Miami FC vs. FC Edmonton – Apr. 29th, 2017

Refer to my last couple of articles on Miami FC if you need any information coming into this one. If you refuse to, you’re a real asshole, but I’m going to hook you up anyway. Miami has been some special kind of frustrating over the past few weeks. Frustrating because they’ve dominated and it’s yielded not a fucking thing in the way of results. Under-performance is one thing, but it really hasn’t been like that at all. In a three-game home span over the past four weeks that has kept Miami in the city, the results on the pitch have been the one thing that eluded the otherwise excellent play on the pitch for the home team. Following a 2-0 defeat at the hands of a New York Cosmos team that they outshot 22-4 and a last minute 1-1 tie to North Carolina FC in a game they controlled as well, Miami finds itself tasked with salvaging the homestand.

If ever Miami was looking to start converting on the countless opportunities they’ve squandered – or have just been plenty un-lucky at times, honestly -, today is the day to do it. An Edmonton FC team that lost three straight matches to start the season and conceded another goal in their 2-1 win at Puerto Rico FC, Miami can use a struggling opponent to get some of those shot to the back of the net and take advantage of this last match in the homestand.

Well, well, well… What do you know? Sweet vindication. Let’s get this shit out of the way, Miami FC defeated Edmonton FC by a 2-0 score. Now, here’s whats truly important. The three points are at the top of the list, no shit. But the soccer has been good, remains good, and finally payed off for the boys in blue and orange. Following the North Carolina tie, Poku expressed in the post-game press conference that there isn’t much else to do but finish. The chances had been created, the execution was on point, the ball just simply hadn’t found the back of the net. So, stay the course, continue playing sound soccer and the goals will come. Well, indeed they did. Poetic justice perhaps that Poku himself would be the one to end the drought and the anxiety by getting his team on the board. In the 35th minute, he snuck one in the box by the Edmonton GK Chris Konopka minute. Stefano Pinho got in on it in the 63rd minute, a cross-box strike also barely got by Konopka and it doubled the score for the home team. Following the match, however, Poku had this to say: “we wanted more, we should’ve scored more”.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Ariel Martinez in this match. It was Cuban Heritage night at Riccardo Silva Stadium. The first few fans in the stadium tonight got themselves a nice souvenir, an Ariel Martinez Miami FC shirsey. Martinez was subbed in for Vincenzo Renella in the 52nd. Holy shit! Not an exaggeration, from the minute this dude came in, it was a full on onslaught and barrage. He was awesome tonight. Breaking ankles, eluding defenders, banging crossbars, and getting into the box like he wanted to make it his home. Seriously, it was a real shame his night wasn’t validated in the score sheet because he was flat out awesome.

Coach Alessandro Nesta and the aforementioned Martinez, Pinho and Poku were all visibly happy after the game today. They have good reason to, the game plan finally payed off in the form of a win as they received their first three points at home. Miami FC now heads to Puerto Rico FC before coming back home for a week and they’ll hope to continue the outstanding play on the pitch and look to bring it to fruition in the form of goals, plenty of them.

Finally! @TheMiamiFC gets their 1st home win of the season behind the boot of @Poku & @stefano_pinho! #VamosMiami pic.twitter.com/Q18qk9u1Qf

— Lemon City Live (@LemonCityLive) April 30, 2017

For a complete photo gallery from this game, please CLICK HERE.

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