ROCHESTER 2, MIAMI FC 1
Loss puts Blues on the brink
BY ADAM BEASLEY
abeasley@MiamiHerald.com
Miami FC's playoff hopes all but died Tuesday night -- and barely a soul was on hand to read the last rites.
Goals by Rochester's John Menyongar in the 31st and 76th minutes were too much for the fledging Blues to handle, handing Miami FC a deflating 2-1 loss at Lockhart Stadium.
The victory put Rochester (11-9-8, 41 points) into the playoffs, and essentially buried Miami FC. With three games remaining, the Blues (8-15-4, 28 points) are eight points behind Vancouver, meaning they would need to win all their remaining games -- and have the Whitecaps lose all of theirs -- to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
``It's almost impossible,'' Blues coach Zinho said of his team's chances. ``But regardless, we have to be professional and finish the season strong.''
There were fewer than 100 fans seated when the game began, according to a hand count by reporters.
Rochester had the first scoring opportunity, in the 26th minute, but Menyongar couldn't convert.
Menyongar made amends five minutes later, unleashing a left-footed shot from 28 yards that sailed past goalkeeper Pat Hannigan and into the back of the net.
Miami FC played markedly better in the second half, and the club's efforts paid dividends in the 71st minute. Aaron King, who signed with the team this week, headed in a cross from Jack Traynor to tie the score.
``That was our moment,'' Zinho said.
The tie lasted just five minutes. Menyongar scored again to finish off the Blues .
The two goals put Menyongar into a tie for second in USL-1 with 23 points.
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