UPSL Southeast Final Preview: Tennessee Tempo vs. Miami United
Tonight at 7:00pm EST, Miami United and the Tennessee Tempo face off at the MOBA Soccer Complex in Peachtree City, Georgia to see who will be crowned UPSL Southeast Champions and earn a spot in the National Finals. Here’s our preview of what is expected to be an intense and potentially high-scoring match.
Tennessee Tempo FC:
The champions of the KY-TN Conference for the 4th straight spring after a 4-0 win against FC Leapords have been just as good in the playoffs as they were during the regular season. Since their lone loss to Southern Indiana FC on April 26, they have won 10 straight games, including a 3-0 win against Gateway Division Champions 314 SC (St. Louis) in the Round of 32 and a 1-0 win in the Round of 16 against Mid-Atlantic Champions Asheville FC.
The Tempo’s trademark is their firepower offense with 61 goals scored on the year. They are led by the talented forward duo of Harrison Watts and Gregory Cousins. Watts has 13 goals on the season and was voted the club’s Newcomer of the Season after graduating from Lees-McRae College, where he had 21 goals and 9 assists over 4 years. Cousins has tallied 8 goals in UPSL action and has played for 3 years at Bethel University, where he’s scored 18 goals and provided 7 assists.
However, Tennessee’s defense cannot be overlooked, with only 7 goals allowed on the year. Anchored by captain Nathaniel Bedai (who surprisingly has 8 goals of his own this year, many of which seem to be penalties) and Defensive Player of the Season Moussa Gueye, they have the chance to keep another clean sheet on the year, even against a strong Miami side. The midfield duo of Jermaine Muirhead (4th on the team with 6 goals) and the Player’s Player of the Season Dominic Oduro round out the squad.
With the Tempo needing a penalty to get past a pesky Asheville side last Sunday, they will need to come out of the gate more explosive if they want to be Southeast Champions. They’ve shown time and time again they have the goalscoring ability, and it’s up to them to replicate dominance in the final third again. If they do, they could be on their way to matching their 2022 Spring National Runner-Up finish.
Miami United FC:
The more well-known team in this matchup, Miami United have made a name for themselves in the US Open Cup over the last few years, with upset wins over Chattanooga FC and Club de Lyon in 2024 and a good showing against Inter Miami II in 2025. There was also a betting scandal in the Cup run of ‘24.
The team is well known in the UPSL, as well, recently being crowned champions of Florida after a 2-0 win against Lakeland FC last week in the Round of 16. That extended their current win streak to 8 games. In 3 more matches than the Tempo, they’ve bagged the same number of goals, 61. While they have allowed 15 goals on the year, that is still less than one per game, and they have kept 2 straight clean sheets against Lakeland and FC America Spurs in the playoff rounds.
Miami has talent all over the field that can hurt you. Unlike the Tempo, their strength is the midfield, where the trio of Diego Morales, captain Robertino Insua, and appearance leader Santiago Frean (a goalscorer against Inter Miami II) dictate the game. Morales has 10 goals on the year, Insua has 8, and Frean has 5. The forward line is filled with depth, as while Luis Peralta and Alejo Fernandez have 9 goals each, they are rotated with Lucas Espindola, who scored in the Round of 32 for his 2nd goal of the year, and Alessandro Mazzeta, who bagged a game-deciding brace last week and has 4 goals this season.
The stout defense is led by Nick Fraggetti, who played in college for the University of West Florida and has made 25 appearances for the club. The starting goalkeeper is the great Seba D’Angelo, a 36-year old Argentinian with professional experience at Boca Juniors and Newell’s Old Boys.
The real question for Miami is who will be making the trip up to Peachtree City. Out of the players discussed above, Luis Peralta and Nick Fraggetti were not listed on the club’s lineup card for the Round of 16. Midfielders Nicolas Prada, listed on the UPSL website with 5 goals, also did not appear. No matter who does and does not play, Miami have strong depth and a strong midfield that will prove a challenge to Tennessee, but it will be hard for them to stop the Tempo attack. It really is anyone’s game.
Miami United head coach Claudio Frean released this statement before the match, saying “This Sunday we play one of the most important matches in Miami United’s history. It’s the grand final of the UPSL East Region and also the national quarterfinals against a tough rival like Tennessee Tempo. Winning would make us East Coast Champions and give us a ticket to the Final Four in California. It’s a huge challenge, but I’m proud of my players and I know we’re going to give everything on the field. We know it will be tough, but we are Miami United, and we have the duty to fight for victory”.
Tennessee Tempo captain Nathaniel Bedai shared a similar message: “I have five simple words for the fans and for my teammates. It is now or never.”
Under the bright lights of the MOBA Soccer Stadium, one of these talented teams will win the battle, but it isn’t talent that will decide who puts up the bigger fight. This is amateur soccer at its best, and only the best team will be named the Southeast Region Champion.
The game can be watched through this link on the UPSL YouTube channel.