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10-Man Miami FC Earns Crucial 2-1 Victory over Cosmos

June 24, 2017 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Miami FC News Release


10-Man Miami FC Earns Crucial 2-1 Victory over Cosmos
10-Man Miami FC Earns Crucial 2-1 Victory over Cosmos
(Miami FC)

MIAMI (June 24, 2017) - The Miami FC hosted the New York Cosmos on Saturday night and won 2-1. After taking the lead in the second half, the Orange and Blue went down to 10 men and held on for the victory.

"Our team is in a good groove right now," said Miami defender Mason Trafford. "We bunkered down and kept New York out of the area and a few times that they entered we were able to clear the ball. It was a tough game, but we grinded it out and got the result, which is what's important at this stage of the season."

The Cosmos began the match with some high pressing in Miami's half of the field, and that pressure would pay off in the sixth minute of the match. 

New York started up a promising attack through the right wing with Javi Márquez, who chipped a clever pass into the middle of the field near the top of the box. Emmanuel Ledesma gathered the ball and sent Miami goalkeeper Daniel Vega the opposite way with his left-footed shot, putting the Cosmos up 1-0 early on.

The Orange and Blue retaliated quickly in the eighth minute, as Stéfano Pinho dribbled past an onrushing Cosmos goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer and got off a shot that hit the post and bounced to safety for the Cosmos. 

Miami would deadlock the match at 1-1 in the 20th minute. Richie Ryan headed a Maurer clearance down into the path of Pinho, who flicked the ball up and ambitiously half-volleyed a shot from outside the box that deflected off of a Cosmos defender into the goal. 

The Orange and Blue would keep up the offensive pressure, coming close in the 22nd minute on a powerful Dylan Mares shot from close range off a Ryan pass that was parried away by Maurer. 

Pinho would come close to notching a brace and giving Miami the lead in the 35th minute, freeing himself on a set piece and just heading over the crossbar off of a precise Hunter Freeman free kick.

Just one minute later, Blake Smith and Kwadwo Poku linked up with some clever interplay that nearly led to a goal. Smith chested down a clearance to Poku, who chipped over the defense into the path of a through-on-goal Smith. Smith unleashed a powerful volley at goal that was miraculously saved by Maurer.

Miami and New York would head into halftime tied 1-1.

Miami got off to a blazing start in the second half. In the 47th minute, Ryan swung a pinpoint cross into the six-yard box, where Vincenzo Rennella met the ball and cooly headed it off the post and into the goal to give Miami a 2-1 lead. Rennella's goal was his league-leading eighth of the season.

A bit of bad fortune would result in a red card for Poku in the 58th minute.

Despite playing with 10 men for the final half-hour of the match, Miami's defense and goalkeeping would step up to preserve the three points and get Miami even closer to the Spring Season Championship.

The Miami FC stays at home for its next match, a U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 showdown against Atlanta United FC on Wednesday, June 28. After that, the Orange and Blue travels north for Independence Day to take on North Carolina FC on Tuesday, July 4.





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10-Man Miami FC Earns Crucial 2-1 Victory over Cosmos
10-Man Miami FC Earns Crucial 2-1 Victory over Cosmos

  

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