Miami FC Defeats Naples United FC In 1st Round Of Open Cup

---

MIAMI, FL – A couple of home games in to start off the season and Miami FC found themselves with a pair of losses. The main struggles for Miami were already apparent on offense. They had only scored one goal coming into the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Against Naples United FC though, Miami FC was relentless on the field, maintaining possession of the ball for most of the match. The scoring opportunities kept coming in handy throughout the evening as Miami FC defeated Naples United 4-1.

Two Goals For Francisco Bonfiglio

Francisco Bonfiglio scored the first two goals for Miami FC. Both came in towards the tail end of the first half. The 23-year-old Argentine forward had just signed with the club on February 27th.

Bonfiglio spent the 2024 season playing for Club Atlético Tucumán, an Argentine Torneo Apertura team. With Atlético Tucumán, he played in leagues such as Liga Profesional, Copa Argentina, and Copa de la Liga.

45+' | BONFIGLIO MAKES IT✌️ #MIAvNU | 2-0 pic.twitter.com/yoEOGi8kD6

— Miami FC (@TheMiamiFC) March 18, 2025

Allen Gavilanes Puts It Away

By the time Allen Gavilanes scored at the 66-minute mark of the match, it felt like the icing on the cake. The scoring chances were starting to be one too many for the Naples United defense.

Gavilanes, a 25-year-old native from New Jersey, is returning as Miami FC’s second top goal scorer from 2024 with five.

66' | @AllenGavilanes PUTS IT AWAY 😮‍💨#MIAvNU | 3-0 pic.twitter.com/2rUx2bShpu

— Miami FC (@TheMiamiFC) March 19, 2025

Welcome Tobias Zárate

Another newly signed player scored his first goal with the club. Tobias Zárate, a 24-year-old forward out of Argentina, did just that, making it a 4-0 match.

Zárate last played during the 2023-24 campaign with Greek Super League 2 Team, AE Larisa.

69' | ZARATE MAKES IT 4️⃣🚀#MIAvNU | 4-0 pic.twitter.com/36ypD0zRSb

— Miami FC (@TheMiamiFC) March 19, 2025

Final Takeaways

The match started slow with both teams trading time of possession. It wasn’t until the sun started settling down when momentum was swinging in favor of Miami FC. Once the first goal came in, you could see more aggression from Miami FC on the field and more frustration for Naples United FC on the bench.

Four yellow cards were issued to Naples United, including one to their bench. Their coaching staff was clearly not happy with several calls made during the match and they ensured their verbiage was heard.

Miami FC had an unfathomable 2024 campaign which saw them lose nearly every match and struggle to score goals in most of them. Their four goals today are already the most they scored in a game since 2023.

Next Match

Miami FC continues their stretch of home games this Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Pitbull Stadium. The match will begin at 7:00 PM and will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network.

About Post Author