun, the Strikers easily handled the Miami Hurricanes and the junior side, Calry Bohemian FC, of Sligo, Ireland. They later fell to visiting Sunderland A.F.C. in a midseason friendly in May.

#### Results summaries

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| March 2, 1980 | FIU Sunblazers | FIU South Campus | 2–3 | | ???, ??? |
| March 9, 1980 | Miami Dade North Falcons | Dade North Stadium | 8–0 | | Müller (3), Bonvallet (3), Cubillas, Cacciatore |
| March 12, 1980 | Detroit Express | Leonard High School | 0–1 | | |
| March 16, 1980 | Detroit Express | Bryant Stadium | 1–2(SO) | | Nico Bodonczy |
| March 19, 1980 | Minnesota Kicks | Coral Springs High School | 0–1 | | |
| March 21, 1980 | Atlanta Chiefs | Lockhart Stadium | – | – | MATCH CANCELED |
| March 22, 1980 | Alianza Lima | Estadio Alianza | 1–1 | 35,000 | David Irving |
| March 24, 1980 | Club Universitario | Estadio Alianza | 1–1 | 35,000 | Gerd Müller |
| April 14, 1980 | Miami Hurricanes | Mark Light Stadium | 6–1 | | David Irving |
| April 16, 1980 | Calry Bohemian FC | Strikers practice facility | 8–0 | | David Irving (3), Nico Bodonczy (2), Mike Ortiz-Velez (2) |
| May 14, 1980 | Sunderland A.F.C. | Lockhart Stadium | 1–2 | 4,649 | Ray Hudson (pk) |

### NASL Playoffs

Playoffs
In 1979 and 1980, if a playoff series was tied at one victory each, a full 30 minute mini-game was played. If neither team held an advantage after the 30 minutes, the teams would then move on to a shoot-out to determine a series winner.

#### First round

| Lower seed | | Higher seed | Game 1 | Game 2 | Mini-game | |
| California Surf | - | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 (SO, 2–3) | August 28 • Anaheim Stadium • 2,929 August 31 • Lockhart Stadium • 15,282 |

#### Conference semifinals

| Lower seed | | Higher seed | Game 1 | Game 2 | Mini-game | |
| Edmonton Drillers | - | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 0–1 | 3–2 (SO, 2–1) | 0 - 3 | September 3 • Commonwealth Stadium • 18,029 September 6 • Lockhart Stadium • 17,380 |

#### Conference Championship

| Lower seed | | Higher seed | Game 1 | Game 2 | Mini-game | |
| San Diego Sockers | - | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 1–2 | 4–2 | 0–3 | September 11 • San Diego Stadium • 27,635 September 13 • Lockhart Stadium • 18,420 |

#### Bracket

| Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Championships | Conference Championships | Conference Championships | Conference Championships | Conference Championships | | Soccer Bowl '80 | Soccer Bowl '80 | Soccer Bowl '80 | |
| 1 | Chicago Sting | 1 | 3 | 1(0) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | San Diego Sockers | 2 | 2 | 1(3) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | San Diego Sockers | 2 | 2 | 1(3) | San Diego Sockers | San Diego Sockers | 6 | 0 | 1(2) | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3 | 6 | 1(0) | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 | 4 | - | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3 | 6 | 1(0) | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | New England Tea Men | 0 | 0 | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | New England Tea Men | 0 | 0 | - | | | | | | San Diego Sockers | San Diego Sockers | 1 | 4 | 0 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 2 | 2 | 3 | | | | | |
| 5 | Edmonton Drillers | 2 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 2 | 2 | 3 | | | |
| 12 | Houston Hurricane | 1 | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Houston Hurricane | 1 | 1 | 0 | Edmonton Drillers | Edmonton Drillers | 0 | 2(2) | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 1 | 2(1) | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 2 | 0 | 0(3) | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 1 | 2(1) | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | California Surf | 1 | 2 | 0(2) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | California Surf | 1 | 2 | 0(2) | | | | | | | | | | | | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | New York Cosmos | New York Cosmos | 3 | |
| 6 | New York Cosmos | 3 | 8 | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | New York Cosmos | New York Cosmos | 3 |
| 11 | Tulsa Roughnecks | 1 | 1 | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Tulsa Roughnecks | 1 | 1 | - | New York Cosmos | New York Cosmos | 3 | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Dallas Tornado | Dallas Tornado | 2 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Dallas Tornado | 1 | 2 | - | Dallas Tornado | Dallas Tornado | 2 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Minnesota Kicks | 0 | 0 | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Minnesota Kicks | 0 | 0 | - | | | | | | New York Cosmos | New York Cosmos | 2 | 3 | - | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Los Angeles Aztecs | Los Angeles Aztecs | 1 | 1 | - | | | | | |
| 7 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 0 | 1(5) | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | Los Angeles Aztecs | Los Angeles Aztecs | 1 | 1 | - | | | |
| 10 | Washington Diplomats | 1 | 1(4) | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Washington Diplomats | 1 | 1(4) | 0 | Los Angeles Aztecs | Los Angeles Aztecs | 3 | 0 | 1(2) | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Seattle Sounders | Seattle Sounders | 0 | 4 | 1(0) | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Seattle Sounders | 2 | 3 | - | Seattle Sounders | Seattle Sounders | 0 | 4 | 1(0) | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1 | 1 | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |