The Miami FC have kept their ship afloat in the 2020 USL Championship season. Despite early struggles, the change at the helm has slowly paid off. Miami is coming off a loss in their last match against Charleston a week ago today. Luckily for Miami, their last visit to Tampa resulted in points and the Rowdies are also coming off a loss against the Battery. A Miami victory tonight would be an incredible boost for the club.
pic courtesy: live5news.com
Miami FC finished a punishing run of four games in 11 days with a 3-1 loss on the road to Charleston Battery on Wednesday evening. With both sides having a busy August the game was predictably cautious in the opening exchanges. FC head coach Paul Dalglish had already been forced to shuffle his pack after injuries to Brian James and Sebastian Velasquez. So it was hugely disappointing when they lost Prince Saydee with barely ten minutes gone.
Goalkeeper Bryan Gammiero had just plucked a Battery corner out of the South Carolinian sky and hurled it into the path of Prince. Great distribution. But with a huge gap to run into the Miami FC winger pulled up clutching his hamstring. Prince couldn’t continue and Dalglish was forced into an early substitution, sending on Janos Löbe as a replacement.
Miami had started well but the break in play seemed to work in favor of the home team. Charleston grew into the game from that point, taking the lead through Logan Gdula who lashed a rocket home off the underside of the bar that gave Gammiero no chance. It was 2-0 not long after when Romario Piggott capitalized on a poor clearance by the FC defense and slotted home. You have to say the second goal was preventable and it fits into a worryingly familiar pattern of goals conceded by Miami FC which would be filed under ‘sloppy defending’.
Nevertheless this team is prepared to fight for a comeback and if Paul Dalglish gave them a few stern words at half time it seemed to do the trick. Romario Williams got a piledriver on target after a couple of minutes but it was well saved by Joe Kuzminsky in the Charleston goal. A couple of feet either side and it would have been in.
If Miami FC came out flying then it seemed The Battery were still in the dressing room and the Orange and Blue took advantage. Löbe found space down the left but cleverly squared the ball early instead of going for the line. Miguel Gonzalez got on the end of it, out-muscled a defender and finished well beyond the diving Kuzminsky.
53' – MIAMI FC GOALLLLL! @elmiggy_10 cuts Charleston's lead to just one. Löbe picks up the assist. 1-2 pic.twitter.com/0R93gQME1z
— The Miami FC (@TheMiamiFC) August 27, 2020
It looked like the match might turn back in Miami’s favor. The next goal would be vital. But it was Charleston who scored it. Dante Marini just getting the ball past a wrong-footed Gammiero after Paterson had picked out target man Arthur Bosua in the box. The two goal lead was restored.
Miami went looking for another goal of their own and Charleston were happy to sit back and let them have possession. The triangle on the left of Bah, Löbe and Bezecourt, who again was the most dangerous creative outlet all game, looked to be the most likely avenue to a chance. Lloyd Sam came on and couldn’t squeeze a second home from a tight angle. Another substitute Harrison Heath sent a low shot wide. Hassan Ndam had a great chance from a corner that he couldn’t get on target.
3-1 at the end. Miami FC have seven days rest before traveling to Tampa again for another pop at the Rowdies. 7:30pm, September 2nd on ESPN+.
Miami FC round off a busy August with a trip to Blackbaud Stadium in South Carolina to face Charleston Battery. The Battery are on a high, unbeaten in four games and coming off a 3-0 pounding of a sorry North Carolina FC team in their last game. In fact they have scored a total of 6 goals in their last two games.
Sunday night was a momentous occasion for The Miami FC, just without the fanfare. Miami had been showing all of the right signs of life necessary to compete in the USL. It always a matter of when and not if, Miami would begin racking up points. That “when” came off the right foot of Tomas Granitto. After Sunday night’s performance, Miami has earned points in three straight games against teams in the top half of their respective group.
The waters seem to be stabilizing for Miami FC under head coach Paul Dalglish. MFC has earned points in two straight matches and seem to have plugged the leak in their defense. While Miami should come into tonight’s match optimistic, Charlotte is no push over. In what should have been a celebratory homecoming for Independence forward Valentin Sabella, Miami must keep a close eye on the speedy if it wants to continue the point streak.
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’s without a doubt that Paul Dalglish is looking for revenge tonight against Atlanta United 2. It is a quick turnaround for The Miami FC after collecting their first USL point on Sunday. The boys in blue displayed many positives in the road match against an excellent Rowdies side and Miami must build on that momentum. Dalglish is not one to experiment once he finds a cohesive unit. The question remains, which Miami side shows up tonight.
The Miami FC took a step in the right direction on Sunday night. In Paul Dalglish’s return to the technical area, the tactics from the two previous years returned to the pitch. Miami got on the board early but couldn’t hold off Tampa for the remaining 80+ minutes to earn their first USL victory. Travelling teams often target a draw on the road, and the result might just be the first step in getting Miami firing on all cylinders again thanks in part to Bryant Gammiero.
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.
In a stunning tweet late last night from Soc Takes’ Nipun Chopra, it was reported that Miami FC General Manager Paul Dalglish would be stepping back into the coaching role. Paul Dalglish left the technical area for the front office at the conclusion of the 2019 season. As of this time, it is unclear if Nelson Vargas remains with the club in his position as director of the youth academy.