Miami enters this game against Indy Eleven venturing into uncharted territory. Only once in club history have they dropped four matches in a row. To call the third game of the fall season a must win is hyperbole at best, however, that may be the sentiment inside the locker room tonight for the Blues.
The Miami FC has turned into an offensive juggernaut in the NASL. Few teams in the league have the defensive ability to keep up with this group of attackers. Whether it’s blowing teams out by numerous goals or being able to cash in on the lone chance of the night, Pinho, Rennella and Poku have come in clutch all season. Their job has been made much easier thanks to the play of the midfield group that we recapped yesterday. Let’s take a look at the trio’s season so far and their best moments.
What a difference a year makes. Back in 2016 with the spring season of the NASL drawing to a close, The Miami FC were struggling. Porous at the back and misfiring up front, the promise the franchise showed off the pitch had not been fulfilled. They finished 11th of 11 and deserved no more than that.
Fast-forward 12 months and Alessandro Nesta’s men are playing scintillating soccer, marauding their way to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals and trouncing teams by four goals… seven goals even, while also keeping clean sheets. So what has changed? In truth, it’s not been a revolution but an evolution.
It was over after 15 minutes. In a stunning display of dominance, The Miami FC scored three times against the San Francisco Deltas in 15 minutes Saturday night. After that, they didn’t let up and and won in a showing befitting a champion, 7-0.
The win clinched the NASL Spring Chanpionship for Miami FC, the first title for a professional soccer team in this city’s history.
How often do you get a chance to finish something at the site where it all began? These types of moments rarely come around for the usual but The Miami FC have proven to anything but usual this season. Miami returns to Cary, N.C. with a chance to clinch the NASL Spring Season title against North Carolina FC.
Riccardo Silva couldn’t have dreamed it when he first formed The Miami FC.
9,000-plus fans. A hot but beautiful night. Major League Soccer competition on the field against his squad. A back-and-forth affair keeping everyone in their seats until the final seconds, when a Miami FC player streamed toward goal and finished a one-on-one opportunity to send the club into the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals.
His, and many other, dreams were realized Wednesday night when Miami FC dispatched yet another Major League Soccer side from the U.S. Open Cup, this time toppling Atlanta United 3-2 with one of the best finishes a soccer fan could ever hope to see.
Remember when we said that the win against Orlando City SC was the biggest game The Miami FC’s history and had the biggest implications for soccer in this city? Well, we were a bit short sighted with regards to that statement. Tonight’s tilt against Atlanta United has usurped that title as Miami faces its toughest test yet.
A short roundup of coverage about Miami soccer in the news:
–THECUP.US: 2017 US Open Cup Round 4: Stefano Pinho’s hat trick earns TheCup.us Player of the Round
Pinho scored a hat trick in a 3-0 road upset of Orlando City SC (MLS) to become just the third Brazilian to win the award. The Player of the Round honor is voted on by the staff of TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters.
Neil W. Blackmon takes what could have been a press-release-style story and turns it into a really interesting look at Stéfano Pinho and his adjustment to change, specifically moving to a new part of the world and adapting to fatherhood.
In a topsy-turvy match, The Miami FC overcame an early deficit then and withstood 35 minutes of playing down a man after a red card was issued to Kwadwo Poku to beat the New York Cosmos 2-1 and come even closer to the NASL spring championship.
It was, simply put, the most consequential week in the history of The Miami FC. This entire episode of Magic City Soccer is dedicated to Miami FC, who easily dispatched with MLS side Orlando City SC in the Open Cup then thrashed Jacksonville Armada to maintain a seven-point cushion at the top of the NASL table. Matt and Omar walk you through it, featuring comments from Stefano Pinho, Ariel Martinez, Nesta and Bruce Silverman. Join us, won’t you?
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