Dave LaMont, Thomas Rongen Highlight Broadcast Team For Strikers In 2016

Former Fort Lauderdale Strikers player and coach Thomas Rongen returns to Fort Lauderdale as color analyst as the club announced Tuesday its broadcast team for the upcoming 2016 NASL season. Rongen will be joined in the broadcast booth by the respected South Florida play-by-play commentator Dave LaMont.

Ivan Kelly, broadcaster for Lynn University, will be on rotation to call matches, while Sara Perlman, former Division I soccer player and current multimedia journalist, joins the team as the club’s sideline reporter.

“I am absolutely thrilled to welcome our new broadcasters to Strikers Futbol Live!” Strikers chief sales and marketing officer Sam Ambrose said. “Coupling the top quality play-by-play commentating of Dave LaMont and experiencing the game through the mind and eyes of Thomas Rongen will bring a new element to the broadcast for our viewers this season. Ivan Kelly and Sara Perlman will also play key roles in the development of our broadcasts as Strikers Futbol Live continues to evolve into one of the best sports programs in the market and the league.”

Color analyst Rongen was a player with Fort Lauderdale from 1981 to 1983, making over 80 appearances for the Strikers. He returned as assistant coach in 1988, while continuing to play for another five seasons with the Red & Gold. Rongen went on to manage several teams in the MLS while also claiming MLS Coach of the Year in the league’s inaugural season, in addition to featuring in the film, ‘Next Goal Wins’, while later in charge of the American Samoa national team.

Rongen is no stranger to the broadcast booth, having served as a color analyst for Chivas USA and D.C. United between 2005 and 2011. Last year, the Dutchman provided color commentary on a number of “Strikers Fútbol Live” broadcasts on SFL-TV and ESPN3.

“I am proud to rejoin my former team as a color commentator,” Rongen said. “My goal as the color commentator is to tell the story of the game as it unfolds. My background as a former player, coach, and scout will help the viewers experience the game in a unique way, along with a little added Dutch flair, which I think will help the fans appreciate what is taking place on the pitch both generally and technically.”

Dave LaMont, who has a long running history as a play-by-play broadcaster, joined the ESPN Network in 2004 as a football commentator, turning to play-by-play commentating in 2005. Winning multiple awards for his broadcasting work, as well as being first choice to cover major collegiate matches in the region, Dave LaMont is not only extremely familiar with the club’s history but is also a highly-recognised voice among local sport.

“Broadcasting Strikers soccer brings me full circle,” LaMont said. “The Strikers were the first professional team I covered, back in the days of Nene Cubillas, Gordon Banks, Gerd Müller, George Best, and Ray Hudson. Coached by the great Ron Newman, those days remain among the most fun I’ve ever had or ever will have in sports.

“The chance to work alongside Thomas Rongen, another one of the greats I watched play, makes this an even more exciting opportunity."

Helping call matches for the upcoming 2016 season will be Lynn University’s Ivan Kelly. The Ukrainian-born college student previously has worked for FC Metalist Kharkiv and UEFA Euro 2012. Relocating to study communications and emerging media in Boca Raton, Kelly is the voice of the Fighting Knights’ men’s soccer broadcasts and also covers the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championships.

Rounding out the team is Sara Perlman, who will serve as the club’s sideline reporter for the Spring Season. In her role, she will support the Strikers' experienced broadcasters, while gaining professional experience as a student at the University of Florida. Sara’s previous experience includes working as a journalist for ESPN Gainesville and WUFT-TV.

In addition to his role as color commentator, Rongen will assume hosting duties of the “Breakfast with the Strikers” radio show, on Saturday mornings from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m ET on leading South Florida station, 790 The Ticket.