Florida MLS Notebook Week 7

Chicago Fire FC 0 CF Montreal 1

Highlights – Chicago Fire v CF Montreal – MLS – May 29 2021

After spending a month on the sidelines CF Montreal’s Mason Toye marked his return in emphatic style scoring the winner with six minutes to play as Montreal beat Chicago Fire FC 1-0 at Soldier Field on Saturday.

The goal came with an emphatic header as Toye got on the end of Zorhan Bassong’s cross and headed it to the far post for the winner.

Despite taking the loss Bobby Shuttleworth played well and it could have been worse. The Candian-Floridians could have had the lead in the 20th minute if not for his good work. Bjorn Johnsen found the shot to Shuttleworth’s left but the Chicago keeper dived well to make the save.

The hosts dominated the second half, creating opportunities to get back in the match but the Impact defense was good.

At the death, the Fire had the ball in the back of the net through Wyatt Omsberg but the Video Assistant referee denied the goal, correctly, for an offside.

New York Red Bulls 2 Orlando City SC 1

Highlights: New York Red Bulls v Orlando City SC – MLS – May 29 2021

Orlando City SC suffered its first loss of the season as the New York Red Bulls gave the visitors a 2-1 loss at Red Bull Arena on Saturday.

NYRB opened the scoring in the 35th minute when Caden Clark managed a simple tap-in after a perfect cross from Patryk Klimala to the far post.

It took until the hour mark for the second goal to come and again it was the New Jersey side. The goal came from a free-kick as Cristian Casseres Jr. curled the ball into the top corner, leaving Pedro Gallese rooted to the spot.

Orlando pushed and with six minutes to play was back in the match. Tesho Akindele was able to set up Silvester van der Water who slide the strike under Carlos Coronel but that would be as close as the Lions would get.

Columbus Crew SC 2 Toronto FC 1

Highlights – Columbus Crew SC v Toronto FC – MLS – May 29 2021

A strong first half from Columbus Crew SC gave them a 2-1 win over Toronto FC at Historic Crew Stadium on Saturday.

It took just 12 minutes for the hosts to get started as Toronto paid the price for over-committing to a corner. Pedro Santos sent the ball forward for Luis Diaz to run through on the goal one-on-one with the keeper and score easily.

Eight minutes later Gyasi Zardes had the ball in the back of the net for the second time in the match and this time it stood. The Crew man headed home from Santos’ cross, bouncing it over Alex Bono.

Toronto’s goal came in the 52nd minute when Ayo Akinola reacted quickest to a rebound, putting back Richie Lareya’s shot.

Inter Miami CF 0 DC United 3

DC United was much too good for Inter Miami at DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday night claiming a 3-0 victory with a perfect shot on goal to goals ratio.

Ola Kamara scored a brace while Paul Arriola scored the other and assisted another to cruise to the win. It was a defensive match, with little action but DC United’s defense was dominant, a brick wall that never looked like being knocked down.

Photo courtesy Major League Soccer

Inter Miami CF avoid points penalty but receive $2 million fine

NEW YORK – Major League Soccer handed down a fine to Inter Miami CF and managing owner Jorge Mas along with individual and team sanctions for the club breaching the salary cap in the 2020 season. Most significantly there was no points deduction for the offenses last year.

In the investigation MLS discovered that the offenses were even worse than first uncovered, with both Blaise Matuidi (who was known) and Andres Reyes incorrectly classified and should have been classed as Designated Players, meaning the club had five of the allowed three on the books. On top of that Miami paid Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Nicolas Figal, and Julian Carranza off the books.

With such a robust cheating scheme fans of the Herons must be wondering how their team did so terribly, managing only a 10th place finish. That should also lead to questions of the club’s recruitment policies, with a whopping five players overpaid but still finishing outside of the playoffs picture. One thing that is encouraging in that is that the then sporting director was Paul McDonough who has already left the club.

“The integrity of our rules is sacrosanct, and it is a fundamental principle of our league that our clubs are responsible for adhering to all league regulations,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber in a press release, ignoring the prior times the league has changed rules to accommodate LA Galaxy.  “Our rules will not be compromised. These sanctions reflect the severity of Inter Miami’s violations, should encourage complete cooperation by all parties in future investigations and will serve as a deterrent for clubs from violating roster rules.”

McDonough has faced an individual sanction, getting suspended until the end of the 2022 season. The then COO had moved to Atlanta United FC but has now been removed from the club, departing by mutual consent since he cannot participate in the league.

The other individual sanctioned is Mas, who has received a $250,000 fine sure to be a drop in the ocean for a man who is paid $4.4 million annually.

MLS made a note that none of the players will be penalized and their “current contracts will remain in force”. Presumably, that means the permitted contacts, which means Pirez, Figal, and Carranza will all have to take pay cuts as they won’t be permitted to take their off-the-books payment in 2021. Despite that, the league is saying the players won’t be penalized, but all three of these players are certainly taking a pay cut as a result which would be considered as a penalty for anyone in any other profession.

On top of those penalties, Miami has been handed a $2,271,250 reduction to its allocation budgets in 2022 and 2023 effectively tying Head Coach Phil Neville’s hands.

READ MORE: Inter Miami found in violation of salary cap sanctions to come

In the release MLS made a point to note that none of the other owners had committed any offenses, clearing David Beckham of any wrongdoing. The punishment phase isn’t entirely completed as Inter will now have to send its compliance plans to the league office by Monday.

Photo courtesy Inter Miami CF/Major League Soccer

Rowdies win derby and extend perfect start

ST. PETERSBURG – For the first time in the modern era the Tampa Bay Rowdies have managed a perfect 4-0 start to the season after defeating Miami FC 2-1 at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday night.

The hosts opened the scoring after 12 minutes when Lewis Hilton found a wide-open Steevan Dos Santos allowing him to flick the ball with a glancing header past the keeper. That gave Dos Santos his third goal on the season, lifting him up the golden boot standings.

That sparked Miami into action and in the 38th minute, the derby was on level terms thanks to Billy Forbes. The Turks and Caicos international made a run down the right-wing and then shot from the edge of the box, taking a slight deflection off Aaron Guillen, and going in off the underside of the crossbar.

It took some time, but the Rowdies got the winner in the 78th minute. The goal had been coming as Tampa Bay pressured and again Dos Santos was involved, sending a ball into the box which came off Sean McFarlane’s arm. That allowed Sebastian Guenzatti to step up and hit it from the spot to seal the three points.

Highlights – Tampa Bay Rowdies v Miami FC – USL Championship – May 22 2021

Miami could have pulled a goal back in the 25th minute when Forbes stole possession before Ariel Martinez sent the ball in for Lamar walker who shot just wide. Moments later Martinez had a chance of his own that was well saved by Evan Louro.

If not for Callum Chapman the Rowdies could have started the second half perfectly, he was in the right place at the right time to clear the ball off the line on Lewis Hilton’s shot.

The visitors worked hard to try and find a late equalizer but the Tampa Bay defense held firm, despite losing Dos Santos late in the match due to injury. The extent of that injury is yet to be revealed but the Rowdies will be hoping for a short absence.

Photo courtesy Tampa Bay Rowdies

Florida State pays the penalty as Santa Clara claims College Cup

CARY, N.C. – Three straight penalty shootouts proved a bridge too far for Florida State as Santa Clara claimed the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship with a 4-1 shootout win following a 2-1 draw at Wakemed Soccer Park on Monday night.

Florida State was put from behind right away as Clara Robbins could only find the post from her opening shot, which was followed by Emily Madril who did the same, putting the Seminoles 2-0 down after two shots. That left Izzy D’Aquila to step up and score the winner.

The opener came in the 63rd minute as Jenna Nighswonger hit a shot that perfectly snuck in off the post. Florida State ran the ball up the left allowing Yujie Zhao to set up Nighswonger who controlled with her first and promptly scored with her second, gaining enough space to curl it past the keeper.

Six minutes from time Santa Clara had the match back on level terms, Kelsey Turnbow, who had been threatening all match, intercepted a pass from Emily Madril. That left enough space for Turnbow to capitalize and score with a shot into the bottom left corner, sending the match to extra time.

Highlights – Santa Clara University v Florida State University – NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship Game – May 17 2021

On the 25th minute, Florida State nearly had the lead as a good ball across the face forced a run onto the ball that was well saved by the keeper. Moments later the Seminoles had a shout for a penalty that was denied. Clara Robbins ran into the box from the right and was seemingly felled by her defender only for the referee to say that Robbins dragged her leg to induce contact.

The Seminoles dominated possession in the latter part of the first half with the ball barely leaving their half. It was all too easy for Florida State but the side struggled to make those chances count.

Despite that if not for Cristina Roque the Floridian side would have been behind. Turnbow was starring for the Broncos and made a phenomenal run at the heart of the FSU defense, she turned past her defender and looked to hit it above Roque who stood firm.

In the 37th minute, Florida State had a golden opportunity as a foul was called on the edge of the area following a 50-50 battle for possession but Ran Iwai sent her shot right into the wall.

With three minutes left in the first half of extra time, the Seminoles went for a winner, but with all 11 Broncos packing the box it was difficult. Space was hard to come by forcing FSU players to shoot from difficult angles as the Santa Clara defenders put their bodies on the line. Zhao could have been the hero at the death of the half as her shot from distance rattled the crossbar, keeping it 1-1.

With only 3 minutes to play, Lauren Flynn fouled Turnbow right on the edge of the area but again the wall did its job, unfooled by the step over.

The win ended 20 years of hurt for Santa Clara putting the Broncos firmly back on the map with their second NCAA Championship win.

Photo: Santa Clara University

Rowdies overcome Phoenix in 2020 USL Championship Final “replay”

ST. PETERSBURG – It may not have been for silverware but the battle of the 2020 USL Championship conference champions saw the Tampa Bay Rowdies claim a 2-1 win over Phoenix Rising FC at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday night.

Steevan Dos Santos starred again managing a goal and an assist in the match as the Rowdies had enough about them to beat the defending Western Conference champions.

It took only four minutes for the Rowdies to open the scoring when a powerful run from Dos Santos allowed him to swing the ball into the box. That saw Aodhan Quinn attempt to clear the ball out of the box but he sent it past his own keeper for the opener.

Getting a strong early start was something that Tampa Bay Head Coach Neill Collins had emphasized in training this week. Phoenix had been starting matches well even if he thought that the team could have had a bigger league at halftime.

He is right to say that, it could have been 2-0 seven minutes later with Dos Santos at it again. Zach Steinberger found Dos Santos in the box but he launched his shot well over the bar.

Late in the half Quinn could have scratched out his own goal, hitting a powerful shot to the bottom corner of the net. That effort was denied by a full-stretch save from Evan Louro, keeping it 1-0 at halftime.

Highlights – Tampa Bay Rowdies v Phoenix Rising FC – USL Championship – May 15 2021

An hour in Tampa Bay had two as Leo Fernandes worked hard to create the chance and shot at goal only for his effort to be saved by Ben Lundt for a corner. On the corner, Forrest Lasso’s powerful header was saved allowing Dos Santos to score on the rebound.

Just seven minutes later Phoenix pulled a goal back. Santi Moar had enough space to look up and take a powerful shot which Louro couldn’t stop. After the goal Phoenix wanted to play quickly, leading to a scuffle which saw Louro and Phoenix’s Rufat Dadashov carded.

With a way back in the match Phoenix pushed hard for an equalizer in the closing moments but the hosts held out to claim the win. With the match being essentially a “replay” of what was supposed to be the 2020 USL Championship Final before its cancellation the PA had one last trick, belting out We are the Champions as a frustrated Phoenix side left the field.

Photo courtesy Tampa Bay Rowdies

Florida MLS notebook week five midweek

Toronto FC 2 Columbus SC 0

Toronto FC made Columbus SC pay for its widely panned rebrand with an emphatic 2-0 win, making sure the team that abandoned its Crew was still looking for a win in its new name.

Goals came early and late for the Canadians with Michael Bradley opening the scoring in the 13th minute as he punished Columbus for being unable to clear the ball. Columbus tried over and over to clear the ball but failed to do so allowing the Toronto attack to find Bradley who finished the chance.

Yeferson Soteldo nearly scored a goal on his MLS debut after Nick DeLeon’s shot came back off the bar but his effort was denied by a Saad Abdul Salaam save. That save was matched by Toronto keeper Alex Bono who leaped to deny Luis Diaz.

Early in the second half Toronto nearly had its second when Soteldo’s corner found Omar Gonzalez who headed for goal only to be denied by his US Teammate, Darlington Nagbe, who headed it off the line.

The winner came three minutes from time when Bradley sent in a free-kick for Gonzalez whose header found Jozy Altidore to head home the goal right on the line.

Inter Miami CF 0 CF Montreal 2

It may not be a “traditional” Florida derby, but the first match involving two Florida-based teams in 2021 saw the temporary residents of CF Montreal take advantage of the team that welcomed them in claiming a 2-0 win over Inter Miami CF.

14 minutes into the match the Quebecois had the lead as Bjorn Johnsen scored his first goal for the club. Djordje Mihalovic played a through ball and Johnsen used his speed to get to the ball ahead of Leandro Gonzalez Pirez.

Just 11 minutes later the Norwegian made it two, Romell Quioto made a rampaging run down the left and then cut back from the by-line for a tap-in.

The game was postponed for two hours by a lightning delay which seemed to energize the Herons but they couldn’t get past James Pantemis who earned his first clean sheet.

Photo courtesy Major League Soccer

Wilf family purchasing Orlando City and Pride

MINNEAPOLIS – The Wilf family announced on Wednesday that it is purchasing Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride, taking over the majority stake from Flavio Augusto da Silva.

That move comes after a failed attempt to take over Minnesota United when the club made the move to Major League Soccer in 2015, hoping to get the MLS rights instead of Bill McGuire. The group already has investment in MLS with a minority stake in fellow Eastern Conference side Nashville SC.

This isn’t final yet, with the negotiation period expected to take up to 60-days as the two groups come to a discussion on terms. It is expected that the majority stake in the club will be up to $500 million and includes the academy sides and Exploria Stadium.

The Wilfs talked a big game in Wednesday’s statement focusing on the action on the pitch rather than discussions about revenue streams.

“Among our goals are to build championship soccer clubs for the passionate and loyal soccer fans of the region, (and) provide a best-in-class fan experience.”

Da Silva has been opening up to the Orlando Sentinel about the sale with Julia Pope continuing her phenomenal work covering the club and he expressed his confidence that the new owners were the right group to take the club forward.

“With their passion for the sport and Orlando’s two teams that are in position to compete for trophies, I am confident that the Wilf family will continue to push Orlando City SC to new heights.”

Both sides have probably underperformed in their history since the jump to the top division, so this new sale may spark life into the club, and bring back the success they had in USL.

Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Dave Carter (RELEASED) – Public Domain

Florida MLS notebook week four

Vancouver Whitecaps 2 CF Montreal 0

Highlights: Vancouver Whitecaps v CF Montreal – MLS – May 8 2021

Two of the Canadian teams currently stuck in the United States met in Utah for the first all-Canadian MLS match played outside of Canada. It was a difficult start from Vancouver after the Floridian resident Montreal held the Whitecaps off effectively.

Vancouver hadn’t managed a shot for 56 minutes but a penalty changed that, Kamal Miller brought down Cristian Dajome. That allowed Dajome to get up, dust himself off and score from the spot.

He sealed his brace with 20 minutes to play scoring off a corner when he was able to run through the defense and head the ball home for the final 2-0 lead.

Montreal thought it pulled a goal back when Lassi Lappalainen had the ball in the back of the net but his goal was ruled out due to Erik Hurtado’s handball.

Orlando City SC 1 New York City FC 1

Highlights: Orlando City SC v New York City SC – MLS – May 8 2021

A stunning goal from Nani put Orlando City in the lead but it wasn’t enough as a late penalty saw New York City FC come back for a 1-1 draw.

Nani’s stunner was his third goal in as many matches as his powerful shot from outside the box left the keeper rooted to the ground.

The Lions were the stronger side but couldn’t make their domination count as they struggled to really create clear-cut chances. The penalty came in the 77th minute and let NYC off the hook for the point leaving Orlando City frustrated.

Inter Miami CF 1 Atlanta United 1

Highlights: Inter Miami CF v Atlanta United – MLS – May 9 2021

Inter Miami CF manager Phil Neville was left frustrated on Sunday after he felt his side should have had a late penalty instead of having to settle for a 1-1 draw with Atlanta United at DRV PNK Stadium.

Atlanta started well and opened the scoring just 9 minutes into the match when Josef Martinez put away his chance after taking a touch and turning, finishing easily.

Miami took time but in the 77th minute had an equalizer as Lewis Morgan made a run through the Atlanta defense and then shot out of the reach of Brad Guzan to get the goal.

That came as a just reward for the Herons’ momentum and they could have had a penalty for handball in the 61st minute but VAR rejected the appeal. In stoppage time there would be another penalty appeal that was denied by VAR leaving Neville fuming. Guzan went down to smother a rebound and Victor Ulloa went down but the officials determined that the goalkeeper got the ball fairly and no penalty was awarded, leaving the final score 1-1.

Photo courtesy Inter Miami CF

Rowdies continue winning ways put three past Riverhounds

ST. PETERSBURG – For the second straight match the Tampa Bay Rowdies have won 3-0 at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday night. This time it was the Pittsburgh Riverhounds who were the victims keeping the perfect start to the season going.

Steevan Dos Santos haunted his former side as he scored the opening goal in the 31st minute. Leo Fernandes swung the ball in from the left, perfectly finding the former Pittsburgh man’s head allowing him to head it home.

There wouldn’t be a second goal until the 75th minute and Dos Santos was key again as he made a run into the box before being brought down by goalkeeper Danny Vitiello. That allowed Sebastian Guenzatti to step up and bury the spot kick to double the lead and all but seal the win.

Highlights: Tampa Bay Rowdies v Pittsburgh Riverhounds – USL Championship – May 8 2021

With six minutes to play fresh substitute Jordan Adebayo-Smith wrapped up the 3-0 score line with his goal. He used his strength to steal possession back on the edge of the area and run through on goal for a simple finish. He could well have made it a brace four minutes later as he ran through on goal one-on-one with the keeper but chipped it just over the bar.

Despite the final results the visitors did have opportunities, with the best coming just 15 minutes into the match from a set piece. Thomas Williamson hit an impressive free-kick that needed Evan Louro to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.

Apart from that one chance the Rowdies were rarely challenged and cruised to a 3-0 win. Next up the Rowdies is the hotly anticipated match against Phoenix Rising, what should have been the 2020 USL Championship Final. That match will be next Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium and aired live on ESPN 2.

Photo courtesy Tampa Bay Rowdies

Tampa Bay Rowdies v Pittsburgh Riverhounds statistical preview

ST. PETERSBURG – After a successful start to the 2021 season the Tampa Bay Rowdies will welcome the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to Al Lang Stadium for the visitors first match of the season.

As usual for the Riverhounds they are strong defensively, giving up just 12 goals in the season, less than one goal a match (0.8). That came on the back of strong tackling as they managed a 65.1 percent success on the tackles. The Rowdies will be able to match that based on last week’s showing where they managed a 75 percent success rate.

One thing to be mindful of is drawing PGH in to a penalty, the club gave away four of them in a the condensed season last year so some smart play from Tampa Bay could well draw a spot kick to capitalize on.

READ MORE: Guenzatti brace sees Rowdies win season opener

Passing was also accurate from the Riverhounds, managing a 77 percent success rate last season, the Rowdies managed 81.7 percent last week. It will clearly be a difficult battle for possession as both teams enjoy holding the ball.

What is notable in the distribution statistics is how Pittsburgh really drops off in the attacking half. While a drop-off is normal the Hounds go from 86.3 percent to 69.3 percent. That’s not as big an issue for their opponents which managed 66.7 percent accuracy in the opposition half against Charlotte last week.

Tampa Bay will be able to defend by packing the box, the Riverhounds only scored four of their 39 goals last season from distance. That highlights a patient build-up, that the Rowdies would be best served breaking up in midfield.

It’s going to be a tougher match than last week, and there will be some improvements needed but there are certainly some areas that Neill Collins can have his team exploit for a second straight victory.

Photo: Tampa Bay Rowdies

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started