Fort Lauderdale CF will return to action at Inter Miami CF Stadium this Saturday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. ET. The team will face Orlando City B in a rematch of an Aug. 14 matchup in Orlando that resulted in a 1-1 draw. The match will air live on ESPN+.
“It’ll be interesting again because it’s a team that we weren’t quite sure what their shape would look like when we went [to Orlando]. They played in a certain tactical shape and now they’re playing in a different one. So, it’s going to be another night where I think tactically our guys are going to have to figure out a little bit on the fly,” said manager Jason Kreis. “Orlando has shown some good stuff, similar to us. They’re using a lot of younger academy players and they’ve got moments when they’ve been really bright and moments when it hasn’t been so great.”
Fort Lauderdale CF is coming off of a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Chattanooga Red Wolves SC at Inter Miami CF Stadium on Sept. 5. Fort Lauderdale took the lead through a cross from Sami Guediri that deflected off a defender and found the back of the net in the 26th minute, but Chattanooga was able to equalize before halftime.
The match also saw Venezuelan defender / midfielder Christian Makoun, who was loaned to the team from Inter Miami CF, debut for Fort Lauderdale. He was joined by goalkeeper Andre Zuluaga, an Inter Miami CF Academy registered player, in making a first outing for Fort Lauderdale CF as members of the starting XI. The match also saw 18-year-old Academy graduate Ian Fray put in a strong performance completing 84 of 101 passes, winning 8 of 8 duels and making seven recoveries and two interceptions, earning him USL League One Team of the Week honors.
The team’s first matchup against Orlando City B took place on Aug. 14 at Osceola Heritage Park in Orlando, Fla. That match resulted in a 1-1 draw in a closely-contested affair that was interrupted by a lengthy weather delay in the first half. Orlando took the lead in the 22nd minute, but Fort Lauderdale was able to strike back with a 39th minute goal by Ricky Lopez-Espin that proved to be the point-winning tally for the visitors
Orlando City B currently sits 10th in the USL League One table, having accumulated a record of one win, three draws and four losses thus far. The team’s most recent match saw them fall to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Union Omaha.
The team has been led by 16-year-old Puerto Rican forward Wilfredo Rivera and 19-year-old Venezuelan midfielder Moises Tablante in 2020. Rivera has registered two goals and one assist while Tablante leads the team with three assists in eight matches.
