MIAMI FC-LATEST NEWS

[Frank Cunha]

Miami, May 16, 2008 – Miami FC’s seventh game of the season resulted in a 1-0 loss to visiting Vancouver Whitecaps. Vancouver played with 10 men for most of the second half and successfully defended their lead courtesy of Eduardo Zebrango’s 18th minute goal. Miami falls to 1-5-1 and has a chance to record a home win this season as they host league leading Portland on Sunday.



The Blues created the first chance in the 5th minute when Honduran Walter Ramirez escaped his marker and fed forward Juan Pablo Galavis. The Venezuelan zipped into the box after a fancy turn and crossed inside just long for team leading scorer Alex Afonso.



Vancouver responded with heavy pressure in the 12th minute that led to a Martin Nash shot that went wide of Josh Saunder’s goal.



Alex Afonso came close to opening the score in the 15th minute with a powerful close range header from a long pass. The Brazilian did everything right, but an outstanding reflex from Serbian keeper Sradan Djekanovic denied his effort.



Three minutes later, Miami pressed forward for a quick counterattack. Galavis attempted a through pass to Afonso, but instead his pass was intercepted by Vancouver defender Omar Jarun who found Cuban forward Eduardo Zebrando open. He then slotted home for the 1-0 lead. Minutes later, Vancouver almost doubled their lead but Alfredo Valente’s shot went wide.





The remainder of the 1st half belonged to Miami. The Blues valiantly searched for the equalizer. In the 26th minute, Sean Fraser connected nicely with Afonso, however the Brazilian’s ensuing shot was blocked. Eric Vasquez initiated another first-touch drive to Afonso who whipped in a deadly cross for Galavis to shoot wide.



In the 35th minute Miami again searched to level the score with a low shot from Vasquez. Minutes later, Sean Cameron had a superb effort head straight to Djekanovic’s hand. The Whitecaps were very effective moving forward in their offensive breaks. In spite of the late first half surge from Miami, both teams entered the lockers room with a 1-0 Vancouver lead.

Coach Zinho switched up his lineup for the second half. With hopes of revitalizing the attack, Chris Williams was brought in for Galavis and forward Sean Barrett replaced midfielder Eric Vasquez.



Miami FC gained a numerical advantage when Vancouver forward Nick Adderly was ejected in the 53rd minute after a harsh foul on Sean Cameron. Defender Ramirez was then positioned in the left midfield as Zinho favored his speed and services to the forwards. Two minutes later the tactical maneuver paid off with a nice run of play by Ramirez who whipped a cross to Sean Fraser whose one-touch side-footed strike forced a nice save from Djekanovic.



For long periods the Blues had trouble breaking out of their half-line in spite of Vancouver being one man down. Usual target man Afonso turned creator on many attacks and found little service up front as the Whitecaps closed down their defense.



Coach Zinho brought in reinforcements with Luis Calix, Jarryd Goldberg, and Nicolas Mosquera with a quarter hour remaining. In the 78th minute, Calix’s free kick came dangerously close to threatening Djekanovic’s goal. Jamaican forward then squandered the best chance of the half after his close range volley floated high.



Miami came very close to the equalizer in stoppage time with a dangerous scramble inside the Whitecaps’ area that resulted with Cameron’s shot sailing high.



On Sunday, May 18th, Miami FC will face the Portland Timbers at 6pm, also at Tropical Park. Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting Miami FC - USL Professional Soccer or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all games live on USL Live!

[Frank Cunha]

Afonso scores twice, leading Miami

in a 2-0 Memorial Day win in Portland

Miami, May 26, 2008 – Memorial Day ended in a high note for Miami FC as the team earned a much needed 3 points defeating the Portland Timbers 2-0 in PGE Park. The two teams last met on Sunday, May 18, at Tropical Park Stadium, in a game that ended in a 0-0 draw. This time however, the story was very different.

Miami FC, hungry for their second victory of the season, came out strong and only in the second minute of the game had their first chance to score when forward Alex Afonso unleashed a potent 22-yard rocket from right, outside the box, but the shot went wide.



Four minutes later was Portland’s turn to miss, when Takayuki Suzuki took a free kick from about 35 yards out, the ball then found its way to former Miami FC midfielder Miguel Guante who turned and fired, but the shot was saved by Josh Saunders.



In the 15th minute, an excellent free-kick opportunity presented itself for Miami from about 25 yards out; Eric Vasquez and Walter Ramirez flanked the ball, Ramirez taking the shot, but it was far from its target.



But it was at the 40th minute that the game got really interesting. Sean Fraser broke away and was hacked down by Shaun Higgins inside Portland’s box. After 3 minutes of a lot of complaining with the referee by the Timber’s players and a yellow card issued to Suzuki, Alex Alfonso converted from the penalty spot just before half giving the Blues a 1-0 lead at halftime in a physical first half of the match.



Not even one minute later another yellow card was issued to Takayuki Suzuki forcing the Timbers to play a man down the remainder of the match. Ten minutes before the PK was called, Timber’s head coach Gavin Wilkinson was also ejected.



The second half started as if Portland was the team playing one man up. Their attack was very aggressive, but in a disorganized way. In the 60th minute, the Timbers finally had their first good chance of the second half when Miguel Guante headed the ball inside Miami FC’s box and almost scored, but the ball went over the post.



It was in the 65th minute that Portland had their greatest opportunity of the match when Benjamin Totori was free inside Miami FC’s box and kicked the ball hard for a huge save by Josh Saunders, who played a brilliant game.



That play appeared to wake Miami up and in the 68th minute, Alex Afonso, from outside the box kicked a soft ball. What appeared to be an easy ball, ended up in the net as goalie Ray Burse did not stop it.



Miami would have still two other incredible chances to score, but both free Sean Cameron and Juan Pablo Galavis, who came in for Sean Fraser, missed from inside Portland’s box, with easy kicks defended by Burse.

Miami FC's next home game at Tropical Park is June 1st ("Student Summer Vacation Day"); tickets for students with ID are only $3, at 6:00 PM as they host the Seattle Sounders. Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting Miami FC - USL Professional Soccer or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all games live on USL Live!

[Frank Cunha]

Miami FC to play first U.S.

Open Cup game ever at home



Tickets are priced at only $5 for adults;

children under 12 get in free

Miami, June 9, 2008 - Miami FC will hold their first ever home game playing in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday, June 10 at 8:00 pm (ET), in Tropical Park Stadium. Miami will battle the future stars of US Soccer in the Bradenton Academics of the PDL. The Academics are coming off a 3-0 win against the PDL's Central Florida Craze. The Academics lineup consists of alumni from IMG Soccer Academy and is coached by former Tampa Bay Mutiny Assistant Coach, Tom Durkin. The IMG Soccer Academy is responsible for such soccer stars as Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu to mention only a few.

Bradenton will be stiff competition for the Blues. Miami FC’s defense will need to continue their good play in recent weeks. The team has not given up a goal in 405 minutes with the strong play of players like Cristiano Dias and Avery John stepping up their game.



Miami FC so far in their short history has not seen any success in this tournament. In their first year of existence they lost in Dallas to the PDL's Dallas Roma FC 0-1. Again Miami took on a PDL team from Texas with the same end result with a nail biter loss to the El Paso Patriots. The match finished 2-2 and went to penalty kicks where Miami came out on the wrong end losing 3-4 in the shootout.



USOC is the oldest cup competition in the United States that dates back to 1914. The Cup is open to all amateur and professional teams in the US. The winner of this prestigious tournament takes home $100, 000 and more importantly gets a spot in the new CONCACAF Champions League.

The first round match-ups for the 2008 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will consist of 32 teams from the USL-1, USL-2, PDL and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA). The winners will then move on to the second round play on June 24 to further narrow the pool, hoping to continue on to the third round where eight MLS teams are automatically seeded.

Tickets for Miami FC's versus the Bradenton Academics are available by calling 305-728-2612 or one hour before the game starts at the stadium's box office. Tickets for adults are only $5; children under 12 get in free. This game will not be broadcast on USL Live. Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting Miami FC - USL Professional Soccer or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all Miami FC's USL-1 games live on USL Live!

[Frank Cunha]

US Open Cup final
× 20:00 90'FT Miami FC 4 - 2 Bradenton Academics

[Frank Cunha]

Miami FC plays the Carolina RailHawks for the USL-1 Championship on Saturday after a sound win in the U.S. Open Cup



Father’s Day Celebration: dad with child pays only $10 for both; show with Brazilian Explosion Band; free tickets for the pre-screening of Paramount Picture’s new feature The Love Guru



DeVry University will offer prizes at half-time, including a trip

to watch Miami FC @ Seattle Sounders in Washington



Doubleheader with Miami FC’s U-18 team against the AFC Lightning, at 4:45 pm



Miami, June 12, 2008 - Miami FC (2-6-5) put an end to their goal scoring drought at home Tuesday night in grand fashion, by posting a 4-2 win against the Bradenton Academics of the PDL in opening rounds of the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Miami will now play the Atlanta Silverbacks on June 24, at 8 pm, in Tropical Park Stadium but before, the Blues will be looking to catapult from this victory back into USL-1 play when they take on the Carolina Railhawks (3-1-4) at Tropical Park Stadium on Saturday, June 14th at 7:30pm (ET).



"Obviously we are very pleased with this victory, and are looking forward to our next game against Atlanta," remarked head coach Zinho after Tuesday night’s win. "However, we are still very much alive in our USL-1 play, and hope to use this momentum as a staging point to turn a corner in this season, as soon as this coming Saturday, when we play the Carolina RailHawks."



Saturday will also feature a doubleheader with Miami FC's U-18 team taking on the AFC Lightning at 4:45pm (ET). All Patrons who enter the stadium before 6pm will be granted free entry and be allowed to stay for the Miami FC game against Carolina, however be advised that there is a policy of no re-entry.



There will be a lot more activities going on this Saturday for the fans. The Brazilian Explosion Band will be playing before at half-time and after the game Miami FC vs. Carolina RailHawks. As a celebration of Father’s Day (next Sunday), every dad accompanied by his son or daughter pays only 10 dollars for both tickets.



Paramount Pictures will be promoting their new feature film The Love Guru, with the presence of the Guru himself and the distribution of free tickets for a pre-screening of the movie.

Also, DeVry University will organize half-time activities where the public can win a lot of prizes and have the chance to win the Ultimate Miami FC Fan Experience: a trip for two to see the Miami FC vs. Seattle Sounders in Seattle, including pre-game activities with the team, a ride to the game on the team bus and front row seats.

However, Miami FC fans have a lot to be excited about for this Saturday's game regarding the match itself. For one, the team came from behind twice against Bradenton, possibly exhibiting the chemistry that many critiques complained they lacked in the first half of the season. Secondly, the brilliant play of new signing Leo Inácio is really starting to bring the Miami midfield together, creating many more scoring opportunities for hit man Alex Afonso and Sean Cameron. In addition, Saturday night’s game against the RailHawks presents a great opportunity to climb in the standings, with a win propelling the Blue's up two spots to be tied with the Minnesota Thunder (4-4-2) for 6th place.



The RailHawks however, in only their second year of USL First-Division play, have already emerged as a credible team by not only reaching the postseason in 2007 but also reaching the Semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, including a stunning 1-0 win against the Chicago Fire of MLS. This year they are led by USL-1 assist leader Kupono Low and striker Daniel Antoniuk.


Both have proved that they are formidable threats to any defense, and will be looking to create problems for Miami.



Miami's defense however appears to be up for the challenge, as it has not given up a single goal against its USL counterparts since a 3-1 loss back on May 24th; against the same Minnesota Thunder it is trying to catch in the standings. This is a squad that has recorded a total of six shutouts in 2008, four of which came in their last four appearances. A big part of that equation has been the stellar play of goalkeeper Josh Saunders, who was named to the USL First Division Team of the Week for his contributions.



Both teams last met on May 4 in Tropical Park Stadium, with the RailHawks coming out on top 1-0, the dagger coming from a late strike by forward Daniel Antoniuk. It was a hard fought game that could have gone either way, but the Blues will be looking to come out on top this time.



Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting Miami FC - USL Professional Soccer or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all games live on USL Live!

[Frank Cunha]

Seattle, June 20, 2008 – Miami FC earned their 6th consecutive shutout by drawing defending champs Seattle Sounders 0-0 at the Starfire Complex. It was a tight cagey affair with few scoring opportunities. Both teams showcased their airtight defensive lines.



The first ten minutes produced no real threats from either side. In the 15 th minute, Miami keeper had trouble with a loose ball and could have been a close call had he not punched it out for a corner.



Seattle tested their long-range shots with Zach Scott firing high in the 21st minute. Three minutes later Cauê da Mata unleashed a ferocious strike that hit the post.



Then in the 32nd minutes, Miami FC’s new inspirational playmaker Leo Inácio was elbowed in the head causing the Brazilian to bleed profusely and incessantly. Coach Zinho had no choice but to replace him and on came Eric Vasquez. It was a huge loss for Miami, as Inácio was instrumental in Miami’s back-to-back victories in the Open Cup against the Bradenton Academics and last week against the RailHawks.



Second half was also scarce in chances. Seattle’s Sebastien Le Toux had a close range header brilliantly saved by Josh Saunders. Miami had trouble breaking down Seattle’s defense for much of the half.



In the 82nd minute, Seattle almost went ahead with Joshua Gardener who hit the post after a poor Miami defensive clearance. Minutes later Blues’ forward Juan Pablo Galavis fired a low drive, which Chris Eylander did well to save.



The Blues settled for a point and are now 585 minutes without allowing a single goal.



Miami’s next match is against the USL-1 leader Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday, at 10 pm ET, in Canada. Miami FC’s next match at home in Tropical Park Stadium is on Tuesday June 24, 2008 at 8 pm as they host the Atlanta Silverbacks in a 2nd round tie in the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup on. Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting Miami FC - USL Professional Soccer or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all games live on USL Live!

[Frank Cunha]

Vancouver, June 22, 2008 – Miami ended their shutout streak tonight in Vancouver as they drew 1-1 with the Whitecaps. The Miami FC Blues, resting various key starters for Tuesday’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match against Atlanta, looked confident going forward and took the lead in the 19th minute with a Juan Pablo Galavis header. It was his second goal of the season. After the break, the Whitecaps leveled the score with Chris Pozniak.



Coach Zinho opted to rest several key players such as Avery John, Alex Afonso, Leo Inácio, Sean Cameron and Walter Ramirez for this match, with their mid-week Open Cup engagement coming up. This gave other player’s a chance to shine. The team looked spot on in the opening minutes as they were holding their own against a tight knit Vancouver passing game.



In the 19th minute, in a swift counter attack, Willie Sims exploded down the left and floated a cross into the box which Juan Pablo Galavis smashed home with a powerful header. Instead of celebrating, Galavis grabbed the ball and tucked under his shirt to quickly resume a kickoff in the halfway line. Such antics, however, were not appreciated by the referee and the player earned a caution.



A minute later, Cristiano Dias was added to Miami’s injury woes as the tall defender limped off the field to be replaced by Chris Williams.



Josh Saunder’s deputy between the sticks, Sam Reynolds had a string of fine saves in the closing minutes of the 1st half, including a one-on-one encounter with Justin Moose. After the ensuing cross, Reynolds tipped the ball to safety after a goal-mouth scramble. Miami countered with a swift attack but Galavis couldn’t reach Eric Vasquez’s pass.



Whitecaps’ coach Teitur Thordarson definitely motivated his squad because in the second half Miami dodged many bullets. Vancouver dominated possession and kept Miami at bay for lengthy periods of time. The Blues, however, did find ways to crack open gaps in the Whitecaps defense.



In the 50th minute, Eduardo Sebrango brilliantly chested down a pass to an open Chris Pozniak, and the defender made no mistake. He smashed the ball into the upper left corner, leaving Reynolds little to do.



Escaping the Vancouver siege, Galavis managed to split the defense with a pass to Vasquez, but his shot went straight to the keeper.



In the 73 minute, former MLS and Islanders player, Willie Sims missed a golden one-on-one chance. As he was charging towards the goal, he overstepped the ball, lost control, and then later shot high after regaining control.



Then it was Vancouver’s turn to squander opportunities. Sebrango had an effort denied right in front of the goal line by Sean Fraser. Later Reynolds brilliantly saved his powerful header.



In the last danger moment of the match, Sebrango one-touched a neat thru pass, but his shot sailed high. Miami dodged another bullet and earned another valuable point on the road.



Whilst Miami lost their six game shutout, they still are undefeated in 7 games and Zinho can at least count on his second choice starters as they produced a valiant performance.

Miami’s next match is at home in Tropical Park as they host the Atlanta Silverbacks in a 2nd round tie in the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup on June 24, 2008. Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting Miami FC - USL Professional Soccer or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all games live on USL Live!

[Frank Cunha]

Miami, June 24, 2008 – Miami looked to make history tonight and they did just that. A lone strike from Brazilian ace Alex Afonso in the 40th minute led Miami FC’s first-ever 3rd round Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup berth. In their short three-year history they have never made it past the second round. Tonight they knocked out the Atlanta Silverbacks 1-0 at Tropical Park Stadium. They will now face MLS’ FC Dallas on July 1st.



Zinho’s decision to rest players last Sunday paid off as his squad put on another defensive master class against a feisty Atlanta team. Atlanta midfielder Rodrigo Rios initiated the battle with a 6th minute shot atop the crossbar.



Sean Cameron’s commanding first half performance saw him unleash two lethal strikes in the 12th and 38th minute that just missed the target.



It wasn’t until the 40th minute when the Silverbacks gave Afonso too much space going forward. The Brazilian smashed in a long-range cracker into the top left corner, leaving keeper Ryan McIntosh no chance.



Miami could have doubled their lead on numerous occasions in the second half. The Silverbacks pressured incessantly but couldn’t break the Blues backline led by Eric Brunner and Avery John. The Blues were without injured Cristiano Dias, but make no mistake that Brunner had an impeccable night. With captain John Pulido dropping back in front of the defense, Miami frustrated the Atlanta forwards all night.



Sean Fraser squandered a chance in an one-on-one encounter with McIntosh in the 60th minute right before making room for Eric Vasquez. Josh Saunders saved twice from David Hayes in the span of 5 minutes.



As qualification seemed certain, the Blues felt their drop when Atlanta hit the crossbar, but the call was ruled offside. Miami FC then turned up the heat with Afonso who disposed of two markers and forced a fine save from McIntosh.



Jarryd Goldberg managed to quell key counterattacks from Macoumba Kandji as the last ten minutes approached.



As full time approached, both teams were relentless. Silverbacks pushed for the equalizer and the Blues pushed to send the match out of reach. In the 90th minute, Josh Saunders pulled off, yet again, another crucial save, denying Jason McLaughlin from close range. The Atlanta midfielder latched on to a pass in the area and blasted away for Saunders to punch out for a corner.



Miami reacted with quick counter offensive with Afonso who played Vasquez in full speed. Vasquez did everything right but his finishing deceived him.



Miami’s next home match at Tropical Park is on the 4th of July against the Puerto Rico Islanders and there will be a fireworks show courtesy of JOMA and WSI to celebrate Independence Day. The game will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel. Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting Miami FC - USL Professional Soccer or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all other USL games live on USL Live!

[Frank Cunha]

Dallas, July 1, 2008 - Miami FC faced MLS' FC Dallas in the 3rd Round of the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tonight at Pizza Hut Park in a very exciting game. Miami had never played an official match against any MLS team before, and the Blues lost with 2 goals scored in stoppage time at each half, both by Abe Thompson, after Alex Afonso had given Miami the lead in the beginning of the first half.

In the 7th minute, Alex Afonso started his dribbling exhibition by megging two FC Dallas defenders. He kicked the ball in the lower right corner of goalkeeper Ray Burse to give Miami an early lead in the game. Just like last Tuesday, when the Brazilian forward scored the winning goal with a tremendous shot against the Atlanta Silverbacks goal, this one was also a powerful shot, but this time from inside the penalty area.

Working in favor of Miami FC was their defense which has played a remarkable stretch of games only allowing 3 goals in the last 9 matches played. However, this did not intimidate FC Dallas and they pressured Josh Saunders’ goal numerous times.

However, it was only in the 48th minute, after 3 minutes of stoppage time, that FCD was able to tie the match. Number 25 Dominic Oduro passed the ball to the most dangerous player for FC Dallas in the entire match, Abe Thompson who scored from the inside of the penalty area.

Second half was scarce in chances, but FC Dallas came back stronger. FCD’s Kenny Cooper had a couple of good chances saved by Josh Saunders. Miami had trouble breaking down FC Dallas’ defense for much of the half.

In the 93rd minute, Drew More crossed the ball to Abe Thompson. Miami’s defense was static and Thompson headed the ball with no trouble toward the goal. It looked like Josh Saunders was going to stop it but the ball found the net.

FC Dallas will now be looking to add another U.S. Open Cup trophy to their collection after winning the tournament in 1997. They advanced to the Quarterfinal to face the Charleston Battery (USL-1) which defeated the Houston Dynamo (MLS) in PKs. The match will be played at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina, on Tuesday, July 8.

Miami's next home match at Tropical Park is on the 4th of July against the Puerto Rico Islanders and there will be a fireworks show courtesy of JOMA and WSI to celebrate Independence Day. The game will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel. Season tickets are currently on sale by visiting Miami FC - USL Professional Soccer or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all other USL games live on USL Live!

[Frank Cunha]

Miami FC tops Puerto Rico; stretches undefeated streak to 8 league games



Miami, July 4th, 2008 - Miami FC squared off against the Puerto Rico Islanders in a wet July 4th encounter at Tropical Park. The Blues were looking to get back on the winning track after their very close defeat to FC Dallas in the US Open Cup last Tuesday (2-1). Coming into tonight’s game Miami was unbeaten in their last 7 league games and they added another game to that record. After an hour and five minute rain delay the two region rivals finally got underway in what proved to be an exciting match.



As usual left-back Walter Ramirez started the game off with some excellent runs down the left side and provided some excellent service early into the game. Then in the 7th minute a penalty was called on Puerto Rico Islanders Edwin Miranda for pulling back Sean Fraser in the area while trying to get to the ball. Miami FC forward Alex Afonso slotted it home to the bottom right side which completely tricked the keeper. This was Alex Alfonso’s eighth goal of the season.



Sean Fraser in the 19th minute then went on to unleash an incredible shot from outside the area which forced the Islanders’ keeper to pull off an equally impressive save in the top left corner.



The Miami defenders which have been outstanding during the 7 game streak played just as well in the first half. Puerto Rico had very few opportunities and the ones they did have were not very good or stopped at Josh Saunders.



In the 42nd minute Walter Ramirez gave his defender a few moves then crossed in a dart of a ball for Alex Afonso which he narrowly headed just wide of the right post.



After halftime both teams tried to gain control of the game and there were not many good chances until the 69th minute when Puerto Rico had their best opportunity of the game but Miami goalkeeper Josh Saunders showed why he leads the league in shutouts when he pulled off another incredible save from a powerful shot right in front of goal.



Chances were hard to come by in the second half as both teams wrestled for control of the game. But it remained close as both teams were doing everything they could to score. Four minutes were added to the dismay of the Miami FC faithful but Puerto Rico just could not find a way through the Blues defense. The 3 valuable points ended up in Miami’s hands as the game ended 1-0.



After such a stellar performance by the whole team it was only fitting that there would be a spectacular fireworks show immediately after the game. Six minutes of fireworks lit up the sky at Tropical Park Stadium for all the fans to enjoy. Josh Saunders continued his streak of not allowing a goal at home since May 16th and added another shutout to his league leading collection.

Miami FC will now travel to Rochester to face the Rhinos on the 13th. Miami's next home match at Tropical Park is on July 27th against the Atlanta Silverbacks. Group tickets are currently on sale by visiting Miami FC - USL Professional Soccer or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all other USL games live on USL Live!

[Frank Cunha]

Miami FC will face the Rochester Rhinos looking to stretch 8-game unbeaten streak



Miami, July 10, 2008 - Miami FC (4-6-7) will take on the Rochester Rhinos (3-5-5) in Rochester, New York on Sunday, July 13, 2008 at 6 pm (ET). Both teams recorded victories in their previous USL-1 games. Miami FC beat Puerto Rico at Tropical Park (1-0) and the Rochester Rhinos beat the Vancouver Whitecaps (3-1) at PAETEC Park in Rochester. The Blues are currently riding an 8-game unbeaten streak and have not lost a USL-1 league game since May 16. The Rhinos are trying to get out of the bottom of the standings.



When Miami last played Rochester on June 7th, the two teams tied 0-0. The Blues are currently right in the middle of the standings at 6th and would like to gain some ground on the teams at the top of the table. Rochester on the other hand is last in the league but only 4 points separate the bottom 5 teams.



Last game Miami forward Alex Afonso put home a penalty which allowed him to once again regain the top spot in the USL-1 for goals with 8. He also leads the league in points with 18. Another player that is upgrading his statistics is goalkeeper Josh Saunders who leads the USL-1 in several categories including shutouts and games played. He has only allowed 1 goal in his previous 8 games and that one goal came on the road to Vancouver.



Meanwhile Rochester got a much needed and well deserved win (3-1) against the 2nd place Vancouver Whitecaps at home. The Rhinos are led by their Brazilian midfielder Mauricio Salles who is 7th in points with 10 and 7th in goals with 4. Also helping out offensively is Luke Kreamalmeyer who is tied for 3rd in assists in the USL-1. Before Rochester takes on Miami, the Rhinos will have a home game against the Seattle Sounders on July 11th.

After Miami faces off against the Rhinos they will be playing in Montreal against the Impact on July 18th. Miami's next home match at Tropical Park is on July 27th against the Atlanta Silverbacks. Group tickets are currently on sale by visiting Miami FC - USL Professional Soccer or by calling 305-728-2612. Single game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-866-57-MIAMI. Watch all other USL games live on USL Live!