Miami United 2-0 Club de Lyon -quick thoughts as United advances against CDL
CDL tried to play football but in USOC against Miami United that often does not work.
Call it being naïve, but it’s a lesson other professional teams in the state have learned. When you face Miami United in U.S. Open Cup you are coming to a knife fight. Pretty, passing football, usually doesn’t beat them.
It’s a lesson the Miami FC team I worked for in 2018 learned a very hard way and that was a team that probably had the highest payroll of any US pro club not playing in MLS at the time. It’s a lesson Jacksonville Armada has learned. It’s a lesson a good Club de Lyon learned tonight.
Miami United set out with a game plan to not let a better technical side play through them. They were physical, they were nasty and ultimately successful.
I’m not making a moral judgment on this style of football as I’ve come through the years to admire the resourcefulness of Miami United - a club with a clear DNA and Stile associated with them.
But two things were pretty clear as I sat behind the fourth official at Broward College during most of the match.
1- I really enjoy the type of football Club de Lyon plays and I can’t wait to see and cover them in NISA this season.
2- But I also admire the specialists that United have become through the years and their ability to get into the opponents head and ultimately create an atmosphere where psychologically they have the edge even if they have the inferior talent.
Miami United under the stewardship of Roberto Sacca is a unique and special club. And unlike other clubs that have come and gone in South Florida, they’ve managed to survive in choppy waters going from league to league and competition to competition without losing their edge and ethos.
So Miami United once again defeated two professional teams in the U.S. Open Cup like they did in 2018. Next round they likely to a Miami FC team that has a history of losing or drawing with Miami United. However, this is a completely different set of players for Miami FC.
The third round draw is tomorrow and we will see if that is in fact the matchup.
The match deserved a greater audience it seems, judging from the pictures. Both teams seems they could benefit from better branding, though! Hard to remember or differentiate between the different Miami teams, and now Inter Miami......