CINCINNATI – FC Cincinnati 2 played to a 1-1 draw against Inter Miami CF II on Sunday night in the team's final match at NKU Soccer Stadium this season. Miami earned two points after ousting the Orange and Blue in penalties by a score of 4-3. Calvin Harris made his debut for FCC 2 while Harrison Robledo scored his first goal for the club less than a minute after kick off.
Robledo opened the scoring with a brilliant free kick just fifty-seven seconds into the match. A brilliant curler from 25-yards out that beat the outstretched arms of CJ dos Santos at the near post. Robledo played 90 minutes contributing two shots and two key passes.
FCC 2 had a number of first half chances that came inches from doubling the Orange and Blue’s lead. Harris showcased his individual skill after beating a defender in the box and dribbling around dos Santos but pushed his shot wide on a tough angle. Nick Markanich had an equally close attempt after getting his head on a contested second chance ball a yard out from goal.
Miami thought they had found an equalizer in the 40th minute after a clever ball found the feet of Shanyder Borgelin. The physical forward slipped his shot past Beckham Sunderland, but the goal was disallowed with an offside call. Miami finished the first half with five shots, none of which were on goal.
Dairon Reyes leveled the match in the 62nd minute after a turnover in the midfield opened the attack for Miami. A pass out wide eventually found its way back into the box and on to the foot of Reyes who tucked it away comfortably. Chances on both ends late in the game came up short as the ninety minutes closed with a score of 1-1 and pushed FC Cincinnati 2 to their first penalty shootout of the season.
"I thought the boys started well, two minutes into the game, I mean that's the kind of start you want." said Tyrone Marshall, head coach of FC Cincinnati 2. "They [Miami] had the better play of the game for twenty to thirty minutes but we picked it up towards the end. We came out in the second half with a bit more energy. We looked more engaged. It was an end to end match and was great for the fans. The boys battled today, from minute one to minute ninety-five. They showed a lot of character today and that's what we are trying to build here."
Nico Campuzano made one save in the shootout after replacing Sunderland earlier in the match with FCC 2 converting on its first three penalties. Miami tucked home four straight to finish things out as the Orange and Blue look ahead to next weekend's match at Mercy Health Training Center against Philadelphia Union II.
FC CINCINNATI 2 GAME REPORT
FC Cincinnati 2 vs. Inter Miami CF II
Date: July 31, 2022
Competition: MLS NEXT Pro Regular Season
Venue: NKU Soccer Stadium
Kickoff: 6:05 p.m. ET
Weather: 75 degrees, cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY: 1-2-F
CIN: 1-0-1
MIA: 0-1-1
CIN: H. Robledo 1’
MIA: D. Reyes (N. Allen) 62'
LINEUPS
CIN: B. Sunderland (N. Campuzano, 68'), A. Flanagan, D. Garcia, K. Thomas, M. Marshall, Z. Bailey, H. Robledo, N. Markanich (N. Daley, 36’ (O. Touray, 89')), C. Harris (G. Valenzuela, 60'), A. Ordóñez (Akindele, 61'), B. Sánchez (D. Martin, 78')
Substitutes not used: O. Noverr, K. Turcios, M. Penagos
Head Coach: Tyrone Marshall
MIA: C. Dos Santos, N. Allen, A. Caputo, J. Quinteros, H. Neville, D. Reyes (T. Bagley, 84'), L. Sunderland, D. Ruiz, S. Hundal (B. Taghvai-Najib, 73'), S. Borgelin (B. Destin, 84'), R. Beckham
Substitutes not used: B. Kaminski, D. Hardin, F. Valencia, L. Batiste, B. Taghvai-Najib
Head Coach: Darren Powell
STATS SUMMARY: CIN / MIA
Shots: 11 / 12
Shots on Goal: 5 / 2
Saves: 1 / 4
Corner Kicks: 2 / 7
Fouls: 19 / 19
Offside: 4 / 1
Possession: 37.3 / 62.7
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
CIN: H. Robledo (Yellow Card, 77')
MIA: D. Ruiz (Yellow Card, 37’), J. Quinteros (Yellow Card, 39’), D. Reyes (Yellow Card, 52'), R. Beckham (Yellow Card, 71'), L. Sunderland (Yellow Card, 90'+1)
OFFICIALS
Referee: Drew Klemp
Ast. Referees: James (Jaime) Duling, Jake Brochu
Fourth Official: Nabil Bensalah
About MLS NEXT Pro
Launched in March 2022 by Major League Soccer, MLS NEXT Pro is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada that completes the player pathway from MLS NEXT through to MLS first teams. With 21 Clubs competing during the inaugural season – 20 MLS-affiliated and one independent club, Rochester New York FC – MLS NEXT Pro will grow the game through innovation and diversity by bringing professional soccer to new markets, creating career opportunities for professionals on and off the field, and providing communities with a strong sense of pride. Eight additional MLS-affiliated clubs will join MLS NEXT Pro in 2023, with more independent clubs joining in the years ahead. For more information about MLS NEXT Pro, visit mlsnextpro.com
