Miami FC Faces Off With North Carolina FC To Open Season
Photo credit: Rob Kinnan
Miami FC hits the road for its first contest of the 2017 season with several new faces on its roster. The club’s season-opening opponent on Saturday has a new look - on and off the field - after the Carolina RailHawks rebranded to North Carolina FC in the offseason.
While Miami’s late push to reach last year’s postseason fell short, head coach Alessandro Nesta enters this season with confidence after bolstering his squad with several names that are awfully familiar in NASL circles. In came former Golden Boot and Golden Ball winner Stefano Pinho, as well as 2016 NASL Best XI member Michel, who scored 14 goals a year ago. Also added into the mix was former Indy Eleven playmaker Dylan Mares.
The new additions will look to combine with the attacking talent from last year’s side – Kwadwo Poku and Jaime Chavez – to lead the charge towards the postseason, beginning with the opening weekend.
Ushering in a “new state of soccer” in the Triangle, North Carolina FC will look to start off the season on the right foot with a win in front of its home support. Returning to the center of the midfield is the club’s captain, Nazmi Albadawi, who set a league record with 10 assists in 2016. Veterans Tiyi Shipalane, Brian Shriver, and Matt Fondy will look to benefit once again from Albadawi’s creativity and passing accuracy in the final third.
One of the more intriguing moves of the offseason is North Carolina FC’s addition of Lance Laing to the left flank. Laing, a three-time NASL Best XI selection, will aim to rekindle his best form at WakeMed Soccer Park. With the addition of Laing, North Carolina has plenty of speed, skill, and dynamism on the flanks between the Jamaican veteran and Shipalane. Fullbacks around the league may have their hands full trying to stop the pacey pair this season.
With expectations high for both clubs, hitting the ground running from the opening whistle should help build momentum to start the Spring Season.
Match Information
7:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, March 25
WakeMed Soccer Park | Cary, N.C.
Watch | ESPN3 (National – U.S.), NASL.com (National – Canada), Spectrum SportsChannel (Regional – North and South Carolina), WRAL2 (Local – Cary/Raleigh)
