Pre Game Report - Vancouver Whitecaps @ Miami FC
June 21, 2007 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Miami, June 21, 2007 - Miami FC (4-7-2) is playing Friday its 14th game of the season against USL defending champions Vancouver Whitecaps (6-2-3), at 8 pm, at Tropical Park Stadium. This will be Miami's 10th home game of the current season. After tomorrow's match, Miami FC will hit the road for almost a month, playing four games away before returning home to play the Carolina RailHawks, on July 20th.
THE GAME AT A GLANCE
- Miami FC is coming from a tough tie (1-1) against the Minnesota Thunder last Saturday, playing at James Griffin Stadium, in Minnesota.
- The Blues only goal of the game came when Eric Vasquez made a brilliant pass in the 38th minute to find Luchi Gonzalez all alone in front of the goalkeeper. Gonzalez took advantage of the attacking keeper by chipping the ball over his fully extended body to tie the game 1-1 with six minutes to go into the half.
- Midfielder/Assistant Coach Zinho returns to action after a brief trip to Brazil.
- Miami FC's defender JP Rodrigues and midfielder Eric Vasquez made USL First Division Team of the Week for their outstanding performances against the Thunder on Saturday, June 16.
- Eric Vasquez (4), Luchi Gonzalez (3), Zinho (2), Sean Fraser (1), Sean Cameron (1) and Júlio César (1) have scored for Miami FC so far this season.
- This is the fifth match-up between both teams. Miami FC has a 0-3-1 record against its Canadian rivals. Last year, Vancouver won its two playoffs games (4-1 and 2-0) against Miami FC and ended up winning the championship.
- This is the first of two match-ups between both clubs this regular season.
- The Vancouver Whitecaps are the 2006 USL-1 Champions. They currently sit in second place of the USL-1 standings, with 21 points, behind the Rochester Raging Rhinos, with 23 points, but the Canadian team has played only 11 games so far this season. Rochester has already played 14 games in 2007.
- After a busy start to the defense of their USL First Division title, head coach Bob Lilley's side have enjoyed a break before embarking on their grueling road trip, as the club's home in Swangard Stadium prepares to host games in the upcoming Under-20 World Cup.
- The Whitecaps will visit Puerto Rico Islanders (Sunday), Charleston Battery (June 30), Carolina RailHawks (July 3), and Atlanta Silverbacks (July 7) before concluding their travels with a second away game at Seattle Sounders on July 12.
PRE-GAMES COMMENTS
HEAD COACH CHIQUINHO DE ASSIS
"This will be a very important game for us. A win will mean a significant boost in our confidence levels, heading into a tough 3-game road trip. Our roster has been pretty depleted this last month, with many players injured and on call with their Nation Team sides. We believe that now that almost everyone is back and healthy we will be able to establish our game again and start once again getting the positive results we all wish for."
HEAD COACH BOB LILLEY
Lilley feels the tone for his side's road trip can be set with a good result in Miami. "We will go there and try and get three points right out the gate," he said. "How we start can be an important factor in what we want to do for the entire trip. The challenge will be to play to our strengths in the heat, as we prefer to play with a quicker tempo to the game. Our players have dealt with comfortable weather so far this season, and in the few road trips we've had, heat has not been a factor for us. It will be on this road trip."
MIAMI FC NEXT GAMES
- Thursday, June 28 - Miami FC @ Seattle - Qwest Field - 10 pm ET(USLlive.com)
- Saturday, June 30 - Miami FC @ Portland Timbers - PGE Park - 10 pm ET(USLlive.com)
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USL First Division Stories from June 21, 2007
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- Silverbacks Play Live On FSC - Atlanta Silverbacks
- Pre Game Report - Vancouver Whitecaps @ Miami FC - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Battery squares off against Atlanta Friday night at Blackbaud - Charleston Battery
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