Saturday, May 16
Miami, FL – Miami FC returned to Pitbull Stadium Saturday night for a USL Cup matchup against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, falling 4-1 despite stretches of strong play from the hosts.
Miami started the night aggressively and nearly opened the scoring in the opening minute when Joel Soñora’s effort from outside the box drifted just wide. The hosts continued to push early and created another dangerous chance in the 13th minute as Matías Romero forced a save from distance after a setup from Soñora.
Tampa Bay struck first in the 11th minute with a long-range finish before adding a second goal shortly before halftime following a corner kick sequence. Despite the deficit, Miami remained organized through much of the first half and continued to create moments going forward.
The match also saw Miami forced into an early change after Arthur Rogers exited with an injury in the first half, leading to the introduction of Mathieu Ndongo in the 28th minute.
Tampa Bay extended its lead early in the second half and added another from a corner kick midway through the period as the visitors capitalized on their momentum. Miami continued battling throughout the night and nearly found a breakthrough in the 77th minute when Ndongo forced a strong save inside the box.
Two minutes later, Miami FC got on the scoresheet through Mason Tunbridge. After combining with Rodrigo da Costa, Tunbridge drove into the box and calmly finished into the bottom corner to give the home fans a moment to celebrate late in the match.
While the result was not the one Miami FC wanted, the match served as another valuable test for a young squad facing one of the Eastern Conference’s strongest sides in USL Cup competition.
Miami FC now turns its attention back to league play and will return to Pitbull Stadium on Saturday, May 23 to host Louisville City FC. Tickets are available now through Miami FC or calling 844-MIAMIFC.
