Miami FC Thrashes San Francisco To Capture Spring Season Championship
Miami FC entered Saturday night knowing that a victory would earn the club its first trophy in its short history. The Orange and Blue got that trophy, and claimed it in emphatic fashion. Miami trounced the San Francisco Deltas, 7-0, on Saturday, clinching the 2017 NASL Spring Season Championship in front of its home fans at Riccardo Silva Stadium.
Jacksonville Armada FC was still hanging around in the Spring Season title race – albeit by a thread – going into this weekend’s games, but the club’s scoreless draw with Puerto Rico, as well as Miami’s win, put an end to their trophy hopes.
Elsewhere, Indy Eleven knocked off the New York Cosmos thanks to a second-half goal from Justin Braun, while FC Edmonton came back to top North Carolina FC with two late goals.
Continue below for a recap of each Week 16 contest:
Miami FC 7, San Francisco Deltas 0
Miami FC scored early and often on its way to a 7-0 victory over the San Francisco Deltas at Riccardo Silva Stadium on Saturday night.
Brazilian forward Stefano Pinho scored four goals in the championship-clinching win to go along with a pair from midfielder Dylan Mares and a tally from Cuban international Ariel Martinez.
The visiting Deltas found themselves down three goals after 15 minutes and down a man in the 35th minute when defender Reiner Ferreira was sent off following a tackle on Mares.
It was a true team performance for Miami, which had six different players record assists in the game: Vincenzo Rennella, Blake Smith, Kwadwo Poku, Jaime Chavez, Michael Lahoud, and Mares.
The Spring Season Championship represents Miami’s first title of any kind, and now it can move forward with the NASL season knowing that it will host a semifinal game in The Championship in November.
Indy Eleven 2, New York Cosmos 1
A week after conceding a late equalizer to the New York Cosmos, Indy Eleven got the best of the defending champions, posting a 2-1 victory at Carroll Stadium on Saturday night.
Jamaican midfielder Don Smart opened the scoring in the 15th minute when he calmly slotted a penalty kick past Cosmos goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer. The visitors didn’t take long to respond, however. Argentine midfielder Emmanuel Ledesma took a pass from U.S. youth international Eric Calvillo and fired a rocket past Indy goalkeeper Jon Busch to tie things up.
Forward Justin Braun, who is having a strong season for the Boys in Blue, headed home the winner in the 75th minute. Defender Nemanja Vukovic whipped in a perfectly-placed corner kick that met Braun at the far post.
Jacksonville Armada FC 0, Puerto Rico FC 0
Jacksonville Armada FC kept hold of third place in the Spring Season Standings following a scoreless draw with Puerto Rico FC at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium on Saturday night.
Mark Lowry’s side entered the night with an outside chance to stay in the Spring Season title race, but a few results, including their own, eliminated them from contention.
Despite numerous chances, neither side was able to crack the other’s defense. Both clubs will take positives into Wednesday’s rematch, which will see Puerto Rico travel to Jacksonville.
FC Edmonton 2, North Carolina FC 1
North Carolina FC’s woes in Edmonton continued on Friday night as the Eddies came from behind to earn a 2-1 victory at Clarke Stadium.
Promising youngster Dre Fortune scored his first professional goal to put North Carolina up in the first half, but late goals from FC Edmonton’s Tomi Ameobi and Mauro Eustaquio prevented the visitors from snapping their 11-game winless streak in the Canadian city.
Fortune looked like a veteran in the 25th minute when he gathered a loose ball, took a touch to his right, and calmly slotted home the opening goal past Eddies goalkeeper Nathan Ingham.
As the game wore on, the frustration was mounting for the home side, which hadn’t scored a goal in 438 minutes of play. That was until Tomi Ameobi finally got the monkey off the Eddies’ back in the 77th minute. The Englishman leapt high over the North Carolina defense to head home the equalizer from close range.
Three minutes later, the Eddies went up a goal. Midfielder Sainey Nyassi squared the ball for Eustaquio, who blasted a shot off the post and into the net to complete the hosts’ comeback. North Carolina’s Matt Fondy had a chance to earn his side a draw in the dying moments, but he flubbed his shot wide from close range.
