Miami Ultras Alive "Blame it on the Rain Edition" with pictures and rumors

It was to be the biggest game of the year for the Strikers this past Saturday but Mother Nature decided it was not going to happen. The Tailgate was a success! Tons of fans arrived at Lockhart Stadium early to witness the wonderful giveaways and booths offering a myriad of products and gadgets.
The visiting Supporters group Ralph's Mob was greeted in their section by a little surprise that was snuck into the Stadium courtesy of South Florida United (The United Supporters Groups consisting of the Miami Ultras, Flight 19, CSE and others)

Following are pictures of the events prior and during our wait for the match:

Miami Ultras Alive
If you didn't get a chance be sure to check out Miami Ultras Alive part 6.
The show featured guest Jeff Rusnak who spoke mostly about local WPS team MagicJack and a little about the Strikers. We also had the Strikers PR dude Mr. Ignacio Rodriguez! Someone mentioned a certain Guillermo Barros Schelotto hmmm...
Be sure to check it out:

Listen to internet radio with Miami Ultras Alive on Blog Talk Radio

NOTE:
Burrito's Previous blog called "Everything you need to be a perfect Strikers Fan" was deleted by BLOGGER.
Blogger's malfunction deleted many blog post for other blog sites and claimed the issue would be resolved but that never happened and we assume Burrito's masterpiece went the way of the Dodo bird.
Burrito hopes he can somehow use his canine ability's to conjure something similar in the days to come. (The mentioned post was actually one of the most read blog posts this year)

MagicJack win, Strikers tie and Miami Ultras Alive.

MagicJack remain undefeated as they defeated the Atlanta Beat 2-0 in a Women's Professional Soccer League game played Sunday at FAU Soccer Field.

The magicJack outshot Atlanta 17-1, including putting 10 shots on goal and having the edge 6-0 on corner kicks.
Pressure was applied early by magicJack with Masar scoring at the 23-minute mark from inside five yards on an assist from Lindsay Tarpley. Press sealed the match with her goal in the 64th minute from 24 yards out.
"We wanted to come out and show how good of a soccer team we are," Masar said. "I think we did that today."

Read more on the Sun Sentinel
You can follow MagicJack on Facebook  
The Strikers
After starting off the season with a defeat, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers haven't looked back and have not lost a game since. This weekend the Red and yellow came back from Minnesota with a point as they tied the Stars 1-1.
Leading up to the game Strikers staff held a pub crawl which was a total success. Regrettably the live transmission was not available until the last few minutes of the game, but that did not deter the fans from having fun!

The first half momentum went to the Strikers with multiple chances early on. Paulinho LePetit forced a save from Minnesota’s keeper in the third minute when he shot low to the near post. In the15th minute the Strikers had another opportunity when Aaron Wheeler found Paulinho at the top of the box for a shot that was just wide.
The Strikers went into halftime with a 1-0 lead after Eduardo “Chacho” Coudet converted his fourth straight penalty kick of the season.

For more details of the game go to www.strikers.com

The Strikers will play this coming Wednesday, May 11^th at 7:30 p.m.to end their road trip versus the Carolina Railhawks.
Miami Ultras Alive
Be sure to join us tonight Monday and every Monday starting at 10 pm as Miami Ultras President Pieter Brown and Uncle Ed host their Weekly 1 hour show dedicated to the South Florida soccer scene, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, MagicJack FC, MLS, WPS, NASL and so on. This week our special guest is Steve Holler, president of Ralph's Mob a supporters group for FC Tampa Bay Rowdies.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/miamiultras
Be sure to Log in to chat or call us at (323) 927-1455

NASL Supporters Groups Unite and send a letter to the USSF.

After the decision made by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), that revoked their preliminary sanctioning of the North American Soccer Leagues (NASL) for Division 2 soccer, the NASL teams supporters groups united and sent a letter to USSF President Sunil Gulati.
Their message follows:

February 1, 2011

President Sunil Gulati
U.S. Soccer Federation
1801 S. Prairie Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616

Dear President Gulati,

As supporters of North American Soccer League (NASL) clubs, we would like to voice our concern regarding the recent decision by your Federation to rescind the provisional Division 2 status of the NASL. We are personally appalled by the decision of the Federation to deny second division sanctioning to the NASL. Many fans were positively encouraged by the interest the USSF paid to second division soccer this season, and were pleased by the new standards put in place to ensure stability and continuity at the second division level. We thank the USSF for the interest and leadership you have provided during 2010 to stabilize and maintain second division.

Should our community be deprived of high level, but affordable entertainment in the form of NASL soccer for 2011, fans will be starved of access to the beautiful game. Without professional soccer in our community, many fans may simply move on to other sports and an opportunity to continue the upward trajectory of interest in soccer here at home will be lost.

For our youth soccer community, it is imperative that the NASL play at the second division level this season. The USSF is striving to improve soccer in the United States and improve our national team. But if we deny young fans in five key American soccer markets local heroes to emulate and a club to support, we potentially lose a generation of kids who can help make the United States the best we can be in World Soccer. The partner federations and communities in Canada and Puerto Rico would also be severely affected.

The loss of our league will also have an inevitable ripple effect that will hurt not only the US National Team program and supporter’s base, but also development of soccer throughout the CONCACAF region. The NASL serves as a competitive league where many nations throughout the region have players developing their talent. Having better players throughout our region will no doubt be beneficial to the development of US Soccer, providing stronger competition to challenge and grow the US Nation Team.

When our teams played in USL, we were never able to keep track of our opponents or the composition of the league. The NASL has been forthright and aggressive in its local marketing while pledging a needed stability at the second division level. The NASL’s ability to attract the type of investors the USSF wants involved in the sport based on the new second division standards also has local fans excited about the future of both our teams and the league we compete in. We feel ownership and a connection to our league, the NASL that we never felt for USL.

The teams of the NASL have already invested much time and resources to establish this second division league. This is the foundation for creating a stable second division in this country, as opposed to a league that benefits from the constant expansion and contraction of teams. We believe that it is time for the USSF to work for what is best for the future and stability of U.S. Soccer. The mission should be to further the game's roots in our communities by supporting soccer at all levels.

We hope you recognize the vital role second division soccer plays across North American and Puerto Rico. We ask that you reverse this shortsighted and damaging decision. Displacing fans and hurting the development of soccer in the United States should not be what the USSF is all about. Your role as a governing body is to promote the sport and grow the game. Working with the NASL to establish a long needed, stable second division is the type of positive development this sport sorely needs.

Sincerely,

Pieter Brown
President, Miami Ultras
Miami FC / Strikers Supporters

Steve Holler
President, Ralph’s Mob
FC Tampa Bay Supporters

Tim Hayes
On behalf of The Dark Clouds
NSC Minnesota Supporters

Kristian Vázquez-Díaz
President, Islanders Foreign Legion
Puerto Rico Islanders Supporters

Daniel Stroud
Member, Jailhawks Member
Carolina Railhawks Supporters

Chris Martz
Westside 109
Atlanta Silverbacks Supporters

Steven Beauregard
Member, Ultras Montréal
Montréal Impact Supporters

What are your thoughts concerning the USSF decision? Should NASL be sanctioned as Div 2?

Miami FC / Strikers PR Manager Ignacio Rodriguez on Feuerstein's Fire

Miami FC's (Soon to be Strikers) PR Manager Ignacio Rodriguez was on Daniel Feuerstein's "Feuerstein's Fire Episode #40" yesterday along with FC Tampa fan and Ralph's Mob member Garrett Tozier.

Following you will be able to listen to it but it starts off talking about the world Cup and the awarding of the 2022 event in Qatar and the possible changing of the schedule to accommodate the World Cup to the Winter. (To avoid the heat of the summer)

Then at about the 15th minute Daniel goes on to talk about the MLS meeting the Miami Ultras had with MLS Commissioner Don Garber. My question is why didn't Daniel have a Miami Ultra on the show?

Either way Ignacio had the Ultras back and challenged the Mob on behalf of the Ultras to play a game and he also proposed a game between Strikers and FC Tampa's front offices! Props to Ignacio.

But let me not bore you with words, go ahead and listen and leave a comment. (You can X out of the advertisement).

Listen to internet radio with Feuerstein's Fire on Blog Talk Radio

Follow Ignacio Rodriguez on Twitter http://twitter.com/Blues_PR_Guy

Want to listen to Daniel Feuerstein? Be sure to check him out every Tuesday at 8 pm Eastern time http://www.blogtalkradio.com/feuersteinsfire
You can also follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/DFeuerstein

You want to talk smack to Evil "Ralph's Mom" member Garrett Tozier? Follow him on twitter and tell him what you think! http://twitter.com/gtozier

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 MLS Miami? Marcelo Claure meets with Miami FC and FC Tampa Bay

Reliable sources tell us Marcelo Claure (Brightstar) one time MLS Barcelona Miami bid head and Aaron Davidson, President of Miami FC met Thursday at 9 AM at Traffic Sports USA headquarters in Miami.

It is known Claure has already met with FC Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Claure, frustrated after his Major League Soccer adventure and fed up with Don Garber, has been itching for involvement of some sort in Florida Soccer for sometime now and has seen the excellent signings and progress Tampa has made so far this year. Tampa seems like a better investment for now, pending whatever Miami FC could muster up in the next months before the start of the USSF Div2 Season. (A NASL and USL combined league)

Signs indicate Claure has agreed to collaborate with both Tampa and Miami teams though details of the deal if any are not set in stone.

It's a positive sign for Soccer in Florida since we know Marcelo Claure has the resources and know how to make a great contribution to Soccer in this state. But questions still remain... Is any hopes of MLS now dead in the state of Florida? Claure was thought Miami's best hope for MLS but sources tell us he, like many other investors cringe at the thought of MLS's current Soccer monopoly (Single entity system).

More details as this story develops.