Miami FC Looks to Finish Strong Against Playoff-Bound Puerto Rico
October 1, 2010 - U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Miami, Oct 1, 2010 - Miami FC will look to close out its regular season on a high note at home with a match against the Puerto Rico Islanders on Saturday, Oct. 2 at Lockhart Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start time.
"We are looking to finish the season strong against a very quality opponent. We are on a good run now winning four in a row, but we hope to get that fifth victory not only for us but for our fans," said Head Coach Daryl Shore
A victory would give the Blues a five-game winning streak marking a team record to conclude the season and send the franchise into 2011 with momentum on its side.
The match will be the fourth and final meeting between the Blues and Islanders this season. After Puerto Rico won the first game between the two clubs earlier this season, the Blues fought back with two draws against the Islanders and will look to even the season series with a win.
SCOUTING PUERTO RICO
The Islanders will head into the playoffs as the eighth and final seed and are coming to South Florida having struggled in the month of September, finishing with just one victory in their past six league games. The Islanders did however beat Mexican powerhouse Toluca midweek in the CONCACAF Champions League.
Puerto Rico fell to the Carolina Railhawks in a 2-1 loss on the road despite taking an early lead when Kendall Jagdeosingh struck first for the Islanders in the 19th minute with the opening goal on Sept. 25.
Just before the first half came to a close, the Railhawks knotted up the score with a goal from Matt Watson in the 45th minute. Carolina wasted no time in the second half in acquiring the lead when Tom Heinemann delivered the game-winning goal in the 47th minute with a sliding goal off a corner kick.
David Foley and Nicolas Addlery have led the Puerto Rico offense so far this season and have proven to be two of the league's top players. Foley leads the Islanders with eight goals while Addlery is right behind him with six. Addlery has also tallied four assists throughout the season, making him an integral part of the Islander attack.
As a team, the Puerto Rico offense ranks as one of the top units in the league, tied for third with a total of 36 goals tallied throughout the course of the season. On the flip side, the Islanders have allowed 34 goals this year putting them in the middle of the pack in terms of league rankings.
As of late, however, the Islanders have struggled in terms of goal production in the month of September. Puerto Rico was shut out three times this past month only scoring more than one goal just once during that span.
LAST TIME OUT
The Blues defeated the Rochester Rhinos, one of the league's top teams, in a thrilling 1-0 victory when Christian Gomez delivered a goal in extra time to give Miami FC its fourth consecutive win.
The game seemed destined for a draw at Ft. Lauderdale Stadium, going scoreless for the first 90 minutes of play despite a number of close opportunities on both sides. That was changed when Gomez, who received a well-placed ball delivered an even better header to lift the Blues to victory.
For the Rhinos, it was their second consecutive loss to the Blues after they dropped a 2-1 decision in Rochester a week before.
The Blues, playing in their third match in the span of a week, were able to finish the month of September with a 4-1 record, their first winning month of the season.
HONEST ABE
Abe Thompson was arguably the best player of the month in the entire league, tallying six goals in five matches over the last month and being a critical piece in the Blues offense.
He has had a hand in just about every Miami FC victory during the past month, which included a hat trick against AC St. Louis on Sept. 22 to help end their bid for a playoff spot.
So far this season, Thompson has tallied nine goals and two assists and is currently tied for fifth in the league in total points with 20.
FINDING THE FIREPOWER
The Blues exploded offensively over the past month, outscoring opponents 9-4 during their four game winning streak.
The late season surge has helped Miami FC climb up the team rankings on offense and its 36 total goals this season is tied for the third highest in the league.
Christian Gomez, who scored the game-winning goal against the Rhinos this past weekend, has two goals and one assist in the month of September to help the Blues late resurgence.
U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from October 1, 2010
- Palace Baltimore Outmatched By Tampa Bay In Season Finale - Crystal Palace Baltimore
- RailHawks Close Out Regular Season with 3-1 Win Over Austin - North Carolina FC
- Aztex Unable to Clinch Title at Carolina; One More Chance at Montreal Left - Austin Aztex
- Miami FC Looks to Finish Strong Against Playoff-Bound Puerto Rico - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Abe Thompson Named USSF D-2 Player of the Month After Stellar September - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
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