Official Cup

El Cilindro de Miami
Spectators: 184 (Terracing: 139, Seating: 42, VIP seats: 3) Merrill Banks could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 5th minute of the match, but Miguel Ángel Santoro made a huge save. Miguel Ángel Santoro didn't succeed in stopping the ball in the 6th minute, which inside left pole to 1-0. Miguel Ángel Santoro was out of position in the 9 minute of play, and Merrill Banks capitalized on the mistake with a soft shot into the goal. Merrill Banks really showed his touch with that goal: 2-0. C. A. Independiente's defense didn't have a chance, in the 17th minute, when Merrill Banks scored to the left of an out of position Miguel Ángel Santoro, making the score, 3-0. After a rather tough play, Racing Miami Futbol Club's Quincy Walker got a free kick in the 20th minute. With a little luck, C. A. Independiente's Miguel Ángel Santoro got control of the ball when Merrill Banks tried to sneak it across the goal line. In the 30th minute Racing Miami Futbol Club were awarded a corner. James Joyner went to the cornerflag to take it. James Joyner made a great header on Racing Miami Futbol Club's corner, it was just that C. A. Independiente's Miguel Ángel Santoro managed to reach the ball for a save. Merrill Banks could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 32nd minute of the match, but Miguel Ángel Santoro made a huge save. 34 minutes in the game Quincy Walker did a throw-in, and the ball was quickly in game thanks to Chu Zheng Yu. Miguel Ángel Santoro made an important save on a dangerous shot by Merrill Banks in the 34th minute. Gilbert Guzman received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 37th minute. Franco Di Giambattista tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. When the match had gone on for 39 minutes, Merrill Banks took a quick shot and it went in 4-0 without a chance for Miguel Ángel Santoro to make any attempt to save it. Miguel Ángel Santoro was a little too slow when Merrill Banks got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 43rd minute. The score was now 5-0. After a defensive mix-up in C. A. Independiente's zone, Merrill Banks stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Miguel Ángel Santoro came out of the goal and Merrill Banks tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. No-one was surprised that the home team were leading 5-0 at half-time.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Shane Smiley to make the kick off. When Racing Miami Futbol Club's Merrill Banks in the 51st minute got a chance for a shot 51st didn't hesitate and placed the ball to the right of the goalie. A beautiful save bye C. A. Independiente's goalie prevented a goal. In the 54th minute Shane Smiley shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Miguel Ángel Santoro saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. If Keenan Worthington had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 62nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. 62 minutes into the match, C. A. Independiente's goal looked a bit too open when Keenan Worthington came free, but Miguel Ángel Santoro reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. The audience was convinced that Shane Smiley's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Miguel Ángel Santoro was relentless in the 64th minute of the game. If Keenan Worthington had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 76th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. 76 minutes into the match, C. A. Independiente's goal looked a bit too open when Keenan Worthington came free, but Miguel Ángel Santoro reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Miguel Ángel Santoro made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Keenan Worthington in the 77th minute of play. An unexpectedly hard shot by Keenan Worthington in the 79th minute of play forced C. A. Independiente's goalkeeper Miguel Ángel Santoro to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Pedro Monzón made in the 80th minute of the game a throw-in that took a bad bounce and was taken care of by Racing Miami Futbol Club's Quincy Walker. Keenan Worthington might have been able to make a better finish in the 82nd minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Miguel Ángel Santoro. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Keenan Worthington ran back to his position shaking his head. Miguel Ángel Santoro took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Keenan Worthington, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Miguel Ángel Santoro showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Keenan Worthington, who was totally free with the ball in the 85th minute. In the 88th minute, Pedro Monzón hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Miguel Ángel Santoro didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Keenan Worthington went, in the 94th minute, to the upper right corner, 7-0 was the resulting score. Racing Miami Futbol Club walked away with a well-earned victory that was much celebrated by the crowd.