This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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For the second time in less than a week, FC Edmonton and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers played a 1-0 game.
This time it was down in Florida and the Eddies came out on the losing end.
FCE had a chance to jump over the Strikers with a win and end with 14 points but the Strikers held the majority of the possession early, and tested FC Edmonton’s ‘keeper Lance Parker a number of times inside the first 20 minutes.
The tempo of the game changed slightly when Strikers forward Leopoldo Morales went down after a challenge and had to be taken off the field by paramedics with a compound fracture of the leg.
When the play continued, the Eddies were unable to find their spot in the game – Parker continuing to make a couple of big saves from Strikers forward Andy Herron and midfielder Mark Anderson. Chris Kooy, who partnered Paul Hamilton in the centre of defence, also had to step up and make a save when Herron beat Parker from a tight angle.
Closing out the first half, the Eddies had yet to record a clear shot on net and Strikers goalkeeper Matt Glaeser had a very quiet time between the posts.
“We have to organize better,” FC Edmonton’s head coach Harry Sinkgraven said at half time.
With only two natural defenders on the field, in Paul Hamilton and Fabrice Lassonde, the Eddies were perhaps lucky to not be down by a goal or two going into the break.
FC Edmonton came out for the second half an improved side however. Michael Cox and Shaun Saiko showed how well they can play together with Cox having two good chances early on, but his shots were high and just wide of the net.
It remained difficult for the Eddies to get out of defensive mode as they were set against the waves of pressure from the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. It took 68 minutes for Andy Herron to find his way past Lance Parker and put the Strikers up 1-0.
Coach Sinkgraven continued to add to the FC Edmonton attack as he put Yashir Pinto into the game, but they were unable to find that final finishing ball.
“Comparing the first half to the second half, we played the second half better,” Sinkgraven said after the game. “We had more control of the game in the second half and played well.”
FC Edmonton slip to seventh place in the league – as the Carolina RailHawks defeated the Atlanta Silverbacks – but the Eddies still have a game in hand. FC Edmonton continues its road-trip with a game against the RailHawks next Saturday June 23 (K.O. 5pm MDT).
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