Night Pickering. Samuel Careaga. Alvaro Quezada.
All of the goalscorers came in the final eight minutes as Memphis overwhelmed Miami FC with a 5-1 victory.
The three points were important as their opponent hadn’t won a game since April, but Miami played like a well-coordinated team for much of the game. There were moments when they looked like the better team, but they lacked the finishing touch in the final third. Memphis stayed composed and used its depth to strike at the crucial moment.
Panagiotis Armenakas made his first start for Memphis because Marlon Santos was injured. All three of Memphis’ new signings started – Armenakas on the right wing, while Jon Bakero played up front and left. Goalkeeper Triston Henry has started every game since his arrival in late July.
Against a team that has lost seven games for the second time this season, Memphis looked to hold out hope at Pitbull Stadium. They were aggressive from kickoff, relying on high pressure and direct attack. Akeem Ward was able to create chances and step in when needed from his left-back position. He was an offensive lynchpin for Memphis throughout the first half.
901’s constant pressure cost them five minutes into the game. Near the halfway line, Roberto Molina sent a through ball over the entire Memphis defense into the path of Frank Lopez. Tulu couldn’t get the ball back and Lopez lifted it over Henry.
The early goal didn’t deter the Memphis offense and they continued to push forward. In the 15th minute, Carson Vom Steeg had plenty of space to dribble down the right side before handing the ball off to Armenakas. A precise cross from the right winger surprised the Miami defense and Dylan Borczak was able to score with a free header.
After the equalizer, possession was evened out, although shots on goal remained lopsided. Memphis began to create chances on the counterattack, but struggled to place the ball properly, allowing it to be easily recovered.
It was almost a case of déjà vu for Memphis at the start of the second half, as Miami had a golden opportunity to regain the lead in the 50th minute. A misunderstanding between Samuel Careaga and Zach Duncan led to Michael Lawrence being passed hard and being one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he was unable to get his shot on goal.
Aside from that incident, neither team was able to accomplish much before play was halted for about an hour due to lightning, and it remained that way after play resumed, except for one shot on goal by Miami.
Memphis revamped its attack with four substitutions, bringing in the more offensive Alvaro Quezada for Vom Steeg. Bruno Lapa, the only remaining regular in attack, increased his passing. It paid off in the 81st minute when the Brazilian picked up a run from Noe Meza. His shot hit the crossbar and a Miami defender, resulting in an own goal.
Miami collapsed after conceding the goal. They conceded three more goals in eight minutes. First, it was a poor back pass to the goalie. Nighte Pickering was there to capitalize. Samuel Careaga scored in overtime with a direct shot from plenty of space. Quezada capped the night with his first goal of the season, firing the ball down the right flank from a tight angle.
Next game
Memphis 901 FC returns home to play FC Tulsa (who also had a midweek game) on Saturday, August 17th at 7:30 p.m.
