New York Cosmos and Carolina RailHawks Win as Miami FC Draw in Home Opener
In the second week of the NASL, Miami FC hosted its home opener against the Tampa Bay Rowdies as the Carolina RailHawks and the New York Cosmos come out with their second wins of the season. Indy Eleven scored late goal to salvage a point against Ottawa Fury FC while Minnesota United won its first match of the season versus FC Edmonton.
Soccer News: Miami FC splashed onto the South Florida sports scene in grand fashion on Saturday night, drawing 10,156 to FIU Stadium in the club’s home debut, a 1-1 draw against intrastate rival Tampa Bay Rowdies.
For the second week in a row, the Carolina RailHawks came from behind to claim all three points, defeating the league’s other expansion club Rayo OKC, 3-2, at Miller Stadium in Yukon, Okla. Austin da Luz scored his second goal of the game, and third of the season, in second-half stoppage time to give the RailHawks their second straight victory to open the 2016 NASL Spring Season.
Indy Eleven opened its 2016 home schedule by snatching a late point, thanks to Nemanja Vukovic equalizer in the 89th minute in a 1-1 draw with Ottawa Fury FC. On Sunday, Minnesota United bounced back from last week’s loss at Carolina, traveling to western Canada and leaving with a 2-0 win against FC Edmonton. The defending league champion New York Cosmos closed out the Week 2 schedule with their second straight win and second straight shutout, 2-0, in Tony Meola’s debut as coach of the Jacksonville Armada FC.
Indy Eleven 1, Ottawa Fury FC 1
Former Israeli youth international Idan Vered scored his first goal in the first start of his NASL career as visiting Fury FC (0W-1D-1L, 1 point) settled for a point against Indy Eleven (0-2-0, 2 points). The Boys in Blue, playing before 9,104 at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday night, battled back to score the equalizer in the 89th minute when Nemanja Vukovic pounced on a loose ball and smacked a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Romuald Peiser. The match was the second in the league’s groundbreaking television partnership with beIN SPORTS and was called by the network’s lead play-by-play announcer Phil Schoen.
Miami FC 1, Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
Dario Cvitanich made Miami FC history again Saturday night when he scored the expansion club’s first home goal before an enthusiastic crowd of 10,156 at FIU Stadium in Miami. Cvitanich, who scored the first goal in club history last week at Fort Lauderdale Strikers, brought the crowd to its feet with a goal in the 17th minute. But just as they did late last week against the Strikers, Miami FC yielded a late penalty kick that was converted by Georgi Hristov of Tampa Bay (0W-2D-0L, 2 points). Miami FC (0-2-0, 2 points) completes an opening series against the NASL’s other Florida team when it plays at Jacksonville next weekend.
Carolina RailHawks 3, Rayo OKC 2
In the NASL Game of the Week on ONE World Sports, visiting Carolina (2-0-0, 6 points) took a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute when Nazmi Albadawi calmly settled a pass over the top and crossed to Austin da Luz. Da Luz controlled the cross and tucked the ball past Rayo OKC (0-1-1, 1 point) goalkeeper Daniel Fernandes for his second goal of the young Spring Season. Ryan Johnson made club history on Saturday night, when he scored Rayo OKC’s first goal off a pass from the Honduras international Marvin Chávez as the home side evened the score in the 33rd minute.
The entrance of Georgios Samaras in the 51st minute paid immediate dividends when the Greek international’s close possession in the box led to Michel finding the ball on the left side. The Brazilian veteran headed for the net, scoring to the upper 90 on the near post from an impossible angle. Minutes after entering the match as a substitute, Aly Hassan got Carolina even, running onto a long clearance to score the equalizer in the 74th minute. Deep into injury time, da Luz scored his second of the game as the RailHawks completed an improbable comeback.
Minnesota United 2, FC Edmonton 0
In a renewal of the Flyover Cup, Minnesota United (1W-0D-1L, 3 points) took a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute when Kevin Venegas intercepted an attempted clearance and found Ben Speas with a pass. Speas then slid a shot past FC Edmonton (0-1-1, 1 point) goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel at Clarke Field in Edmonton, Alberta, on Sunday afternoon. Speas doubled the lead with a highlight-reel goal in the 55th minute.
Venegas took a throw-in and bounced the ball to Speas, who had his back to the goal. He flicked it past a defender, turned, and blasted a shot past Van Oekel.
The match marked the return to Edmonton of Jamaica international midfielder Lance Laing, who signed with the Loons in the offseason after three years with the Alberta side.
New York Cosmos 2, Jacksonville Armada FC 0
In the 29th minute, goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer’s restart was headed in midfield by Juan Arango to a streaking Jairo Arrieta. Arrieta’s first-timed volley slipped under goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo of Jacksonville (0-0-1, 0 points) and trickled over the goal line during Sunday evening’s game at Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, NY. It was Arrieta’s first goal in a Cosmos (2-0-0, 6 points) uniform.
For the second game in a row Adam Moffat came off the bench for the Cosmos and for the second game in a row he scored a goal. A perfect setup by Croatian international Niko Kranjčarleft Moffat alone to the left of Gallardo. He tucked a shot inside the far post in the 55th minute.
The match marked the NASL coaching debut of Tony Meola, who took the helm this past offseason.
Source/Photo Credit: NASL
