Total Futbol

Rochester Rhinos 2, Miami FC 1

 

Diego Serna and Leo Inacio Nunes were missed at Lockhart Stadium Sunday night, to say the least. The Rhinos made two first-half goals Johnny Menyongar stand up to hand the Blues their first loss of the season.

Miami FC's lone goal came from the two players replacing the missing stars: Connally Edozien from Zourab Tsiskaridze.

Much more to come.

Miami FC's next two home games at Lockhart

Fort Lauderdale has suddenly become the home of Miami FC.

Miami FC’s next two matches – against the Charleston Battery (May 2) and Carolina Railhawks (May 16) – will be held at Lockhart Stadium in Broward County.

After the Carolina match, the Blues play three straight on the road.

Nunes out for Rochester game

Forty-four hours after the Blues finished off Montreal, they'll be back on the pitch -- but without out their two best offensive threats.

We already knew Diego Serna would miss the game with a red-card suspension. But midfielder Leo Inacio Nunes will also be out after injuring his hamstring against the Impact.

As expected, Connally Edozien will start for Serna. Zourab "Zee" Tsiskaridze, who made the team as a tryout player, will take Nunes' place. Look for the Blues to go to a more defensive approach than in the past two games.

The parking lot looks light, so a smallish crowd might be in store at Lockhart.

As usual, the game is available online at USLLive.com.

STARTING LINEUPS

Miami FC

Goalie: Pat Hannigan

Defenders: Facundo Erpen, Chris Williams, Zach Kirby, Walter Ramirez

Midfielders: Jarryd Goldberg, John Pulido, Zourab Tsiskaridze, Edwin Miranda

Forwards: Connally Edozien, Alen Marcina

Rochester Rhinos

Goalie: Scott Vallow

Defenders: John Ball, Kenney Bertz, Brent Sancho, Danny Earls

Midfielders: Tiger Fitzpatrick, Andrew Gregor, Andrew Lorei

Forwards: Kwame Sarkodie, Johnny Menyongar, Taiwo Atieno

Zinho on the Blues' 2-1 win over Montreal

Early deadlines and limited space kept a lot of interesting tidbits of the Blues' historic win over the Impact on the chopping block. Couldn't even fit in a quote from coach Zinho, who has Miami FC in first place of USL-1 for the first time in team history. So, it's time to empty the notebook and give you what the coach said after the game.

What is the significance of beating Montreal?

"It means a lot. The only team we've bever beaten before is Montreal. First of all, I want to thank God ... and then the players. They understood what we wanted to do, and they executed on the field. I'm really happy with this team. We've only had 20 days of work, but you already can tell that they're playing for that shirt, playing for Miami FC. It's like the shirt is their second skin. None of us thought we could do this in 20 days."

How good is Montreal?

"In my opinion, they're one of the three best teams in the league. They've played together for four years, and they've carried over the rhythm from when they played in CONCACAF. It's a team with leadership and a very deep bench. They don't break scheme when they bring players in."

What are your plans, considering Diego Serna won't be available against Rochester Sunday?

"I'm going to take a look at how the players recouperate and put everyone on ice. Saturday, we'll practice and stretch. We'll probably have [Connally] Edozien replace Serna up top. We need to see what exactly the rules are, regarding the red card."

Miami FC 2, Montreal Impact 1

 

Ageless wonder Diego Serna scored on a penalty kick and then set up Leo Inacio Nunes for another goal, to give the Blues just enough offense to hold off a late-charging Impact 2-1 in its inaugural game at FIU Stadium.

"We wanted to get off to a right foot,'' Serna said. "It's always a battle. Whoever loses their head loses the game.''

After two goals and three assists in Miami FC's first two matches, the 35-year-old Serna has emerged as one of the premier players in USL-1's young season.

Full story to come.

Hello from FIU Stadium

If nothing else, Miami FC sure looks the part of a big-time soccer team tonight.

Their new Miami-Dade home is dazzling, even more impressive than Lockhart Stadium.

If the parking lot is any indication, expect at least as big a crowd at FIU Stadium tonight.

Youth soccer teams lined up even before the gates opened at 7 p.m., and the Ultras were tailgating, as it their wont.

Some news: After beginning the opener on the bench for fitness reasons, Facundo Erpen will start tonight.

The game is available on Fox Soccer Channel, but not USLLive.com.

Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz (District 12) and FIU Athletic Director Pete Garcia will be part of a pre-game ceremony officially opening the stadium for soccer.

THE STARTING LINEUPS

Miami FC Blues

Goalie: Pat Hannigan

Defenders: Zach Kirby, Cristiano Dias, Facundo Erpen, Walter Ramirez

Midfielders: John Pulido, Jarryd Goldberg, Erwin Miranda, Leo Inacio Nunes

Forwards: Alen Marcina, Diego Serna

Montreal Impact

Goalie: Matthew Jordan

Defenders: Kevin Sakuda, Adam Braz, Nevio Pizzolitto, Zanzan Atte-Oudeyi

Midfielder: David Testo, Sandro Grande, Tony Donatelli, Leonardo Di Lorenzo

Forwards: Roberto Brown, Eduardo Sebrango

South Georgia nabs four Broward standouts

Three members of the Region 4-5A champion Monarch Knights will play for South Georgia College, as will Cypress Bay's Jon-Michael White, according to Monarch coach Stephen Lorenc.

Forward Felipe Nascimento, midfielder Joao Mendes and defender Victor Castro were the backbone of Monarch's improbable run through the regional playoffs, and will be teammates again at South Georgia, a junior college in Douglas, Ga.

"Getting these four players from South Florida was exactly what I set out to do," said South Georgia coach Ken Kirsch.  "It made my 2009 recruiting class extremely strong and I consider all of them blue-chip prospects They will definitely help us out immediately next season."

Focus on the Montreal Impact

 

It's game-day, Blues fans, so let's learn about the Montreal Impact.

By now, you should know all about the Impact's ability to draw fans -- especially in major games. If not, see the 55,000 the team packed in for a CONCACAF quarterfinals match.

As you read in Friday's Miami Herald, Montreal has the core of its team intact from last from last year's team. The Impact began the season on the road, with a scoreless draw against Charleston.

Last year's leading scorer, Eduardo Sebrango-Rodriguez, might find his mind wandering 90 or so miles to the south. The Cuban defector's 64-year-old father is battling cancer in Sancti Spiritus. The illness started in his brain and has reached the brain, according to The Gazette.

Gametime for tonight's match, held at FIU Stadium, is 8 p.m. The game can be seen on Fox Sports Channel or USLLive.com.

World Cup '18 in S. Fla?

 

No big surprise, but Miami and the USA Bid Committee have expressed mutual interest in using Dolphin Stadium as a possible venue for future World Cup matches, either in 2018 or 2022.

As exciting as that sounds, we're a long, long way from hosting the world's greatest international sporting event.

First, off, the U.S. has to get the tournament, which is no sure bet. Then, Miami has to beat out dozens of other venues for one of the coveted handful of stadiums to actually host a match.

As amazing as it would be, not sure if South Florida would be that appealing in the middle of summer, especially considering Dolphin Stadium would be 35 years old in 2022.

Beer! We've got cold beer here!

 

Got your attention? Good.

Sadly, I won't be giving away free frosty ones today, but you will be able to bend the elbow at Friday's Miami FC match against Montreal.

The game is held at FIU Stadium, which for football games only makes beer available in limited areas.

Not so for USL-1 matches. If you've got money and a valid ID in your pocket, you can get your drink on.

Want to start partying a little early? The Blues will put on an open party at the stadium's lounge beginning at 7 p.m.