Well, thats the match. Thank you for following along, and stay tuned as the MLS and NASL seasons are right around the corner. From Lockhart Stadium in South Florida, I'm Josef Leizerowitz, signing off.
FT: Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 0-1 FC Shakhtar Donetsk.
90+' Shot from Taison is way wide and over the bar.
90+' Corner Shakhtar. Two shots for Shakhtar, both blocked in the box.
90' Three minutes of added time
89' Yellow card to Skiadas (FTL)
87' Corner for the Strikers after a nice save of a shot that was unleashed by Santos from outside the box. Ensuing cross is cleared.
83' Corner Shakhtar. Corner is cleared.
82' Substitution: Eddie Ababio on for Moura (FTL)
82' Corner Shakhtar. Corner is controlled by FTL and moved up-field.
Shakhtar Donetsk goal scored in the 78th minute by Marlos. An error by the keeper, and Marlos is able to round him and put the ball into the empty net.
GOAL SHAKHTAR!
77' Substitution: Skiadas on for Adrianinho (FTL)
74' Substitutions: Kobin and Boryachuk on for Korobenko and Arabidze (SHK)
73' Shakhtar still controlling the match, but can't create good chances on net.
69' Yellow card to Olexandr Kucher (SHK)
68' Substitution: Maicon Santos on for Angulo (FTL)
65' Substitution: Shevcuk on for Ismaily (SHK)
64' Free kick is saved by Restrepo.
63' Foul for Shakhtar on the edge of the box, as Taison was dragged down. Dangerous free kick coming up.
60' Substitution: Saco Vértiz on for Zapata (FTL)
56' Substitution: Nana Attakora comes on for Christian Blandon (FTL)
55' Nice touch passing by Shakhtar, but a handball in the box negates any possible Shakhtar chance.
53' Shakhtar continues to keep the ball in the Strikers half, yet still have not converted in the final third.
46' Second half underway in Ft. Lauderdale
Halftime: Shakhtar 0-0 Strikers
45' Corner Shakhtar, again. Corner taken, and cleared.
44' Corner Shakhtar. The ensuing kick is cleared to midfield.
42' Another Taison strike goes wide.
40' Corner Shakhtar. The ball is cleared to saftey on the ensuing kick.
37' Shakhtar in total conrtol of possesion, with both Strikers and Shakhtar supporters bringing the noise.
32' Corner for Shakhtar. The header from Gladkyy goes just wide left. Shakhtar is on the prowl for their first goal.
29' Nice build up by Shakhtar, but good defending on the cross by tge Ft. Lauderdale defense.
26' Taison sprints on the edge of the box, but his strike his wide left.
23' Corner for Shakhtar. Good save by Restrepo off a volley.
18' Chance! Angulo played in, but the Strikers' man fires over the bar.
15' Nice one-two into the box for Shakhtar, but good defending blocks out a potential chance.
12' Well, sorry for the delay folks. WiFi finally restored. No score yet, lots of midfield posturing.
3' Both teams look sloppy early, still feeling each other out.
0' Match underway at Lockhart
Teams are on the pitch, its almost time for kickoff!
The Strikers tied 0-0 last Saturday at home with Corinthians, the current champions of Brazil.
Shaktar's reserve team beat Boca Raton FC 5-1 last night.
Shakhtar finished third in their UEFA Champions League group, finishing behind global superpowers Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Teixeira last week spoke to Brazilian channel Globo: "I would like to move in this transfer window and have told them (Shakhtar) that. They have received a very good offer and they are working on a solution. But if I don’t go now then I will leave in the summer."
Teixeira, who is under contract until 2018, has scored an incredible 22 goals in 15 league games this season. Chelsea were also interested in signing Teixeira but, according to the Daily Mail, have withdrawn from the race.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool chiefs will this time meet Shakhtar's 50 million euro asking price for Teixeira, following a breakthrough in the transfer talks. The deal is also reportedly set to involve add-ons and performance bonuses.
Liverpool are reportedly edging closer to a club record deal for Shakhtar's Alex Teixeira. Shakhtar are reportedly holding out for closer to 50 million euros for the 26-year-old, while Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre flew out to Florida to resume negotiations.
Fun fact: Shakhtar owner Rinat Akhmetov is considered to be the richest man in Ukraine.
The Strikers recently announced their 2016 NASL schedule, which opens April 2 against expansion club, and new cross city rival, Miami FC at Lockhart Stadium.
"The club is very excited to be here in the U.S. for the first time," said Joe Palmer, Executive Director of FC Shakhtar Donetsk. "This match against the Strikers will be our very first game against a professional U.S. team and we are really looking forward to the experience."
"I would like to thank Shakhtar for their cooperation in making this match possible," Strikers Managing Director Luis Cuccatti said. "Like the Florida Cup and our match against Corinthians, this game is another opportunity to show our growth as a club and allow our fans to experience soccer at the highest level."
Donbass Arena has suffered a great amount of exterior damage from the fighting. Security camera video from last year showed a person was nearly hit by falling glass from the top of the stadium, which the club said was caused by a shock wave from a nearby explosion. The stadium has also been shelled heavily by the armed forces.
Since 2014, due to war in Donbass, Shakhtar and Metalurh Donetsk are playing all their home matches at Arena Lviv, near the border with Poland, more than 1000km away. The $550 million Donbass Arena now serves as a depot and distribution point for supplies of humanitarian aid.
Welcome to tonight's LIVE coverage of this 2016 soccer friendly between Ukranian powerhouse Shakhtar Donetsk and NASL side Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. I'm Josef Leizerowitz, and I will be bringing you live commentary from Lockhart Stadium tonight.