# 1993 Fort Lauderdale Strikers season

1993 Fort Lauderdale Strikers season
The 1993 Fort Lauderdale Strikers season was the club's 27th season in professional soccer and its fourth in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). The Strikers played their home games at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The team finished the season in sixth place out of seven teams in the APSL, failing to qualify for the playoffs.
* Manager: Thomas Rongen Rongen, a former Strikers player, managed the team through the season with a 37% success rate, earning 8 victories in 24 matches.
* Assistant Manager: Emilio Romero Romero continued to serve as the team's assistant manager during this season.
Season Results: The Strikers struggled to find consistent form throughout the season. Despite some competitive matches, they ended with one of the lowest points tallies in the league and did not make the postseason.
League Standings: The Strikers placed 6th in the 1993 APSL regular season, finishing just above Montreal Impact but well behind league leaders Vancouver 86ers.

## Background

The American Professional Soccer League (APSL) was the top professional soccer league in the United States in 1993. Formed from the merger of the Western Soccer League and the American Soccer League in 1990, the APSL aimed to foster the growth of soccer in the U.S. during a period when professional soccer was still gaining traction domestically. The 1993 season was notable for its ongoing efforts to keep soccer relevant in the lead-up to the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which was to be hosted by the United States.
The 1993 season featured a competitive field, with teams like the Vancouver 86ers and the Colorado Foxes dominating the regular season standings. Despite the growth of the sport and increased fan interest, the league still faced challenges, including financial instability and fluctuating attendance figures.
The Fort Lauderdale Strikers, managed by Thomas Rongen, finished the season in sixth place, missing the playoffs. Solid performances were key to keeping the team competitive in many matches despite their struggles in defense. However, the team ultimately fell short, with a goal differential that reflected their difficulties in balancing attack and defense.

## Rankings
### APSL regular season

| Place | Team | GP | W | L | WN | WE | WS | LN | LE | LS | GF | GA | GD | Points |
| 1 | Vancouver 86ers | 24 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 126 |
| 2 | Colorado Foxes | 24 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 40 | 34 | +6 | 121 |
| 3 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 24 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 53 | 47 | +6 | 118 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Salsa | 24 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 41 | 37 | +4 | 109 |
| 5 | Toronto Blizzard | 24 | 10 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 35 | 41 | -6 | 97 |
| 6 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 24 | 9 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 39 | 52 | -13 | 94 |
| 7 | Montreal Impact | 24 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 33 | -5 | 90 |

## Statistics
### League Performance

* Matches Played: 24
* Victories: 8
* Draws: 4
* Losses: 12
* Goals For (GF): 39
* Goals Against (GA): 52
* Goal Difference: -13

### Match Results

| Date | Opponent | Result | Goals For | Goals Against |
| 04/04/1993 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | W 3-2 | 3 | 2 |
| 12/04/1993 | Los Angeles Salsa | L 2-3 | 2 | 3 |
| 18/04/1993 | Impact de Montréal | L 0-1 | 0 | 1 |
| 25/04/1993 | Colorado Foxes | L 1-2 | 1 | 2 |
| 02/05/1993 | Vancouver 86ers | W 2-0 | 2 | 0 |
| 09/05/1993 | Toronto Blizzard | W 4-1 | 4 | 1 |
| 16/05/1993 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | L 0-2 | 0 | 2 |
| 23/05/1993 | Los Angeles Salsa | W 3-0 | 3 | 0 |
| 30/05/1993 | Impact de Montréal | L 1-4 | 1 | 4 |
| 06/06/1993 | Colorado Foxes | W 2-1 | 2 | 1 |
| 13/06/1993 | Vancouver 86ers | L 1-3 | 1 | 3 |
| 20/06/1993 | Toronto Blizzard | L 0-2 | 0 | 2 |
| 27/06/1993 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | L 1-2 | 1 | 2 |
| 04/07/1993 | Los Angeles Salsa | W 3-1 | 3 | 1 |
| 11/07/1993 | Impact de Montréal | D 2-2 | 2 | 2 |
| 18/07/1993 | Colorado Foxes | W 1-0 | 1 | 0 |
| 25/07/1993 | Vancouver 86ers | L 0-3 | 0 | 3 |
| 01/08/1993 | Toronto Blizzard | L 2-3 | 2 | 3 |
| 08/08/1993 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | L 0-3 | 0 | 3 |
| 15/08/1993 | Los Angeles Salsa | D 1-1 | 1 | 1 |
| 22/08/1993 | Impact de Montréal | D 1-1 | 1 | 1 |
| 29/08/1993 | Colorado Foxes | L 0-4 | 0 | 4 |
| 05/09/1993 | Vancouver 86ers | L 0-5 | 0 | 5 |
| 12/09/1993 | Toronto Blizzard | W 2-1 | 2 | 1 |
| 19/09/1993 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | D 1-1 | 1 | 1 |
| 26/09/1993 | Los Angeles Salsa | W 3-2 | 3 | 2 |

### Top Performers

* Top Scorer:
** Marcelo Carrera - Scored a total of 12 goals throughout the season.
* Most Assists:
** Shawn Medved - Provided 8 assists, showcasing strong playmaking abilities.

### Match Statistics

* Matches Without Scoring: 2
* Matches Without Conceding: 2
* Drawn Games: 4
* Matches with More than 2.5 Goals: 18
* Average Goals Per Match: 1.63
* Clean Sheets: 3 (matches where the opponent did not score)

### Player Statistics

| Name | Position | GP/GS | Min | G |
| Jeff Betts | D | 3/2 | 213 | 0 |
| Scott Brennen | | 18/16 | 1541 | 0 |
| Marcelo Carrera | M | 17/16 | 1477 | 2 |
| Juan Castillo | F | 18/16 | 1530 | 1 |
| John Clare | D | 14/14 | 1296 | 1 |
| Jean Derivois | M | 1/1 | 43 | 0 |
| Jefferson Doe | F | 2/0 | 15 | 0 |
| Zico Doe | F | 23/20 | 1896 | 12 |
| Troy Edwards | D | 5/5 | 442 | 0 |
| Eric Eichmann | F | 19/17 | 1586 | 5 |
| Dennis Hamlett | D | 11/10 | 924 | 0 |
| Alvin James | M | 18/15 | 1330 | 7 |
| Stan Lembryk | D | 8/7 | 645 | 0 |
| Zenon Luzniak | D | 23/22 | 2041 | 0 |
| Lalo Maradona | M | 8/7 | 623 | 2 |
| Andrew McKay | D | 14/12 | 1099 | 2 |
| Ivan McKinley | F | 5/5 | 465 | 0 |
| Shawn Medved | F | 16/16 | 1485 | 0 |
| Thomas Rongen | M | 1/0 | 21 | 0 |
| Alex Sanchez | M | 20/10 | 989 | 2 |
| Kenny Santos | M | 20/19 | 1919 | 2 |
| Patrick Tardieu | F | 12/10 | 992 | 3 |
| Jose Umanda | D | 1/1 | 78 | 0 |

### Goalkeeper Statistics

| Name | GP/GS | Min | GA | Sho | GAA |
| Chris Antonopoulos | 2/1 | 141 | 7 | 0 | 4.47 |
| Juan Castillo | 1/0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mario Jimenez | 4/4 | 350 | 3 | 0 | 0.77 |
| Jorge Valenzuela | 19/19 | 1748 | 42 | 2 | 2.16 |

#### *GP/GS: Games Played / Games Started | Min: Minutes Played | G: Goals Scored | Y/R: Yellow Cards / Red Cards | GA: Goals Allowed (for goalkeepers) | Sho: Shutouts (for goalkeepers) | GAA: Goals Against Average (for goalkeepers)
## Transfers
### Players In

* Jeff Betts (University of Portland) - Arrived on January 1, 1993
* Stan Lembryk (Loyola University Maryland) - Arrived on January 1, 1993
* Shawn Medved (Colorado Foxes) - Arrived on January 1, 1993
* Marcelo Carrera (Power) - Arrived on July 1, 1993
* Chris Antonopoulos (Florida International University) - Arrived on July 1, 1993
Players Out
* Omid Namazi - Transferred to Reading on December 6, 1992
* Jeff Betts - Released on June 18, 1993
* Neil Covone - Retired on January 1, 1993
* Arnie Mausser - Retired on January 1, 1993