Miami FC vs. Minnesota Thunder: Crucial Weekend Series in the Playoff Hunt
Published on August 28, 2008 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Miami, August 27, 2008 - Miami FC (6-6-9) will face off against the Minnesota Thunder (7-11-6) in a weekend series at Tropical Park Stadium this upcoming Friday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 6 pm, August 29th and 31st respectively.
During this weekend's series, Miami FC will look to avenge an earlier season loss to the Thunder in May, when Minnesota topped the Blues 3-1 at National Tops Center. The goals were scored by Melvin Tarley, Jeremiah Bass, and Ricardo Sanchez for the Thunder and Sean Cameron for Miami FC. That game was the first time that Luchi Gonzalez and Melvin Tarley faced their former teammates from Miami FC, where both played in 2007.
Miami FC comes off of an important 3-0 victory against the Charleston Battery, finalist of the 2008 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Alex Afonso pulled a hat trick scoring all three goals for the Blues, making him the sole leader of goals scored (14) and points (31) of the USL-1. "The Fonz"- like the fans tenderly call Alex Afonso - outstanding performance placed him in the USL-1 team of the week.
The Minnesota Thunder has lost their last two games: 3-1 to the Rochester Rhinos and 2-1 to the Carolina RailHawks, a direct contender for the last playoff spot. Despite their recent struggle, Minnesota's Melvin Tarley and Ricardo Sanchez have 8 goals each, placing them in fifth place in the USL-1 goal scoring table.
Miami FC and Minnesota Thunder are currently tied for the number of points (27) and are only four points behind Montreal Impact, who are in seventh place and hold the last playoff spot. As such, this is a vital game to both sides as they fight for those playoffs positions with the season beginning to wind down. In fact, in their direct battle against one another, one could say this is a series worth 12 points: the 6 awarded to the victorious team in both games, plus the 6 that the losing team does not add to its total.
"The 3-0 win against the Charleston Battery gave our players more confidence. Now it's time to play intelligently and keep on being down to earth because one victory at this point can mean a lot or nothing at all. We need to win as many of our remaining games as possible so as to clinch a playoff spot. Our players are healthy and are hungry to win the next two games against the Minnesota Thunder. This weekend can really determine which teams will still be fighting for a playoff berth", commented Zinho, Miami FC's head coach.
After this weekend's matches, Miami's next home game at Tropical Park is on September 17th against the Rochester Rhinos. Group tickets are currently on sale by visiting our ticket page by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all of Miami's away games and all other USL games live on USL Live!
USL First Division Stories from August 28, 2008
- Miami FC vs. Minnesota Thunder: Crucial Weekend Series in the Playoff Hunt - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- RailHawks Announce Relationship with Consulate General of Mexico in Raleigh - North Carolina FC
- Whitecaps jump into first with 2-0 win - Vancouver Whitecaps
- USL-1 sides surprise in CONCACAF Champions League debuts - USL-1
- Impact blank Nicaraguan champion club, 1-0 - Montreal Impact
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