Fort Lauderdale–Tampa Bay rivalry
| Other names | Florida Derby, Coastal Cup |
|---|---|
| Locale | Florida |
| Teams |
Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (see History sec. for prev. teams) |
| First meeting | June 6, 1975 |
| Latest meeting | September 24, 2016 FtL 1–4 TB |
| Next meeting | unkown |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total |
|
| Most wins |
|
| All-time series |
|
| Regular season series | League: 41–37–4 (TB) Cup: 1–1–0 (tied) |
| Postseason results |
All-time: *3–1–0 (TB) *includes playoff mini-game |
| Largest victory | FtL 5–0 TB (August 31, 1983), TB 0–5 FtL (August 23, 1992) |
The Fort Lauderdale–Tampa Bay rivalry also known as the Florida Derby refers to the ongoing soccer rivalry that currently involves the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, both of whom played in the North American Soccer League though the 2016 season. Over the years the rivalry has spanned more than one hundred matches across eight soccer leagues and several tournaments, and involved nine different teams from the two regions of Florida. At times it has involved players, coaches, management and fans. Even the press has fanned the rivalry's flames at times. From 2010 through 2014, the winner of the regular season series automatically won the Coastal Cup as well. The status of the rivalry beyond 2016 is unknown because the Rowdies have since joined the United Soccer League. For their part, the Strikers have not been mentioned in the NASL's future plans because of ongoing ownership issues, as well as related financial and legal battles.
The Florida Derby can trace its roots to June 6, 1975, when the upstart Tampa Bay Rowdies first played the Miami Toros in the original North American Soccer League. The Toros had finished the previous season as league runners-up, while the Rowdies were just an expansion team. The makings of a rivalry were there from the start, as the two squads came into the match tied for the best record in the league. Four minutes into that first-ever meeting, an on-field brawl erupted and two players were sent off. The accusations of foul play by both clubs continued throughout the season every time they played. This all came to head when they wound up meeting in the semi-finals of the NASL playoffs. The Rowdies coolly dispatched the Toros 3–0, en route to the Soccer Bowl '75 title. The two squads played six times over those first two years, including the one playoff match. The Toros' fortunes waned in 1976 and the franchise eventually moved to Fort Lauderdale to become the Strikers. It was then that the rivalry really began to take shape.
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