Orlando City will play their first match of the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup on June 14th against the North American Soccer League (NASL) side Miami FC. They earned a 2-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the third round of the tournament-- so what will it take for the Lions to shut them down at home?
Recent Matches
Currently, Miami FC at the top of the NASL with 21 points in 10 games. In the league, they have earned one draw and four wins in their last five matches, including a recent 1-0 victory over the Jacksonville Armada. Miami has played a lot of low-scoring games, but they’ve proven they can score. They entered the U.S Open Cup in the second round, taking down the South Florida Surf 3-2. They went on to face their former NASL rivals, the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Despite not opening up scoring until the 73rd minute, the South Florida side won the match 2-0.
Players To Watch
Vincenzo Rennella is the offensive leader for Miami FC so far this season, scoring four goals and earning four assists. The French forward is on loan from Spanish side Real Valladolid, but has bounced around many European clubs. He notably played in Serie A for A.C Cesena, where he made 15 appearances and scored one goal.
Other relevant goal-scorers include Dylan Mares, Stefan Pinho, and Kwadwo Poku. Mares and Poku each have three goals on the season, while Pinho has two goals and an assist. Pinho was originally drafted by the Colorado Rapids in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, but never signed with the team. He has moved around a few different clubs, but had a notably successful season in 2015 with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. He earned the Golden Boot and the NASL MVP award, scoring 16 goals in 23 appearances.
Goalkeeper Mario Daniel Vega has only allowed eight goals in ten regular season games this season and has earned four shutouts. The Argentine played all 2,880 minutes for Miami FC last season, earning ten shutouts.
Manager Spotlight
Miami FC is managed by Alessandro Nesta, a well-known Italian center back. He came up through the Lazio youth system, and played with the Italian side for nine years, making 193 appearances. He then moved to Milan, where he played for ten years. His career at Milan overlapped with Kaká’s-- the two men played together in Milan for six years. Following his career in Serie A, Nesta spent a bit of time with the Montreal Impact Chennaiyin FC (India Super League). He made a total of 78 appearances for the Italian National Team between 1996 and 2006, and started his coaching career with Miami FC in 2016.
Head-to-Head
Orlando City and Miami FC have never played each other, but there will be some familiarity between the two sides. As previously mentioned, Kaká played alongside Nesta for a good portion of his career. He also crossed paths with Antonio Nocerino-- there was a year of overlap in their Milan careers. And Orlando City Head Coach Jason Kreis will be familiar with Kwadwo Poku, who was drafted by New York City FC in 2015 and made 34 appearances for the club.
The meeting between these two sides is sure to be an interesting and exciting one. The match will take place at Orlando City Stadium on June 14th, at 7:30pm.
