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!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The fans are a drinking, the balls are a curling, the strikers are score-ing, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. See what I did there? Perhaps I will leave the song writing to Andy Williams, but the U.S. Open Cup tournament is upon us. FC Miami City and The Miami FC 2 are raring to go.
It’s a celebration! Matt, Drew and Omar come together to record a live episode for the 50th episode of Magic City Soccer. We discuss lots of things, including The Miami FC 2 in the NPSL, U.S. Open Cup matchups, and USSF politics. Then we speak to Sebastian Abbot about his new book, “The Away Game,” which discusses Qatar’s search for the next great player in Africa. He will appear at Books and Books in Coral Gables on Sunday, May 6, 2018. Join us, won’t you? Thanks to our sponsor, Groundhopper, for helping to make Magic City Soccer happen!
Drew and Matt get you ready for the start of the National Premier Soccer League Season as The Miami FC 2, Miami United and other teams conclude their preseasons. We also discuss the U.S. Open Cup, international friendlies and Copacabana Beach. Join us, won’t you?
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It took a few days to figure out, but The Miami FC 2’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup journey will start at Tropical Park. Miami FC 2 and FC Miami City will play at Tropical Park Stadium on May 6 at 7 p.m.
After receiving permission from the United States Soccer Federation to participate in the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, The Miami FC 2 and FC Miami City of the Premier Development League will square off in a “play-in” cup match.
In a development that would’ve been totally unexpected even two weeks ago, The Miami FC Open Cup possibilities are still alive. The Miami FC 2 has been granted admission into the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. New York Cosmos B and Jacksonville Armada has also been granted admission.
In a statement, the Open Cup Committee said:
“The Committee carefully considered the teams’ exceptional situation which involved all three moving from Professional Division II status in 2017 to solely Open Division league participation earlier this year. Since the move occurred after the Open Division league’s 2018 Open Cup entry deadline in mid-2017, the Committee decided to allow the three teams the opportunity to compete in the 2018 edition of the U.S. Open Cup.”
The teams will have until 4 p.m. on April 2 to confirm that they are participating. Once they have been confirmed, the three teams will enter the competition via a “Play-In Round” scheduled for the weekend of May 5-6. The winners of the play-in round will advance to the First Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on May 9.
It was pretty well understood that The Miami FC would not be partcipating in the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament. After all, when the Open Cup handbook was released two weeks ago, Miami FC was not among the names listed. There was a good reason for this: There was no Miami FC competing in American soccer in 2018, becaues the league if formerly competed in was not sanctioned. There was a The Miami FC 2, but it was in the NPSL, and hasn’t officially kicked off this year.
However, that didn’t deter the club. On March 16, CEO Sean Flynn requested a sitdown with U.S. Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro to discuss Miami FC’s participation. On this very website, it was described as a “last-ditch effort.”
While Flynn apparently didn’t get the sitdown, it does appear there is some momentum building towards the idea of including Miami FC and New York Cosmos in the 2018 tournament after all.
In an apparent last-ditch effort to gain entry into the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, The Miami FC CEO Sean Flynn sent a letter to U.S. Soccer Federation president and fellow Miami resident Carlos Cordeiro.
Drew and Matt take a look ahead at The Miami FC 2’s journey into the NPSL, talk about the U.S. Open Cup and how four local teams will be participating, and look ahead to March Madness. Also, Matt drops a Milton Berle reference. Join us, won’t you?
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