FC Tampa Bay Lights Up Fort Lauderdale

For weeks FC Tampa Bay hyped its July 4^th tilt against Ft. Lauderdale with signs and promotions imploring fans to “Light up the Bay” on Independence Day.

On Monday the team kept its end of the bargain, scoring the most goals it has had in a single game this season, including three quick second-half tallies, in an impressive 4-2 victory over the Strikers.

“That was nice. We need to do that every game,” Coach Ricky Hill said after the win.

The win was especially satisfying because it came against Fort Lauderdale.

Tampa Bay has a long history of testy soccer matches with teams from South Florida, dating back to the days when the Rowdies used to battle the then Miami Toros, which often led to on-field fisticuffs.

That animosity has carried over to the latest incarnations of the clubs, which sit within three points of each other in the NASL standings coming in to this game.

“We don’t like them, they don’t like us. But it’s all in good fun,” Steve Holler, president of the FC Tampa Bay fan club Ralph’s Mob, said during the game.

Making things even more interesting was the fact that these teams played just six days ago, when the host Strikers scored a goal in stoppage time at the end of the match to salvage a 1-1 draw.

And if things weren’t tense enough, Mother Nature produced a bit of stoppage time of her own Monday night.

In the 30^th minute, with FC Tampa Bay leading 1-0, a single dazzling lightning bolt flashed just over the south wall of the stadium, sending spectators scurrying for the exits and putting a halt to play while the danger passed.

Nearly an hour later the game resumed, and the Strikers took advantage of the delay by knotting the game at one on a penalty kick in the 37^th minute.

But FC Tampa Bay (4-5-5) was determined not to lose the July 4^th contest against its archrival with more than 4,200 fans in the house.

Pascal Millien scored his second goal of the season in the 54^th minute off a pass from Tsuyoshi Yoshitake to give FC TB a 2-1 lead, and eight minutes later Millen fed forward Aaron King, who slammed the ball past Ft. Lauderdale keeper Matt Glaeser for a 3-1 advantage.

When Strikers midfielder Mike Palacio pulled his team within a goal in the 68th minute, fans couldn't help but think another heartbreaking finish was on the horizon.

But FC Tampa Bay made sure fans went home happy when leading goal scorer Mike Ambersley sent his 7th goal past Glaeser two minutes later to wrap up the club's fourth victory.

After the final horn sounded, FC Tampa Bay officials allowed the fans to flood the field to watch the fireworks over the Bay.

“This was a great way to spend the Fourth,” summed up James Kasper of Belleair Beach.