Miami FC Earns 1-1 Draw in First Coastal Cup Game Against FC Tampa Bay
Published on May 2, 2010 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Miami, May 1, 2010 - Playing a man down in the second half, Miami FC fought its way to a 1-1 draw against the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies in the first ever meeting between the two teams in the Coastal Cup, a physical match that marked the new era for a classic rivalry.
"This rivalry is something new for us, for the players and coaches," Miami FC head coach Victor Pastora said. "You can see it in the stands and it's about bragging rights. It's going to be a great rivalry. We're still undefeated, but we need to win. We're at home and we want to get three points," Pastora continued. "I'm proud of the guys and the fact that they're working hard and doing well."
Both teams exchanged opportunities early on, with Miami FC having a chance in the 11th minute after good ball movement from Paulo Araujo Jr., Christian Gomez and Abe Thompson led to a good feed to Edward Santeliz, who fired a shot that hit the side of the net.
Both teams fought for possession, trying to create scoring opportunities in the first half as both teams were charged a yellow card each. Takuya Yamada picked up a card in the 13th minute for the Rowdies while Abe Thompson picked one up in the 34th minute.
After a mostly back-and-forth first half, the Blues broke through in the 39th minute when Christian Gomez found himself in open space down the left flank after receiving a back heel pass from Paulo Jr. Gomez then rifled a shot that deflected off an FC Tampa Bay defender, catching Rowdies goalkeeper Daryl Sattler out of the position as the ball made its way into the back of the net to give Miami FC the lead.
"I saw the goalie cheat a little bit to the other post so I went to the other side," Gomez said.
Miami FC continued to apply pressure on the FC Tampa Bay backline as Edward Santeliz found Abe Thompson in the box. But the midfielder was unable to get a good shot off in the 41st minute as the Blues went into the half with a 1-0 lead.
The second half got off to a physical start as Gomez earned a red card in the 47th minute after attempting to win the ball from Aaron Wheeler of FC Tampa Bay.
Despite playing with a one man disadvantage, the Blues continued to apply pressure and had several opportunities to add to the lead.
Chris Gbandi had a golden opportunity with a free kick taken from just a foot outside the box, but was unable to capitalize as Sattler made a save on his shot on goal.
Paulo Jr. had open space in the 68th minute and sped past the Rowdies midfield and defense, but was unable to get the ball past Sattler. A minute later, Thompson had some room to run on the right side and took a shot on goal, but Sattler made another save.
The Rowdies broke through in the 81st minute when Julian Valentine headed the ball past Miami FC goalkeeper Caleb Patterson on a corner kick to tie the score.
FC Tampa Bay applied constant pressure in the final minutes but Patterson made a series of diving saves to keep the score tied at 1-1 as time expired.
"Caleb Patterson was huge for us today because at the end they had two or three chances that were clear and he came up big," Pastora said.
NOTES
Tampa natives JP Rodrigues and Brian Shriver were on the field for Miami FC, playing against the team from their home town for the first time... Over 100 fans from Tampa Bay made their way down to Lockhart Stadium to watch the first ever Coastal Cup matchup... Former Miami FC forward Aaron King came in the game for the Rowdies in the 2nd half. King scored the first goal in franchise history for FC Tampa Bay earlier this season... With the draw, it is the first time Miami FC kicks off the season with three consecutive draws and has yet to lose a game after three matches this season.
For real time updates don't forget to follow Miami FC on twitter at www.twitter.com/miamifc.
ABOUT MIAMI FC
Miami FC, South Florida's only professional soccer team, is currently in its fifth season. For the 2010 season, the Blues will play in a second division league established and administered by the United States Soccer Federation. The league will feature two conferences with Miami playing in the NASL Conference. The team is owned by Traffic Sports USA, the North American subsidiary of The Traffic Group, the leading soccer event management company in the Americas with headquarters in Brazil, and offices in the U.S. and Europe. The organization is committed to the advancement of soccer in South Florida at the youth, amateur and professional levels.
North American Soccer League Stories from May 2, 2010
- Miami FC Earns 1-1 Draw in First Coastal Cup Game Against FC Tampa Bay - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
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