Do not refresh this page. This is not a repeat post for a match that took place last week. Miami and the Rowdies will battle again, this time, from the confines of Al Lang Stadium. A lot has changed in a short amount of time for Miami, and the front office hopes these changes can get Miami their first USL victory in franchise history.
The last time these two teams squared off against one another was during Miami’s home opener for the 2020 USL season. Tampa bested Miami by a score of 3-0 which led the eventual sacking of Nelson Vargas. Paul Dalglish will begin his 2020 USL campaign with Miami, stepping down from the front office to manage the squad. Our previous match prediction was a complete disaster so it’s time for a bit of re-tool and what Miami must do to earn points.
Omar’s Keys To A Miami FC Victory
Dalglish usually employs a tactic that is burdensome for the opposition. In a traditional 4-4-2 deployment, you’ll see Dalglish’s fullbacks fly up the flanks while holding midfielders take their place in a defensive shape. This tactic strongly suits players such as Lloyd Sam and Othello Bah who caused havoc in the NPSL and NISA. It will be interesting to see if Dalglish employs the duo in these roles at the USL level.
Harrison Heath has been on an absolute tear since the restart, leading the way in many of Miami’s chances on goal. With Sebastian Velasquez only seeing the pitch for 45 minutes in last week’s contest, Heath could be called upon again to direct the attack. Heath has proven to be incredibly versatile and could be a perfect compliment to Velasquez if he is deemed fit.
Romario Williams has come off the bench twice for Miami in both of the matches since the restart. The veteran striker should start tonight to maximize the Miami attack. Tampa did well to give Miami nothing, Williams could be the answer up front to the Rowdies centerbacks. Miguel Gonzalez, Velasquez, and Williams must be firing on all cylinders for Miami to have any chance at stealing three points from Tampa.
Prediction
We saw Mark Pais be the man in between the pipes last week against the Rowdies. While three did get past Pais, his performance inspired more confidence than the showing of Brian Sylvestre against Atlanta. The biggest question mark will remain the defense and how it handles playing the ball at their feet. Ineffective clearances have doomed Miami, but being shut out against the Rowdies was another concern. I expect Miami finds their scoring boots and puts a couple past the Rowdies at Al Lang. If Miami can play well defensively, we could see an upset tonight.
Tampa Bay Rowdies 1 – 2 The Miami FC
Betting Window:
At the time of writing Miami are the under dogs with a regulation win at +350. Tampa is paying -175 for a regulation win. On the spread, Miami is paying -130 on a +1 goal spread. Both teams to score is likely given the price offered by the books at -160. If you are looking for action tonight I think you land a winner on Miami +1 at -130. For those willing to be a bit more adventurous, throw half a unit on Miami to win on the money line.
