Miami FC Draws Rochester in Season Opener
April 11, 2010 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Miami , FL - Powered by a second half surge, Miami FC earned its first point of the season in comeback fashion in front of an energized crowd gathered at Lockhart Stadium. The season opener with the Rochester Rhinos concluded in a 1-1 draw to kick off the 2010 season on April 10.The Blues continue their home stand on April 17 against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
"We came out much stronger in the second half," Miami FC head coach Victor Pastora said. "Next time around we must come out more aggressive in the first half. Now we have to prepare for next week."
Miami FC created two scoring opportunities early on, narrowly missing chances to get on the board.
But Rochester got on the board in the 21st minute after Ryan Heins beat Miami FC goalkeeper Caleb Patterson on a counterattack, putting the ball in the side of the net after a pass from Tyler Rosenlund to open the scoring.
The Blues came close to tying it late in the first half on a free kick by Mike Randolph and a good feed from Jarryd Goldberg to Abe Thompson in the 41st minute, but were unable to capitalize as Miami FC went into the half trailing 1-0.
Paulo Araujo Jr. came in as sub in the second half and immediately made an impact. The Brazilian forward banged in a careening ball into the back of the net after a corner kick in the 47th minute to tie the game at 1-1, the first goal for the Blues in the 2010 campaign.
"Paulo came up big for us," Pastora said. "He was the spark that we needed, finding an opportunity and taking advantage of it."
Paulo Jr. almost struck again several minutes later, wringing a shot off the top post and almost giving the Blues the lead.
Miami FC continued to apply pressure to the Rochester backline, almost taking the lead in the 81st minute after an Abe Thompson's header narrowly missed the side of the net.
Miami FC returns to action on Saturday April 17, hosting the Vancouver Whitecaps at Lockhart Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
North American Soccer League Stories from April 11, 2010
- Whitecaps Open Season with 2-0 Win - Vancouver Whitecaps
- Impact Fall to Austin 2-0 in Season Opener - Montreal Impact
- Miami FC Draws Rochester in Season Opener - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
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.
