Miami FC Earns Important Draw against the Whitecaps
April 17, 2010 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Miami, Florida - Miami FC dominated for the better part of 90 minutes against the Vancouver Whitecaps with numerous scoring opportunities. The Blues applied continuous offensive pressure but was unable to get the ball in the back of the net as the game ended in a scoreless draw.
The Blues open their season with two consecutive draws and now has two points as they prepare to face off against FC Tampa Bay on May 1.
"It was a good performance," Miami FC head coach Victor Pastora said. "We had many chances against a very good team. We were aggressive... we were focused. If the team keeps playing like this, the points are going to come naturally."
Paulo Araujo Jr. had a couple of scoring chances in the first half, including a shot from just inside the box in the 13th minute after a feed from Christian Gomez that ended up being blocked.
Miami FC continued to apply pressure on the Vancouver backfield with a shot by Edward Santeliz from the top of the box in the 22nd minute.
Paulo Jr. would take a booming shot from 30 yards out in the 29th minute, but Whitecap goalkeeper Jay Nolly made a diving stop to keep Miami FC off the scoreboard as both teams headed into the locker rooms tied 0-0 at the half.
Miami FC picked up where it left off in the second half until Vancouver landed a huge opportunity in the 56th minute with a penalty kick after Martyn Lancaster committed a foul inside the box. Vancouver forward Marlon James fired a shot to his left but Patterson guessed correctly, diving to his right and stopping the shot to keep the score tied in the second half.
Santeliz almost broke the stalemate in the 59th minute with another shot on goal, but Nolly once again got a hand on the ball and it skidded off the post.
Abe Thompson would fire a shot that ricocheted off the post in the 77th minute, marking yet another close opportunity for the Blues to earn the deciding goal.
Miami FC would threaten deep in Vancouver territory in stoppage time but failed to execute as the time expired.
The Miami FC reserve team will play in a friendly match against Universitario de Uruguay at Tropical Park at 5 p.m. The first team returns to league action on May 1 against Lockhart Stadium against FC Tampa Bay at 7:30 p.m.
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North American Soccer League Stories from April 17, 2010
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