Cupset-minded Miami United FC of the United States Soccer League fell to Memphis 901 FC of the USL Championship 2-0 on Wednesday night. Memphis was powered by a brace from US youth international (Under-19) forward Nighte Pickering lifted the home side over the tenacious amateurs from south Florida.
The win is the first in all competitions for Memphis since the USL Championship opener against Las Vegas back on March 9.
The victory comes just over a week before the one-year anniversary of the dramatic extra-time game winner Pickering netted against Atlanta United in the 2023 edition of the US Open Cup.
Though his goals tonight may not have been as dramatic as the one scored in Kennesaw, Pickering capitalized on superb service from former US men’s national team member Emerson Hyndman in the 31st minute and winger Dylan Borczak in the 85th.
Memphis controlled the game early, with a golden opportunity off a corner in the 3rd minute when Miami keeper Cristian Blanco was called into service to save a good header and gobble up the rebound.
Akeem Ward’s curled shot from 22 yards in the 15th minute and a good 29th minute Oscar Jimenez run into the box that forced a diving Blanco to smother a dangerous cross seemed to be a sign of things to come. But Miami United FC, who dispatched Chattanooga FC and Club de Lyon to get to Memphis, didn’t look out of place against the second tier side once they settled into the game. Santiago Frean found himself in on goal in the 18th minute, only to have a backtracking Jimenez do enough to force a weak shot Memphis keeper Tyler Deric was able to corral. Miami even looked to go ahead in the 22nd minute, where a mishandled free kick by Deric was put into the net only to be called offside.
Pickering’s 31st minute goal was made possible by a beautiful, lofted pass from Hyndman that found him beating an offside trap, with Miami’s right back, Sebastian Luzuriaga, kept him onside when the rest of the backline stepped up. Both Pickering and wigner Luis Fernando were in on goal with no defenders between them and Blanco. Pickering waited for Blanco to come of his line, sliding the ball neatly inside the left post with his left foot.
Again showing that they did indeed belong on this stage, Miami responded with another free kick in the 35th minute, forcing Deric to make a spectacular double save. Miami continued to look dangerous towards the end of the first half, forcing Deric to make another save in the 41st minute after some questionable Memphis defending in the box.
Memphis made one change at the break, as Fernando gave way to Borczak after the former picked up a minor knock. Early in the second half, the game was fairly even with teams sharing half chances. Miami nearly scored a spectacular goal after Ward lost the ball in the 55th minute and the curling shot nearly missed the top left corner.
The game seemed to devolve somewhat after that chance as Miami picked up four yellow cards in the next eight minutes and Memphis adding one a minute later in the 63rd. After exchanging a few half chances, in the 85th minute, Borczak beat a defender down the right and send in a cross that found Pickering beating his man from four yards out to salt the game away.
Of his young forward, Memphis 901 FC head coach Stephen Glass said, “He was excellent. He was unfortunate not to score three or four.”
The scoreline may have favored Memphis, but Miami United actually put more shots on frame
(5-3) and controlled nearly as much of the ball as Memphis (46-54). Despite his brace, Pickering
said the team knew it would be a difficult game.
“It’s always going to be a tough game. They’re playing with a different type of intensity and fire.”
Glass agreed: “To be honest, if we were not on our game tonight they could have (won). So we had to be at our best; we had to be strong; we had to be good on the ball. Full respect to Miami.”