Heading into last weekend, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers were completely in control of their playoff destiny. That changed drastically with an unexpected road loss in Indianapolis on Saturday.
Indy Eleven shocked NASL with their second straight major upset, after tearing apart Minnesota United the week before. As as result, a win from Freddy Adu and the Tampa Bay Rowdies helped the side leapfrog the Strikers into the fourth and final playoff spot heading into the final round of matches in the regular season.
Defender Frankie Sanfilippo has started 29 matches since signing for the Strikers this season, racking up the most minutes on the team with 2,605. The veteran has 90 more minutes to help his side reach the playoffs, but he and the Strikers do not control their own destiny.
“This week has been a bit of a roller-coaster,” Sanfilippo told SBI. “Last week we had three games, we just needed to win one and it didn’t happen.”
The Strikers have now turned their attention to the Jacksonville Armada, as the teams face off in a crucial Florida derby in Jacksonville this Sunday afternoon.
By the time that match kicks off, the Strikers will either have everything or nothing to play for. If the Rowdies take care of their own business and earn a win in New York against the Cosmos, then Kronsteiner’s men will be officially out of the playoff race. However, a draw in that match will mean the Strikers can advance with a win, and a Rowdies loss means even a draw would send the Strikers through.
“It’s a waiting game right now,” Sanfilippo added. “We had it in our hands, but now we have to wait for somebody else to do it. We just have to be focused on Jacksonville and hope the Cosmos get a result.”
With three games last week, Sanfilippo and the Strikers had more than one chance to lock up their playoff spot, but fatigue was the problem in Indianapolis.
“The first 25 minutes we were just flat,” Sanfilippo said. “We weren’t the first ones to the ball, we weren’t doing anything creative, we had nothing going forward.”
The Strikers suffered a disappointing Spring Season, managing just 11 points from 10 games as the side from southern Florida finished eighth in the table.
Gunter Kronsteiner turned his team around before the start of the Fall Season, though, and has led the Strikers on an improved run of 7-6-6 in league play. Despite the extreme disappointment of last week, the coach remains optimistic.
“(Kronsteiner) was just telling us, ‘we’re still in this, we still have the chance to make the playoffs. Just don’t think about what happened last week,'” Sanfilippo said.
The Strikers have attacking weapons all over the pitch, with a few in particular contributing in majors ways this season.
“Stefano (Pinho) has been a huge help,” Sanfilippo said. “He’s been unbelievable going forward all season, scoring goals and creating. He’s been, hands down, the best player on our team.”
Two other unexpected contributors have been standouts for the side in 2015, and the league has taken notice. Brazilian winger PC and central midfielder Marlon Freitas are both on the ballot for the NASL’s Young Player of the Year award.
“PC and Marlon have been great for us,” Sanfilippo said. “PC has been dynamic all about the pitch. Marlon adds another element to the midfield, he controls it, he takes runs.”
The Sunshine state has been a soccer hotbed this year, and the playoff battle this month between the Strikers and the Rowdies has just added fuel to the fire.
Sanfilippo has been playing in the NASL since 2011, when he joined what was then FC Tampa Bay. He made over 100 appearances for the team that would become the Rowdies, serving as captain all four seasons and leading them to the 2012 Soccer Bowl.
“It’s been exciting in Florida,” Sanfilippo said. “For the last month the Rowdies have been up, we’ve been up, it’s been a good rivalry.”