Miami FC continued its late-season surge Saturday night, earning a crucial 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium.
The win marks Miami’s fourth consecutive victory and extends the club’s unbeaten streak to six matches as the team continues its push for a spot in the USL Championship playoffs.
Miami wasted little time getting on the scoresheet. In the fifth minute, Denilson Milanés delivered a curling cross into the box, finding Arney Rocha, who rose to head the ball into the bottom-left corner and give Miami an early 1-0 lead.
Tampa Bay nearly responded moments later, but Miami goalkeeper Felipe Rodriguez came up with a crucial save to deny Marco Micaletto. The Rowdies also hit the woodwork on the ensuing rebound as Miami held onto its advantage.
The hosts eventually found their equalizer early in the second half. In the 54th minute, a Tampa Bay free kick caused trouble inside the Miami box before Nate Dossantos redirected the ball toward the far post, where Charlie Ostrem finished to make it 1-1.
Miami responded just six minutes later.
After Tampa Bay goalkeeper Jahmali Waite came off his line to stop a Miami counterattack, Rodrigo Da Costa collected the loose ball at the edge of the box. Da Costa drove toward goal before exchanging passes with Rocha and creating enough space to fire his shot past Waite and restore Miami’s lead.
The Rowdies pushed for another equalizer in the final half hour, but Rodriguez continued to stand tall in goal. In the 73rd minute, Gino Vivi attempted to chip the Miami goalkeeper from outside the box, but Rodriguez made a key save to preserve the advantage.
Miami held on through the final whistle to claim all three points against one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.
The Rowdies finished with 59.6 percent possession and recorded 16 shots compared to Miami’s 10, but Miami made its opportunities count, putting four shots on target and converting twice. Rodriguez finished the night with four saves.
With the victory, Miami continues to build momentum at the most important stage of the regular season. After earning just one win in its first stretch of league play, the club has now put together a six-match unbeaten run while collecting four consecutive victories.
The victory also highlighted the continued success of Miami FC’s Academy pathway, with goalkeeper Felipe Rodriguez once again delivering a strong performance between the posts. The young goalkeeper recorded four saves against Tampa Bay, helping Miami secure all three points. As the first player in club history to progress from the Miami FC Academy to sign a professional contract with the First Team, Rodriguez’s continued development is a testament to the club’s commitment to developing local talent and creating a pathway from the Academy to the professional level.
Miami FC will return home next Saturday, October 10, when the club hosts Loudoun United FC at Pitbull Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET as Miami continues its playoff push with two regular-season matches remaining after the Loudoun matchup.
