Miami FC travels to Puerto Rico hit by series of injuries in its roster
April 24, 2008 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Miami, April 24, 2008 - Miami FC (0-1-1) will be traveling to Bayamon, Puerto Rico this weekend to take on the Puerto Rico Islanders (0-1-0) in a two-game series at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium hit by a series of injuries in its roster (see injury report below). The initial match is on Friday at 8pm (ET) and will be the first meeting of the two teams for the 2008 season, with the following match at the same time on Sunday evening.
The Islanders controlled competition last season by posting a 3-0-1 record against Miami. However, both teams have gone under major personnel reconstruction in the off-season, leaving open plenty of speculation on how this year's teams will match up.
"It is important that we come away with some points," offered Miami FC Head Coach Zinho. "We have only strengthened our desire to win, after last week's disappointing loss to Montreal. We must continue to work hard and prepare for what's to come."
Puerto Rico will be fielding 11 new players, including goalkeeper Bill Gaudette, who was acquired this year after two seasons with the Columbus Crew of MLS. Gaudette replaces Josh Saunders, who will be starting Friday's game in a Miami FC jersey.
It's important to note that the games will feature two players selected for the USL First Division Team of the week. They include: Miami FC's forward Alex Afonso, who scored a goal in each of the first two games he played with the club, as well as Puerto Rican defender Christian Arrieta who will have to work hard to try and keep him in check.
Injury Report
Miami FC veteran forward Sean Fraser suffered a dislocated right elbow with a small fracture confirmed team's Physician Doctor Pieter Hommen after Saturdays 2-1 loss to the Montreal Impact at Tropical Park Stadium.
Fraser went down 4 minutes into the second half right outside of the Montreal box during a tense Miami scoring opportunity in which he collided with opposing defenders racing for a loose ball. "He will not undergo surgery, but instead we opted to treat this with intense physical therapy," Dr. Hommen commented. "This is an injury that will take several weeks to resolve."
Fraser's absence upfront will leave plenty of room for first-year forward Sean Barrett to prove himself. The 6'4" 205lbs Kingston native (like Fraser) preformed outstandingly in preseason matches, scoring 3 combined goals in 2 games back in April against Nova Southeastern University and Barry University.
Adding to Miami FC's injury troubles, defensive starter JP Rodrigues suffered an ACL tear in his right leg this past Saturday, leaving Miami figuratively limping from their loss against Montreal. "We are going to perform an Arthroscopy on his knee to determine the full extent of the damage," said Dr. Hommen. "It may require reconstruction, in which case JP will be out for the season, however if it does not he could be back after a month or so."
Defender Stephane Guillaume, who saw a significant amount of action with Miami FC back in 2006 and the first half of 2007, "may be back in practice within 2 to 4 weeks" Dr. Pieter Hommen reported. Guillaume, who played with the Haitian National team, as well as with the Colorado Rapids of MLS, suffered a season ending knee injury last year after playing in just 8 games.
As a final note, rookie midfielder Jarryd Goldberg sprained his ankle during a collision in practice this past week and also will not travel with the team to Puerto Rico for the weekend series against the Islanders. "I expect it will be about 2-4 weeks until Jarryd is back in action," confirmed Dr. Hommen.
Mercy Hospital/Miami FC Soccer Clinic
In conjunction with Mercy Hospital, Miami FC's official health care provider, the club will be holding a clinic for adults 18 + to come and polish their soccer skills with the pros. Several players and coaches will be in attendance to offer advice and guidance on how amateurs can improve their game. Dr. Pieter Hommen is going to be in attendance as well, and the event is free and open to the public.
The clinic is this Saturday, April 26 at Peacock Park in Coconut Grove from 10am to 12pm. There will also be a limited amount of free giveaways on a first-come first-serve basis.
Miami FC's next home game for the 2008 season will be on Sunday, May 4th, at Tropical Park Stadium against the Carolina Railhawks at 6:00 p.m. Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting www.miamifc.com or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Miami FC games can be watched live at: www.usllive.com.
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