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Miami FC Lose Third Straight Game To Instate Rival Rowdies
Less than 20 Tampa Bay Rowdies fans made the trip to South Florida to witness another
chapter of the USL Championship Leagues version of the Florida Derby. In their luck, they saw
not only a win on the road, but also at Miami FC’s expense of composure.
Miami FC (0-3-0) fell to instate rival Tampa Bay Rowdies (1-2-0) 2 - 1in an early season
matchup at Pitbull Stadium Saturday. Miami only had one shot on goal, despite multiple free kick
chances. The loss marks the third straight defeat for the South Florida club to open the 2025
season.
Miami went toward an aggressive approach to open up the action. Within the first two minutes,
Miami FC already had a shot on goal, and a goal via forward Francisco Bonfiglio. The goal was
a rainbow shot in the second minute of the match. The Argentinian tipped the ball over Tampa
Bay goaltender Nicolas Campisi to give Miami a 1-0 lead -- its first lead of the season.
The Rowdies were outpaced throughout the beginning. The visitors tallied less than three
minutes of possession through the first 10 minutes of play. Tampa Bay began to push toward the
right wing, which allowed them to have a chance at its first cross of the match in the 14th
minute.
Miami FC defenders cleared the cross and didn’t allow a shot on goal throughout the first 30
minutes of play. An outlier to this stagnant early defense was midfielder Diego Mercado. The
28-year-old intercepted passes and committed to clean tackles without hesitation.
The tide in possession shifted across the 30th minute however for Miami. After three corner
tries, the Rowdies finally broke their goalless spell in the 31st minute. Forward Woobens Pacius
rushed into the right side of the box and caught Miami goaltender Bill Hamid in an unusual
angle. The Canadian forward thread the ball past Hamid to the bottom right of the goal and tied
it at one a piece.
Miami FC’s defense withered away with every minute Tampa controlled the ball. The home side
allowed corner after corner until Rowdies midfielder Daniel Crisostomo drilled a shot past Hamid
in stoppage time. The Rowdies took a 2-1 lead into the half, while Miami didn’t produce a single
corner try throughout the first 45 minutes.
Tampa Bay continued its onslaught in the second half. The Rowdies held a heavy presence on
Miami’s side of the pitch and nearly cracked in another goal. Midfielder Cameron MacPherson
had the ball placed right in front of goal from a pass inside, but his kick wift above the goal in the
50th minute.
Luck did look toward Miami FC, however, in the 67th minute. Midfielder Allen Gavilanes was
tackled on a run inside the box by a Rowdy. The official gave the American a penalty shot and a
chance to tie the game. Gavilanes attempted for the top left corner, but was off the mark.
The missed opportunity wouldn’t be the only chance that Miami would have to tie the game. A
few free kicks just outside the box followed. The game turned more chippy as six yellow and
cards were issued alone in the second half.
Despite Miami’s efforts for a late equalizer, it never found a shot on goal. Tempers grew as
midfielder Diego Mercado was issued a red card in stoppage time. Miami FC lost the game --
down one man on the pitch 2-1. Its next game will be at home against New Mexico United at 7
p.m. March 29.
Written by: Brandon Hernandez
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