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.
The 105th edition of the Open Cup began today on a field that is normally reserved for high school competitions and high level amateur fixtures. In a setting unknown to the Miami FC organization, FC Miami City found comfort on their home pitch. Perhaps just a bit too much comfort.
It wasn’t conventional, but The Miami FC 2 preseason ended with two opponents beaten in one game. In two 45-minute “mini-matches,” Miami FC 2 beat the St. Thomas University Bobcats 3-0 and the Lynn University Knights 1-0.
It was a lovely spring evening at St. Thomas University and the stage was set for a good battle between The Miami FC 2 and FC Kendall, two sides tuning up for some important upcoming games. Indeed this could have been a dress rehearsal for a possible rematch in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. We now know if The Miami FC 2 can negotiate a tricky tie with FC Miami City then the squad will probably line up against FC Kendall or Red Force in the first round.
Miami FC fans rejoice! The club is back! The Miami FC announced the creation of Miami FC 2 yesterday in a press release. The “2” team will play in the National Premier Soccer league for the 2018 season. Playing in the Sunshine Conference, the Miami FC NPSL squad will have to go up against local clubs Miami United, Storm F.C., Boca Raton F.C., and NASL foe Jacksonville Armada among others.
Miami FC bounced back and looked like the team that all their supporters know and love yesterday in Indianapolis. After dropping points in their previous two games against the San Francisco Deltas, which brought the overall first seed in to question, the turnaround was massive for the club. Indy looked outmatched from the start and saw their season officially end after the final whistle.
Before we get started on the very rare double recap article below, we want to apologize for the lack of structure over the recent weeks. After Hurricane Irma, it is safe to say that we have been in quite a lull. Everyone in the Magic City Soccer family is safe and our families are doing well. Now, back to the NASL season already in progress.
Miami needed to provide an answer to its critics coming into Saturday’s game against Indy Eleven. Boy, did they ever make a response. After a miserable start to the fall campaign, that includes the end of the cup run, Miami returned with a similar flair that we had gotten used to in the spring.
Three weeks ago, The Miami FC was the hottest club in North American soccer. Just coming off a 14-game unbeaten streak, the club defeated second-place San Francisco Deltas 7-0 to claim the NASL Spring Season title and had everything to look forward to in a matchup against FC Cincinnati in which it would be favored. Mother Nature intervened and forced a postponement to Aug. 2. Three weeks isn’t that long, right?
For Miami FC and its fans (10,415 of whom showed up Wednesday night — a club record), it feels like an eternity. The club is officially on a losing streak, capped off with the indignity of a 1-0 home shutout to Cincinnati and an ignoble exit from a memorable U.S. Open Cup run.
The biggest question The Miami FC had to answer coming into the 2017 campaign was “Can this defense hold up?” Boy, have they ever held up their end of the bargain. After allowing 42 goals in 2016, the backline has found the chemistry necessary to shut opponents down. Through 16 league games, the boys at the back have only allowed 11 goals and have helped Mario Daniel Vega hold seven clean sheets. In an extra four games of U.S. Open Cup play, Miami has allowed five goals while keeping a clean sheet against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Let’s take a look at this part of the team’s season so far and their best moments.