PREVIEW | Eddies vs. Strikers

After last weekend’s 1-1 draw against the Carolina RailHawks, FC Edmonton will aim for their first North American Soccer League (NASL) victory of the season when they host the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, April 19 at 4:00 p.m. ET. Presented by Boardwalk Rental Communities, this match pits the Eddies against last year’s team that knocked them out of a postseason position. 

It was a hard-fought point for the Eddies in their Canadian Tire Home Opener, who battled both the RailHawks and the weather through 90 minutes of play. Goalkeeper Matt VanOekel was outstanding early in the match, making multiple key stops to keep the game scoreless before Carolina pulled ahead. 

In the dying moments of the opening half, however, FC Edmonton's 2014 leading scorer Lance Laing leveled the match with a right-footed strike, earning himself a spot on the NASL’s Team of the Week, and neither side could find the winner in the second 45 minutes of play.

Multiple storylines await Sunday’s match in addition to last year's season ending just shy of the playoffs. Although a completely different roster than when he left, Laing will be up against his former club, while the Eddies squad will aim to improve their record against Fort Lauderdale, after two losses to the Florida-based side in 2014. Meanwhile, the Strikers are looking to set themselves up for a second-consecutive trip to The Championship, where they lost, 2-1, to the San Antonio Scorpions in 2014.

“They have a South American-type flair to their team,” FC Edmonton head coach Colin Miller explained. “Technically they’re good side, they’re a big physical side. They’re a very new team, and they’ve sort of thrown a hand grenade in the middle and rebuilt the club under new ownership.”

James Marcelin, who re-signed with the Strikers, is one of Miller’s favorite players in the league. The 28-year-old, 6-foot-2 Haitian international has represented his country 22 times. The Strikers also feature Victor "PC" Giro and Leo Moura, who joined Laing on the most recent Team of the Week roster after stellar Week 2 performances. PC also earned Player of the Week honors from the NASL.

“It’s a very exciting time for Fort Lauderdale,” Miller added. “We’ve got to make sure, at home, we’re at our best. We’ll need to be at our best, if we want to pick up three points.”