Miami FC's long winless streak: What the heck is going on?
MFC's season is now beginning to resemble each of the last two years which ended in complete failure
Miami FC ‘s nine game winless streak has not only take the side from sixth to tenth in the USL Championship Eastern Conference but it shows no sign of really abating. The club which struggled each of the last two seasons, seemed to have turned the corner in April and May this season. But since, performances have resembled the failures of each of the last two seasons, and this time it’s especially frustrating as the squad’s depth and talent-level should have prevented this.
So what has happened since a convincing 1-0 win over then league-leading Charleston on June 18?
Sebastián Blanco was an MLS DP and when fit has played like it for Miami FC. But at 37, he’s often-injured and needs his minutes managed. When Blanco doesn’t play, Miami FC looks totally lost on the pitch. It shouldn’t be this way truthfully considering the squad has 31 players - the most in the USL Championship this season.
Indiscipline. In the last seven USL Championship matches (all defeats or draws), Miami FC has finished on ten men, four times. Additionally, in a fifth match Bill Hamid’s injury led to MFC finishing with what amounted to a third-choice keeper.
Concentration lapses: Whether it was Mikey Lawerence not closing down a Lexington attacker moments before a stoppage time equalizer for an opponent or Deian Verón not tracking Charles Ahl’s near post run on the last kick off the draw in Pittsburgh or Verón picking up a second yellow in stoppage time the other night, we’ve seen some serious mistakes deep in stoppage time.
Lack of goal scoring outside of Francisco Bonfiglio. Bonfiglio is one of the elite strikers in this division but the club’s second leading scorer in league play is, wait for it…Daltyn Knutson. A centerback! As good as Miami’s wide players have been at times (they’ve also been awful at times, this inconsistency is another issue) they’re not contributing to the goal scoring for the club.
Miami needs a turnaround ASAP. The side is now tenth in the East Conference and only three points out of the basement in the entire league, which is currently occupied by the Tampa Bay Rowdies (who swept MFC this season, as they usually do).
Saturday’s matchup against league-leading LouCity presents an opportunity as Miami has tended to play either up or down to opposition this season. MFC gained a point, down a man for more than a half against FC Tulsa. They dominated Charleston, North Carolina and Loudoun at home. But they were swept by both Tampa Bay and Detroit while being run off the pitch at home by Indy Eleven. Is their any other USL Championship side with such an obvious problem of playing to the level of their opposition?
So perhaps Saturday’s match versus LouCity provides the stimulant to a turnaround? We will see.