DELRAY BEACH — After a staggered start to the 2018 National Premier Soccer League season, The Miami FC 2 appears to have found its form. The team has won three in a row, capped off by a 5-0 win over Boca Raton FC.
The Miami FC 2 are in the middle of running the NPSL gauntlet with a fixture clog that rarely happens in the leagues at the top of the pyramid. MFC2 have seemed to find their way in the NPSL and finally realized what it takes to earn victories in the Sunshine Conference. Miami will embark on the 40-mile journey up Interstate 95 and head into Boca Raton FC territory collecting wins in their previous two road campaigns.
We’ve mentioned on plenty of our previews that Miami FC is this offensive juggernaut. Most of the times we are sure that you are reading this thinking if we’re just crazy because it’s yet to happen. It finally happened for Miami on Wednesday night in their match against Storm FC. It just so happens that we didn’t write a preview for this match.
Few things in life are guaranteed, death, taxes, and the certainty that Memorial Day weekend will be a washout in South Florida. Oh did we leave out, an NPSL ref will send a Miami FC 2 player off in every game? Few people were predicting a classic. A tricky away trip for MFC2 up the I95 to tackle the rebranded Palm Beach United (formerly Beaches FC), who were coming off a surprising 1-2 away win against Miami United. That result gave extra motivation to the Orange and Blue, three points from this jaunt would really shake the Sunshine Conference up.
Usually when a team comes off a losing effort the players, coaches, and staff will tell you “we’re just looking forward to our next match”. For Miami FC it must have felt like an eternity for the next fixture date to arrive. Coming off a 3-1 loss in the 2nd round of the U.S. Open Cup, the Blues return to the field after a 10 day layoff hoping to begin climbing the NPSL Sunshine Conference Table.
The second round of the US Open Cup was a match that many different layers to it. Sure at the top there is the Miami United victory, however, looking back of the match there was a lot that culminated in the result for the NPSL juggernaut. An early goal, high presses that would make your nose bleed, cards galore, and fateful tactical decisions all culminated together to bring Miami FC’s 2018 cup run to an end.
It’s very rare to find derby matches that have shown the strengths and weaknesses of both clubs with so much parity. It’s also very rare to face-off against your cross-town rival three times in one month. That’s what we have here in the 305 and only one club can be crowned as the Magic City’s best. Miami FC and Miami United will clash to settle all the scores.
The Miami FC organization could not have asked for a better showing Wednesday night at FIU Soccer Stadium. Playing a goal kick away from the organization’s “home grounds”, Miami FC 2 laid out a statement match versus local qualifier Red Force FC. Miami will not sit idly by and allow this Open Cup tournament to go to waste.
After advancing from its “play-in” game Sunday night, The Miami FC 2 and Red Force FC face off in the official first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Miami FC 2 is the host, and have chosen to play at the FIU Soccer Stadium instead of its usual home ground this season, Bobcat Field at St. Thomas University. You can watch the live stream of the match below!
The U.S. Open Cup is officially under the way with a pair of first-round matches taking place in Miami-Dade County. The Miami FC 2 and Miami United (both NPSL) will face off against a duo of local qualifiers in Red Force FC and FC Kendall. In matches that could easily become high scoring affairs, the firework alert is ringing loudly in Westchester and Hialeah. Before we breakdown the matches let’s take a look at how each club has gotten here.