While many eyes will be focused on Miami United in Hialeah, a match important to South Florida soccer watchers will be taking place upstate, as The Miami FC 2 travels to Jacksonville to take on the Armada.
In this episode of the Magic City Soccer podcast, Omar and Matt discuss two teams with two divergent goals, as The Miami FC 2 grabs two wins in the NPSL Sunshine Conference while Miami United gets ready to host Orlando City of Major League Soccer in the U.S. Open Cup. Plus, we have an interview with Ariel Gonzalez of Futbolasta Auctions. Join us, won’t you?
Thanks to our sponsor, Groundhopper, for helping to make this Magic City Soccer episode happen!
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While many of the great soccer players who have written the history of the game hail from the Americas, most of the sport’s history is preserved from a European perspective. Whether it’s club greatness or international competition, the Continent dominates the long-term view. A Miami Beach auction house, FUTBOLASTA Auctions, is seeking to change that and make available to fans important pieces of history related to the global game and its significance in North and South America.
According to Roger Gonzalez of CBS Sports, the U.S. Men’s National Team is looking to fill its calendar during the October FIFA international window. Two possible opponents include Argentina and Colombia. In addition, a possible venue for one of those matches is Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
The Magic City will get to see MLS competition for the second straight year courtesy of Miami United FC and their deep run into this year’s U.S. Open Cup tournament. In a first for the club, Miami United FC will host Major League Soccer side Orlando City SC in Round 4 of the U.S. Open Cup on June 5 or 6.
The fourth-round draw took place this morning and in a shocking turn of events, Orlando City opted out of a chance to host for the round. Orlando City has had poor attendance and even worse luck in this round of the tournament in previous years, especially when taking on an opponent from South Florida.
Miami United advanced to Round 4 by defeating FC Kendall, The Miami FC 2 and Jacksonville United.
Mixed history
Miami United will look to be the newest addition to the club of lower division sides to knock off Orlando. In 2016, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers were able to get past Orlando in extra time with a game winning goal from Victor “PC” Giro (now on the OCSC roster). In 2017, now NPSL foe, Miami FC knocked out Orlando with a hat trick from Stefano Pinho (now also on the OCSC roster). Miami United has the right amount of firepower up front and tactical ability on defense to provide South Florida with another #cupset for the third consecutive year.
The match date has a placeholder for June 6th (subject to change) and it will take place at Milander Park in Hialeah. This will be City’s first visit to South Florida in the history of its existence in MLS. For years, the South Florida market has been ignored by City amidst the talks of a possible MLS Miami team coming in. Perhaps leaving the South Florida market untapped may come back to haunt Orlando as United look to pack the stadium in a true showing of Miami soccer pride.
Matthew Bunch contributed to this report.
Miami United FC reached a height the club has never known before Wednesday night. And perhaps the most shocking thing about it was how easy it came.
Miami United scored two world-class goals, and Jacksonville Armada never mounted a serious challenge, as United qualified for Round 4 of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Miami United will next face a team from Major League Soccer.
We finally have a result, as Miami United FC claims the Magic City Clásico crown and advances in the U.S. Open Cup at the expense of The Miami FC 2. Plus, we get to speak in-depth with Chris Wittyngham, who is launching the Pitch Invasion podcast. Join us, won’t you? Thanks to our sponsor, Groundhopper, for helping to make this Magic City Soccer episode happen!
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Indoor Soccer Pro hosted its grand opening Sunday, as kids kicked around the courts and the Vice Mayor of Miami Gardens paid tribute to the new futsal venue.
Futsal, which is a soccer variant typically played as a five-a-side game on a smaller court, has tremendous popularity in South America. While it can be played on an outdoor court, its defining feature is that it can be moved indoors to a basketball-sized court. A rainy day like Sunday provided the perfect opportunity for Indoor Soccer Pro to shine.
Neymar Jr’s Five, a worldwide five-a-side tournament organized by the Brazilian superstar and Red Bull, will be coming to Miami for a qualifier this Saturday, with an encore performance and much more on the line just three weeks later.
The tournament is hosting qualifiers in 61 countries on six continents. In the United States, there are 17 qualifiers looking for teams to participate in the national final. On Saturday, there will be mixed and women’s qualifying at Urban Soccer 5 in Miami.
A minisode! We aren’t able to give you the full #MagicCityClásico breakdown you deserve due to some scheduling issues, so we’re going to delay that discussion until next week. In the meantime, Matt got a chance to talk to Eddie Salcedo, who is the tournament director of Neymar Jr’s Five in the United States. A five-a-side tournament, the Five will be coming to Miami on Saturday for preliminary qualification and will return in June for the national final. Are you ready for this? Join us, won’t you? Thanks to our sponsor, Groundhopper, for helping to make this Magic City Soccer episode happen!
To subscribe to Magic City Soccer on iTunes, click here. To subscribe to Magic City Soccer on SoundCloud, click here.
To subscribe on Google Play,