Tonight’s match has been three years in the making. Unfortunately for soccer fans in Florida, this game has to take place behind closed doors. The Miami FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies have been some of the most competitive clubs in lower division soccer for quite some time. Last sharing a league in 2016 (NASL), the Rowdies made the jump to USL and never looked back. Miami opens their “home” season tonight hoping to secure their first USL win.
“Miami will go as far as their defense and Brian Sylvestre’s goalkeeping will take them”. Well those words came to fruition last night as Atlanta United 2 capitalized on every defensive mistake. Despite a beautiful effort by the men up front, namely Mohamed Thiaw, Romario Williams, Sebastian Velasquez, and Magic City Soccer’s man of the match Harrison Heath, the men in the back couldn’t get out of their own way. Miami FC’s potent attack could not keep up with the sinking ship that was the defense in the loss.
It has felt like an eternity since The Miami FC competed in the USL Championship (USL-C). How long has it been? 145 days. The 4-1 loss to St. Louis FC seems as if it belongs in a completely different season. Miami is the last USL-C club to return to action. Tonight will begin an unusually long sprint for the Orange & Blue where every match is crucial and picking up points is key. Over the next 68 days, Miami will have 15 matches to secure a spot in the USL-C Playoffs.
Inter Miami CF still search for their first win with time fleeting in the #MLSisBack cup. While the scoreline matched up correctly, I unfortunately got the result flipped. Miami has failed to live up to the lofty expectations in their showings so far. Inter will need some help in order to avoid a consolation game in their final matchday against NYCFC.
The United Soccer League confirmed Thursday that it would impose a 30-day suspension of games due to COVID-19, referred to commonly as novel coronavirus. This means that The Miami FC’s home opener against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday night at Riccardo Silva Stadium, will not go forward as planned.
Stay with Magic City Soccer as this story develops.
On this Magic City Soccer Podcast, Matt, Drew and Lee welcome in the new year by breaking down lots of news. Diego Alonso will lead Inter Miami CF into its first season, while The Miami FC will take on a familiar foe in its USL Championship home debut. Plus, we answer listener questions. Join us, won’t you?
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Magic City Soccer will take the last 10 days of 2019 to review the last 10 years of Miami-Dade County soccer. Today in Miami Soccer in Review, we take a look back at 2019. As the decade closes, Inter Miami CF, The Miami FC and more prepare for the next decade and beyond.
2019 began with Inter Miami CF targeting Miami Freedom Park and a not-yet-named temporary venue. The Miami FC was preparing for its second season in the National Premier Soccer League. And Miami United FC was gearing up for its sixth season at Ted Hendricks Stadium in Hialeah. By the end of the year, Inter Miami was nearly done building a stadium no one envisioned in January, Miami FC was onto its third league in 12 months, and Miami United moved across the county.
Magic City Soccer will take the last 10 days of 2019 to review the last 10 years of Miami-Dade County soccer. Today in Miami Soccer in Review, we take a look back at 2017. The Miami FC makes an enthralling U.S. Open Cup run, and Jorge Mas offers a lifeline to a Miami Beckham United ready to quit.
When The Miami FC was announced in 2015. owner Riccardo Silva indicated that the U.S. Open Cup would prove to be as important as league performance. That wasn’t reflected in 2016, when the club was bombed out in its first game by Wilmington Hammerheads FC. In 2017, however, a magical run would show the potential that The Miami FC presented the South Florida soccer community.
Magic City Soccer will take the last 10 days of 2019 to review the last 10 years of Miami-Dade County soccer. Today in Miami Soccer in Review, we take a look back at 2016. The Miami FC debuts less than a year after being announced, and struggles to find its footing.
The Miami FC took the field for the first time in 2016, led by Italian giant Alessandro Nesta. In the club’s first match against Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Darío Cvitanich would score the first goal thanks to a penalty and a 10-man side saw out a 1-1 draw at Lockhart Stadium in Broward County. The Strikers, who qualified for the NASL playoffs the prior season, offered a measuring stick with which to compare Miami FC. The next week, the Blues again saw out a 1-1 draw, this time against Tampa Bay Rowdies, a team that came two points behind Fort Lauderdale the previous season.
It would be the last points Miami FC collected for more than a month.
The Miami FC shocked fans and soccer observers Wednesday afternoon by announcing that they would be joining USL Championship for the 2020 season.