By Official Florida FC
The Tampa Bay Rowdies and Miami FC earned their first competitive victories of the year on Tuesday night with wins in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup.
The Rowdies had the more straightforward result, eliminating tournament debutants Nona FC 2-0.
(Photo by Will Brown, Official Florida FC)
Lucky Mkosana assisted J.J. Williams’ opening goal in the 25th minute. He doubled the Rowdies’ advantage in the 32nd.
“I think we deserved to win, but credit to Nona,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins told the team’s website. “(Nona FC Head Coach Guilherme Soares) has them very well coached. They came here and made it difficult. I played in those games as a player and they’re never easy… The boys have done the job. We’re on the next round. There’s loads of positives.”
As for the Lake Nona club, it will prepare for the USL League Two season that kicks off in May.
As Nona FC posted on Instagram at full time: “This was just a demonstration to know that it is possible. This is our new standard.”
Another lower-league team seeking a second straight cupset were the Jacksonville Armada. Though the Jaxons scored first, via a 32nd minute goal from former Cameroonian international Charles Eloundou. Miami FC used its numerical advantage to score two goals in the last 10 minutes.
Miami FC’s 3-1 win helped the club advance to the third round of the Open Cup for the second straight year. Claudio Repetto scored the goals that sunk the Armada.
Jacksonville ended the match with nine men after Luto Tom received his second yellow card in the 43rd minute and Ayrton Redmore earned his second yellow in the 84th minute. Miami FC played the final 40 minutes with 10 when Curtis Thorn earned his second yellow card.
“I thought we completely controlled the game for the 94-95 minutes,” Miami FC head coach Anthony Pulis told the club afterward. “(It) could and should have been by a greater margin. But (I’m) delighted. We, obviously, came back from an early setback. The way the guys responded and the way they moved the ball continues to keep knocking on the door and creating opportunities. I was really, really pleased with them.”
Tampa Bay and Miami will find out their opponents on Thursday when the third round draw is announced. With Inter Miami and Orlando City joining the tournament in the third round – and the only other competitor within six hours of either club being South Georgia Tormenta FC in Statesboro, Georgia – it’s very likely the third round will once again feature a pair of all-Florida contests.
