Miami FC To Face Charleston Battery On Fox Soccer
Published on May 7, 2008 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Miami - Miami FC (1-3-1) will play its first out of four nationally televised match of the season this Friday, May 9th, at 8pm (ET). The game is to be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and will be played against the same Charleston Battery (1-1-2) squad that stole victory from Miami in the Blues' season opener back on April 12th. On that occasion, midfielder Dominic Cianciarulo scored a heartbreaking equalizer in the 90th minute.
"Our play in the first meeting with Charleston was definitely superior," Miami FC head coach Zinho said Tuesday. "It's unfortunate however that some last-minute positioning errors cost us the win. I think we are going to face some tough challenges Friday night in our second meeting, but hopefully we can come away with three points."
Miami came out strong against Charleston in the season opener at Tropical Park Stadium when then-newly-signed forward Alex Afonso scored off of a header just 11 minutes into competition. The Blues will need to try to emulate that early explosiveness if they are to keep an improved and stronger Charleston team at bay.
The Charleston Battery are coming off of a 2-0 win against the Rochester Rhinos on May 2nd at home at Blackbaud Stadium, the site of Friday night's match against Miami. The Battery also had three players named to this week's USL-1 Team of the Week for their outstanding performance against Rochester: defender Kevin Nylen, Cuban midfielder Osvaldo "Ozzie" Alonso and forward Randi Patterson.
Miami will also need to find an answer to Deland, Florida native Dominic Cianciarulo who led the Battery's efforts on April 12th by scoring both goals for Charleston, including one unassisted.
The answer may come with the return of starting defender Cristiano Dias, who served a one-game suspension after being red-carded in the April 27th match against the Puerto Rico Islanders. Dias' return may be a source of relief for Miami fans, as numerous injuries early in the season exposed a lack of depth defensively.
Miami FC starting midfielder Leandro Mineiro is out indefinitely after sustaining a shoulder injured during last Sunday's 1-0 loss to Carolina. His absence is expected to be filled quickly by last year's leading goal scorer Eric Vasquez, who is projected to start in Mineiro's place. Eric will be looking to return to his scoring prowess after suffering a high ankle sprain in the off-season.
In addition, defenders Stephane Guillaume and J.P. Rodrigues are listed as unavailable due to injury, while midfielders Sean Fraser and Jarryd Goldberg are listed as "probable" and will travel with the team.
Miami FC's next home game at Tropical Park is May 16 (Miami Dade County Public Schools Day), at 5:30 PM as they host the Vancouver Whitecaps. Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting http://www.miamifc.com or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all games live on USL Live!
USL First Division Stories from May 7, 2008
- Whitecaps weekly update - Vancouver Whitecaps
- Miami FC To Face Charleston Battery On Fox Soccer - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- RailHawks Host Atlanta Silverbacks In First Southern Derby Matchup - North Carolina FC
- The Impact Unveils The Details Surrounding Its Home Opener At Saputo Stadium - Montreal Impact
- Metro And Maple Lodge Farms Team Up With The Impact As Builders Of The Saputo Stadium - Montreal Impact
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC Partner With Delta School District On Youth Development - Vancouver Whitecaps
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
