Miami FC Finishes Road Trip with Important Match Against AC St. Louis
Published on September 4, 2010 under U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Miami, Sept 4, 2010- Miami FC finishes its brief road trip this weekend with a match against AC St. Louis at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. EST.
The Blues will have an opportunity to draw even with St. Louis in the standings with an important victory before finishing the season with four of its next five games at home.
The match will be the first ever meeting between the Blues with AC St. Louis, who have joined the league for the 2010 season. The two squads will meet again at Lockhart Stadium on Sept. 22.
Miami FC is hoping to return to South Florida with three points in hand in preparation for its next match against the Montreal Impact at Lockhart Stadium. The match is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start time on September 11th.
SCOUTING ST. LOUIS
AC St. Louis had to settle for a 2-2 draw on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Aug. 29 after coughing up a two-goal lead in their last match.
After goals from Luke Kreamalmayer and Mike Ambersley gave the team a 2-0 lead, the Rowdies struck back just before the half came to a close when Jonathan Steele rifled a shot past a diving Alec Dufty to cut the lead in half heading into the final stanza.
In extra time, Steele struck again after burying a goal past Dufty to help the Rowdies steal two points away from St. Louis.
AC St. Louis has been a team that has been steadily picking up points over the past month or so, picking up at least a point in six of its past seven matches.
Offensively the team is led by Ambersley, who leads the team with eight goals and is currently tied for fourth in the league in that category.
As a team, St. Louis has struggled to score goals totally just 22 goals this season, which is the second lowest amount in the league. They have not fared much better on the defensive side of the ball, surrendering 33 goals this season.
At home, AC St. Louis has a record of 3-4-4 with three of those draws coming in the month of August. Their last home win came against the Portland Timbers when they picked up a 3-0 victory on July 28.
LAST TIME OUT
The Blues had a week off from regular season play, but played in an exhibition match against future NASL member FC Edmonton on the road on Aug. 28.
Miami FC earned a draw while playing many of its younger players to get valuable time on the field.
The Blues went up early in the first half when Bryan Dominguez launched a swinging free kick from the left flank and FC Edmonton midfielder Matt Lam deflected the ball into the back of the net, giving the Blues the early 1-0 lead.
But Edmonton struck back in the second half, tying the game in the 73rd minute when Kyle Yamada rifled a shot from right outside the box past the outstretched arms of Lance Parker to level the score at 1-1.
ROAD SURGE
Brian Shriver and Abe Thompson have emerged as playmakers for the Blues on the road this season and are looking to continue their success on the team's three-game stint away from home. They join Paulo Jr. and Christian Gomez as the team's biggest offensive threats this season.
Paulo Jr. has continued to climb the league leader boards with a team-high eight goals on the season and is tied for fourth in the league in that category while Gomez has four goals as they continue to prove that they are one of the top dual-threats in the league.
Gomez also has 11 points this year thanks to his three assists this season. Paulo Jr. has 20 points and is third in league play in that category.
Shriver, meanwhile, tied Christian Gomez's goal total last week with his fourth goal of the season against Baltimore. Three of Shriver's goals have been on the road.
U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from September 4, 2010
- Aztex Outshine Minnesota; Return to First Place - Austin Aztex
- Miami FC Finishes Road Trip with Important Match Against AC St. Louis - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
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