Posted on August 19, 2012

BAYAMON, P.R. – The Puerto Rico Islanders played the Fort Lauderdale Strikers to a scoreless draw in a North American Soccer League match at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium on Saturday night.

Both teams had several chances to score, but the goalkeepers for both sides kept clean sheets. Strikers keeper Matt Glaeser made five saves and Puerto Rico’s Richard Martin made four.

The Islanders moved to 10-7-5 and 37 points while the Strikers moved to 8-8-7 and 31 points.

“To come down here where it’s a hard place to play and get our second shutout in a row is a big for our team,” Strikers coach Daryl Shore said. “Apart from the first 10 minutes, I think we dug in and did well to get the result we got.”

Puerto Rico’s Gregory Richardson and Jonathan Fana were very active early with Richardson recording four shots on the night and Fana setting up several teammates.

The Islanders’ best chance came in the 26th minute when Nick Addlery collected the ball inside the top of the box and shot across his body toward the goal. Leaning the opposite direction, Glaeser managed to reverse his momentum and stick his right arm out to stop the ball from going in.

The Strikers played a very defensive match, but still had several chances to score. Just before the first half ended Mark Anderson sent a lobbed pass about 30 yards toward the Islanders net with forward Abe Thompson running under the ball alone with only one Islander in front of him. Thompson tried to volley the ball after its first high bounce, but he was unable to connect cleanly with the ball and it went just wide of the left goal post.\

Photo: Jonathan Fana set up his teammates several times, but the Islanders could not score. Andy Mead/YCJ