Romario To The Rescue At Riccardo Silva Stadium to salvage The Miami FC draw

 

Not all heroes wear capes but some of them do score goals and when you have a goalscoring superstar hero of a number 9 called Romario in your team like The Miami FC does, you always have a chance.

The home side didn’t have much time to rest up after Sunday’s tie against the Rowdies in St. Petersburg. They measured the early pace, setting out to control the opening exchanges with their trademark game of keeping possession and patiently working the spaces to open up chances. ATLUTD2 did a good job to keep their shape in response and frustrated the Orange and Blue. They ended up taking the hosts by surprise, upping the tempo in a flash and taking the lead against the run of play. Jack Gurr rifled the ball home on a counter-attack having been given the freedom of the Miami FC half.

It went from bad to worse when a clumsy challenge by Miami center back Hassan Ndam in the area gifted Atlanta a clear penalty. Macky Diop obliged from the spot and FC found themselves 2-0 down.

The two goal deficit lasted seconds. Vincent Bezecourt picked out a wonderful through ball just after the restart. A pearl of a pass weighted perfectly into the path of Prince Saydee. Prince laid the ball first time along the ground and Romario Williams was left with an easy finish in the six yard box. It was the pick of the evening’s goals.

24' – @iam_pavyrgwvii scores his third goal of the season to put @TheMiamiFC within one goal. pic.twitter.com/og9FMSr916

— The Miami FC (@TheMiamiFC) August 19, 2020

Miami had struggled to get Williams into the game early on but the goal and the instant response seemed to galvanize them. Bezecourt almost equalized himself after drifting in unopposed from the left, his low shot turned around the post by ATLUTD2 keeper Lundgaard. In stoppage time at the end of the first half the equalizer came. It was again Vincent who was the architect, robbing a sleeping Atlanta defender in his own half and playing in Williams for his second. The Jamaican hitman making no mistake, placing the ball into the net confidently.

Second half

Into the second half and FC keeper Bryant Gammiero was called upon to snuff out a couple of half chances for ATLUTD2 but it looked increasingly like the visitors were happy to take their point home. That gave Miami opportunities to score a third, and a third for either team looked like it would be enough to be a match winner, but it wasn’t to be.

Williams rattled the crossbar from outside the box before being replaced by Mo Thiaw after sustaining what looked worryingly like a groin injury. Replays confirmed it was going in and needed another excellent save by Lundgaard to keep it out. So close to a hat trick.

Inches from taking the lead. pic.twitter.com/9pb1G8N4Yw

— The Miami FC (@TheMiamiFC) August 20, 2020

Tomi Granitto found Prince unmarked in the area but the winger sent a header agonizingly wide. Bezecourt fired another effort straight at the keeper. Thiaw had a couple of half chances he couldn’t convert. Even Rozeboom went marauding forward looking for a goal and FC simply ended up being beaten by the clock.

It ended 2-2 which probably doesn’t reflect Miami’s dominance in the game. Though you would say that ATLUTD2 were good value for their point thanks to their defensive efforts.

Miami FC’s next game is Sunday, 7pm at Riccardo Silva Stadium vs Charlotte Independence.