Playing a man down in the second half, Miami FC fought its way to a 1-1 draw against the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies in the first ever meeting between the two teams in the Coastal Cup, a physical match that marked the new era for a classic rivalry.

“This rivalry is something new for us, for the players and coaches,” Miami FC head coach Victor Pastora said. “You can see it in the stands and it’s about bragging rights. It’s going to be a great rivalry. We’re still undefeated, but we need to win. We’re at home and we want to get three points,” Pastora continued. “I’m proud of the guys and the fact that they’re working hard and doing well.”

Both teams exchanged opportunities early on, with Miami FC having a chance in the 11th minute after good ball movement from Paulo Araujo Jr., Christian Gomez and Abe Thompson led to a good feed to Edward Santeliz, who fired a shot that hit the side of the net.
Both teams fought for possession, trying to create scoring opportunities in the first half as both teams were charged a yellow card each. Takuya Yamada picked up a card in the 13th minute for the Rowdies while Abe Thompson picked one up in the 34th minute.

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