Highland Heights, Kentucky – On a cloudy day at Squadmore Stadium, Nicholas Sesok scored a stoppage-time goal for Inter Miami CF II (4-2-4) to end FC Cincinnati II's (6-4-1) five-game winning streak.
first half
Goalkeeper Paul Walters came up with a big save in the 14th minute to deny Inter Miami II's Ido Zeltzer Zubida the opening goal of the game after a failed backpass by Steven Jimenez.
Walters was on a roll again just a minute later, once again denying Zelzer Zubida's shot after a long ball from midfielder José Casas de Abadal.
The Orange and Blue had their best chance in the 44th minute of the first half, when Nico Benalcazar smashed the ball into the Miami defense from an FCC 2 corner kick, giving Inter Miami II goalkeeper Owen Finnty a hard time.
FCC2 outshot Inter Miami II 6-3, but Miami had one more shot on goal than Cincinnati.
The home team had the advantage in ball possession, with 52% for the Orange & Blue and 48% for the Herons.
The score remained 0-0 after the first 45 minutes as both teams returned to the dressing rooms.
Latter half
FCC 2 was awarded a penalty in the 64th minute after a foul in the penalty area following a corner kick. Guilherme Santos, making his first start for FCC2, took the penalty kick, but his shot was saved by Finnerty and Santos headed the rebound over the crossbar. The score remained 0-0.
In the 77th minute, second half substitute Brian Destin fired a shot from distance, but Walters made another excellent save.
In added time, both teams brought players forward in search of a decisive goal. Miami fought back in the 93rd minute, when Destin passed to Sessok, who raced to the front of the goal and scored with his left foot to give Inter Miami CF II a 1-0 lead just before the end of the game.
FCC 2 had chances late in added time when centre-back Brian Schafer fired a shot from outside the penalty area in the 95th minute, only for Finnity to tuck it over the bar.
In the dying seconds of the game, FCC 2 came close to tying the score on a header from Amir Daley, but it was cleared on the goal line by Miami center back Ty Burton.
Cincinnati was unable to score a goal in the final minutes of an action-packed game, allowing Miami to hold on to a 1-0 lead and earn the three points.
Game Review
Well, FCC 2's historic unbeaten streak came to an end. The team was missing several starters, most notably Stephan Chirilla and London Aguedo. But it was clear that Cincinnati's performance didn't have the same intensity as its previous five games.
In his post-match press conference, manager Tyrone Marshall pointed out that a lack of energy from the start of the game was a major factor in the team's poor performance.
“It was clear from the start that we didn't have our usual intensity or quality,” he said. “You can let your guard down at times and I think that was clear today. Part of the message we spoke about was, 'Anyone in this league can lose at any time,' but we've got to make sure that the standard we need is the same or even higher than it always has been. That standard hasn't been the same as what we normally have, so we've got to get back into a good rhythm now.”
The Orange and Blue outshot the Herons 13-9, taking six shots on goal compared to Miami's four. FCC 2 had 54 percent ball possession compared to Inter Miami II's 46 percent. Cincinnati also had a better passing accuracy throughout the game (76 percent compared to Miami's 69 percent). Both teams combined for 25 fouls and four yellow cards (two on each team).
Despite the loss, FC Cincinnati II remains in third place in the Eastern Conference with 19 points, just four behind first-place Philadelphia Union II, the team's next opponent on Thursday, June 6. Cincinnati defeated Philadelphia 3-1 at home earlier this year and will be looking to repeat the result on the road.
FC Cincinnati 2 Lineup:
3-5-2
Goalkeeper: Paul Walters
D: Isaiah Foster, Brian Shafer, Gael Gilbert
M: Amir Daly, Steven Jimenez, Peter Mangione, Nico Benalcazar, Moises Tablante
F: Guilherme Santos (Jesús Castellano 64′), Ben Stitz (Ryan Belal 83′)
Inter Miami II Lineup:
4-1-2-1-2
Goalkeeper: Owen Finnity
D: Nicholas Sessock, Santiago Garcia, Tyler Hall, Israel Boatright (Samuel Basabe 90+2′)
M: Ricardo Montenegro, Ty Burton, Derek Martinez, Jose Casas de Abadal (Joseph Converse 83′)
F: Ido Zeltzer Zubida (Brian Destin 75′), Yuval Cohen (Darion Reyes 90+2)