Memphis 901 FC bounce back against last-place Miami

Nighte Pickering. Samuel Careaga. Alvaro Quezada.

All goalscorers in the final eight minutes as Memphis was able to overwhelm Miami FC with a 5-1 win.

The three points were important to grab considering the opposition had not won a match since April, but Miami played like a well-connected team for a large chunk of action. They had moments where they looked like the better team but lacked the finishing touch in the final third. Memphis stayed composed and used their depth to strike when the moment arrived.

Panagiotis Armenakas earned his first start for Memphis with Marlon Santos on the injury report. All three of Memphis’ recent additions were in the starting eleven — Armenakas placed on the right wing while Jon Bakero spent time up top and on the left. Goalkeeper Triston Henry has started in every game since his arrival in late July.

Up against a club experiencing their second seven-game losing streak of the season, Memphis looked to keep any hope from building inside Pitbull Stadium. They were aggressive from kickoff using a high press and direct attack. Akeem Ward was able to create opportunities and join when necessary from his left back position. He was an offensive hub for Memphis throughout the first half.

The consistent pressure from 901 ended up costing them five minutes into the match. Near the half-way line, Roberto Molina sent a through ball over the entirety of the Memphis defense and into the path of Frank Lopez. Tulu was unable to recover and Lopez lofted it over Henry.

Conceding the early goal did not deter the Memphis attack as they continued to push forward. In the fifteenth minute, Carson Vom Steeg had plenty of space to dribble down the right side before laying it off to Armenakas. A pinpoint cross from the right winger caught the Miami defense napping leaving Dylan Borczak to score with a free header.

The possession evened out after the equalizer although the shot total remained one-sided. Memphis started to create opportunities out of the counter-attack but struggled to space properly, allowing for easy recoveries.

It was nearly deja vu for Memphis to begin the second half as Miami had a golden opportunity to retake the lead in the 50th minute. Miscommunication between Samuel Careaga and Zach Duncan led to a heavy touch right to Michael Lawrence. One-on-one with the goalkeeper, he was unable to place his shot on target.

Outside of the mishap, neither club was able to generate much before a lightning delay interrupted play for around an hour. This continued once the game resumed besides one Miami shot on target.

Memphis refreshed their attack with four substitutions, bringing on the more offensive-minded Alvaro Quezada to replace Vom Steeg. Bruno Lapa, the only starter up-front to remain, increased his involvement with his passing vision. In the 81st minute, it paid off with the Brazilian picking out a run from Noe Meza. His strike hit the crossbar and a Miami defender for an own-goal.

Miami crumbled after conceding. They allowed three more goals in the span of eight minutes. First, it was a poor pass back to the keeper. Nighte Pickering was there to capitalize. Samuel Careaga scored on a first-time strike with plenty of space in extra time. Quezada capped off the night with his first goal of the season — striking the ball from a tight angle down the right side.

Next Game

Memphis 901 FC return home to play FC Tulsa (who also had a mid-week game) Saturday, August 17 at 7:30pm.