Copa America Trophy in Miami - Play Guru del Futbol Copa America

COPA AMERICA TROPHY ON DISPLAY AT AVENTURA MALL THIS WEEKEND
AVENTURA, Fla. – June 30, 2011 – Copa America kicks off in Argentina on Friday, but South Florida residents and visitors will have a unique opportunity to view the soccer tournament’s prestigious trophy this weekend at Aventura Mall. MasterCard Worldwide, Copa America’s official card and preferred payment method, will display the trophy in Aventura Mall’s Center Court from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 3. Guests will receive a complimentary photo with the trophy. Following a seven-month, 14-city journey throughout Latin America, the Copa America Trophy Tour, sponsored by MasterCard, will make its only U.S. stop at Aventura Mall. Since December, more than 130,000 people in countries such as Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru have viewed and been able to take photos with the trophy. The trophy will return to Argentina Monday in time for the kickoff of the long-awaited tournament, which runs through July 24. The Copa America Trophy was originally donated to the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) in 1916 by Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The trophy, which was crafted by a Buenos Aires jewelry shop at a cost of 3,000 Swiss francs, is silver with a wooden base and contains small plaques of each Copa America winning team. Twelve national teams from South America (plus Costa Rica and Mexico) will compete for Copa America. Soccer powerhouse Brazil is the two-time defending champion.For more information, visit www.ca2011.com.

Guru del Futbol - Copa America game
From the makers of NASLGuru comes the latest Guru game. This time, its the Copa America version. 12 teams compete for the trophy of the oldest running soccer championship in the world and you can prognosticate the results in this fun game. You can even log in using your facebook account.
The game is catered to the South American crowd and in Spanish but it's easy to figure out. After logging in go to "Predicciones" to make your predictions. You have 3 options Local (Home team) Empate (Tie) and Visitante (Visitor) click on your desired winner and below predict the goal diffrence. It's that simple! You can even go to the "Estadisticas" tab for statistics. If you're not sure about your predictions and want to see what everyone else predicted then use this tool.
Be sure to visit and play Guru del Futbol - Copa America.

Don't forget to also play NASLGuru and win a North American Soccer League team jersey every month!
Check out April and May's winners: Puerto Rico Islanders fans José Alvarado and Francisco Díaz.

Find the Guru in you!

Strikers vs Islanders plus USA vs Spain watch party.

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers announced there will be a double header this Saturday as Lockhart Stadium. Starting at 5 pm. Palm Beach United and the Jacksonville-based Florida Sol of the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) will be playing prior to the Strikers versus the Puerto Rico Islanders to be held at 7:30 pm.
To get ticket and game information visit www.strikers.com

As an alternative South Florida United (The Unified Supporters groups of south Florida) and The American Outlaws have organized a watch party this Saturday at 4:00 PM when the United States takes on 2010 World Cup Champions Spain at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

If you’re not fortunate enough to be traveling to the match, American Outlaws: South Florida invites you to join us for a watch party at the Fox & Hound pub in Fort Lauderdale. Our usual spot for watch parties will be Mickey Bryne’s in Hollywood, but since there is also a Strikers home match at Lockhart Stadium this Saturday at 7:30 PM, we figure gathering at F&H will make it easier for everyone to get from the watch party to the Strikers game.

So come on out and cheer on the Yanks as they get a final tune up before the 2011 Gold Cup, and then join us at Lockhart for some exciting local soccer as the Strikers take on the defending D2 champion Puerto Rico Islanders.

For more information visit the Facebook events page and remember to make it a soccer Saturday by going to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers game. We hope to see everyone there.

Strikers visit the Puerto Rico Islanders

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers will battle the Puerto Rico Islanders tonight Friday, April 29th, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium. The Islanders, the reigning Div 2 champions and also the reigning CFU Club Championship winners, are undefeated in the NASL so far this season winning 2 games away and another in their home debut. The Islanders current form will be a test to the Strikers as they come off their first victory this season versus the Atlanta Silverbacks last weekend (2-1).

“The Islanders are playing well right now and it’s going to be a tough challenge,” said Head Coach Daryl Shore. “We are hoping to build from our effort in Atlanta last week and we are looking forward to going down there and coming away with some points.”
The Strikers four-match road trip will also take them to Minnesota and Carolina. The team will return to action at Lockhart Stadium on May 14th against in-state rival FC Tampa Bay.

Read more HERE
 All Strikers home and away matches are available online via webcast at www.strikers.com/live
More NASL games this weekend include:
Saturday
FC Tampa Bay vs Atlanta Silverbacks at Al Lang Stadium 7:00 pm
NSC Minnesota Stars vs Carolina RailHawks at NSC Stadium 8:30 pm
Sunday
FC Edmonton vs Montreal Impact at Foote Field 9:30 pm
All times are Eastern time.

Strikers visit the Puerto Rico Islanders

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers will battle the Puerto Rico Islanders tonight Friday, April 29th, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium. The Islanders, the reigning Div 2 champions and also the reigning CFU Club Championship winners, are undefeated in the NASL so far this season winning 2 games away and another in their home debut. The Islanders current form will be a test to the Strikers as they come off their first victory this season versus the Atlanta Silverbacks last weekend (2-1).

“The Islanders are playing well right now and it’s going to be a tough challenge,” said Head Coach Daryl Shore. “We are hoping to build from our effort in Atlanta last week and we are looking forward to going down there and coming away with some points.”
The Strikers four-match road trip will also take them to Minnesota and Carolina. The team will return to action at Lockhart Stadium on May 14th against in-state rival FC Tampa Bay.

Read more HERE
 All Strikers home and away matches are available online via webcast at www.strikers.com/live
More NASL games this weekend include:
Saturday
FC Tampa Bay vs Atlanta Silverbacks at Al Lang Stadium 7:00 pm
NSC Minnesota Stars vs Carolina RailHawks at NSC Stadium 8:30 pm
Sunday
FC Edmonton vs Montreal Impact at Foote Field 9:30 pm
All times are Eastern time.

NASL Annual General Meeting in Miami

The North American Soccer League will hold it's Annual General Meeting tomorrow in Miami's Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Biscayne Bay. The event takes place on November 7 and 8 and will bring together representatives from all existing NASL teams starting with the current Champions Puerto Rico Islanders, Carolina RailHawks, Montreal Impact, Miami FC Blues, FC Tampa Bay, Crystal Palace Baltimore and new expansion team FC Edmonton. Also attending will be representatives of two teams that still don't meet USSF's new standards AC St. Louis and NSC Minnesota Stars who are in process of acquiring new investors.

Not attending as you may imagine will be the Rochester Rhinos as they aligned themselves with USL Pro and The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps who will play in MLS next season.

Several topics will be covered including tentative schedule for next season, league staff and future expansion.

The NASL, while busy planning for the 2011 season, was surprised by league member Rochester Rhinos’ announcement earlier this week that they plan to play at the USSF third division level (USL PRO) despite their multi-year commitment with the NASL. The NASL is evaluating all of its options and will proceed accordingly. “It’s unfortunate that the Rochester Rhinos, a team with such a successful track record over its fifteen year history at the second division level, is stepping down to third division," said Aaron Davidson, CEO of the NASL

Read more HERE

NASL Annual General Meeting in Miami

The North American Soccer League will hold it's Annual General Meeting tomorrow in Miami's Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Biscayne Bay. The event takes place on November 7 and 8 and will bring together representatives from all existing NASL teams starting with the current Champions Puerto Rico Islanders, Carolina RailHawks, Montreal Impact, Miami FC Blues, FC Tampa Bay, Crystal Palace Baltimore and new expansion team FC Edmonton. Also attending will be representatives of two teams that still don't meet USSF's new standards AC St. Louis and NSC Minnesota Stars who are in process of acquiring new investors.

Not attending as you may imagine will be the Rochester Rhinos as they aligned themselves with USL Pro and The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps who will play in MLS next season.

Several topics will be covered including tentative schedule for next season, league staff and future expansion.

The NASL, while busy planning for the 2011 season, was surprised by league member Rochester Rhinos’ announcement earlier this week that they plan to play at the USSF third division level (USL PRO) despite their multi-year commitment with the NASL. The NASL is evaluating all of its options and will proceed accordingly. “It’s unfortunate that the Rochester Rhinos, a team with such a successful track record over its fifteen year history at the second division level, is stepping down to third division," said Aaron Davidson, CEO of the NASL

Read more HERE

The End of an Era. Good bye Blues, hello Strikers!

A 1-1 tie with the Puerto Rico Islanders marked the end of the Miami FC Blues after 5 years of existence. The team will be re-branded under the Strikers name that was perhaps the only truly successful team in South Florida history. The Blues, hot off a 4 game winning streak were looking to end the season with yet another win but meet up with a strong PR Islanders team that had just defeated Mexican powerhouse Toluca in Concacaf Champions. Miami FC dominated the game but could not come away with the victory.

For more details on the game visit www.miamifc.com

Prior to the Miami FC game there were two preliminary games the first saw U15 youth teams clash as West Pines United FC defeated Real Madrid SAA by a 2-0 in a U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Premier League match. Read more HERE
The second game was the Final of the first ever Miami FC Pub Cup where Sci Sci defeated Lion & Eagle Pub. It was a hard fought game that ended tied at 3-3. It came down to a shootout which saw Sci Sci come out on top. For more details go HERE

The Miami Ultras fan club awarded their annual player of the year award to Christian Gomez. Read all about it at www.miamisoccerfan.com
Following is a video of the trophy being given to Gomez by Miami Ultras President Pieter Brown:

Following are pictures taken by Robert Scorca

The End of an Era. Good bye Blues, hello Strikers!

A 1-1 tie with the Puerto Rico Islanders marked the end of the Miami FC Blues after 5 years of existence. The team will be re-branded under the Strikers name that was perhaps the only truly successful team in South Florida history. The Blues, hot off a 4 game winning streak were looking to end the season with yet another win but meet up with a strong PR Islanders team that had just defeated Mexican powerhouse Toluca in Concacaf Champions. Miami FC dominated the game but could not come away with the victory.

For more details on the game visit www.miamifc.com

Prior to the Miami FC game there were two preliminary games the first saw U15 youth teams clash as West Pines United FC defeated Real Madrid SAA by a 2-0 in a U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Premier League match. Read more HERE
The second game was the Final of the first ever Miami FC Pub Cup where Sci Sci defeated Lion & Eagle Pub. It was a hard fought game that ended tied at 3-3. It came down to a shootout which saw Sci Sci come out on top. For more details go HERE

The Miami Ultras fan club awarded their annual player of the year award to Christian Gomez. Read all about it at www.miamisoccerfan.com
Following is a video of the trophy being given to Gomez by Miami Ultras President Pieter Brown:

Following are pictures taken by Robert Scorca

Miami FC vs Puerto Rico Islanders. Pub Cup Final and U15 West Pines United FC vs SAA Real Madrid

Miami FC will play its final game of the season this Saturday October 2 at 7:30 pm versus the Puerto Rico Islanders who came off of a come from behind victory in Concacaf Champions game versus Mexico's last champion Toluca. It will be a difficult match for the Blues who will see the end of an era as they retire the Miami FC name and start off the next year under the name of the most successful team in South Florida History. That's right folks, The Strikers will be back in 2011!

Join the Ultras in the stands as we will wear our Miami FC jerseys and wear the Red and yellow of the Strikers underneath. At the Final whistle we will shed the Blue for the Strikers!

Miami FC will look to close out its regular season on a high note at home with a match against the Puerto Rico Islanders on Saturday, Oct. 2 at Lockhart Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start time.
“We are looking to finish the season strong against a very quality opponent. We are on a good run now winning four in a row, but we hope to get that fifth victory not only for us but for our fans,” said Head Coach Daryl Shore

For a pre-match info go to www.miamifc.com

Be sure to join the Ultras as they award the Fan player of the year just before the start of the game. You can still vote by going to www.miamisoccerfan.com

Pub Cup

But, before the Miami FC game we have 2 games. The preliminary game will be the first ever Pub Cup Final, which will be awarded prior to the Miami FC game:After two months of competition, the stage has been set for the PubCup Final. Lion & Eagle will square off against Sci-Sci this Saturday, Oct 2nd at Lockhart Stadium. The winner will be declared the first ever champion of the Pub Cup. Kick off is set for 6pm.
The coveted Pub Cup trophy will be presented to the winning team at the end of the game topped off with Holy Mackerel's special championship edition of their handcrafted Golden Ale. In true pub fashion, tradition dictates that the winning team slam the contents of the Cup on the field immediately following their victory," said Commercial Director Tommy KnappRead more HERE

Region III Premier League

The first game of the day will begin at at 4:30PM, it is a Region III Premier League (R3PL) match between West Pines United FC and SAA Real Madrid, both are U15 teams. Real Madrid is the present Florida State Champion and West Pines is the previous State Champion, so needless to say this is a "Clasico' rivalry match.

Last year -Real Madrid-Miami U14- won the Early Season Championship, the Disney Showcase Championship, the Regular Season Championship and the Florida State Championship. This year at U15 they are competing in the R3PL, which is the top teams in the region at a National level. Most of the games are taking place in Savannah, Jacksonville and Gainesville with only two games in the South Florida area. This is why Saturday's game is a major event.

Tailgate starting at 3 pm

Join the Miami Ultras at the Tailgate starting at 3 pm. Enjoy BBQ and free beer. Plus live band A Beautiful Cage starting at about 5:30 PM Be sure to get out there and enjoy a great day of Soccer at Lockhart Stadium!