FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL W league team won its last home game of the season, defeating Miami AC 7-2 on Wednesday, June 11 at AutoNation Field. Forwards Anniina Sankoh and Melanie Russo made their debut for the club in style, each scoring a brace. Fort Lauderdale sits in 3rd place in the Southeast division with a 5-1 record as they head into their last four games of the regular season, all on the road.
The start of the match saw three shots on goal in the first six minutes for Fort Lauderdale, including a Kiara Clarke shot that hit the crossbar in the 2nd minute. The club was controlling possession early on, getting its first goal in the 14th minute after Sankoh pressured Miami AC’s goalkeeper to steal the ball and tap it into the net to take the 1-0 lead. Fort Lauderdale maintained the high level of play and hit the post again in the 23rd minute, when Isabella Rychel hit a one- touch shot off defender Adrianna Serna’s cross. Two minutes later, Fort Lauderdale’s second goal came in the 25th minute after Sankoh won the ball off a Miami AC defender and found Lucia Garcia in the box, who beat a defender nicely on the turn and buried a powerful strike into the near post. Miami AC got one back in the 28th minute to make the score 2-1, but Fort Lauderdale responded quickly, getting the match’s third goal in the 37th minute and extending their lead to 3-1. Captain Alysa Vazquez stepped up, winning the ball off a Miami AC goal kick, quickly combining with Leah Finkelman and driving towards goal as she evaded defenders to hit a composed finish past the goalkeeper to close out the half with a two-goal lead.
Four substitutes entered the game for Fort Lauderdale to start the second half, Russo being one of them. She got on the scoresheet in the 49th minute following a through ball from Vazquez to Garcia, who found Russo on a cross into the box, where she was able to hit a first-time finish into the far corner. Fort Lauderdale kept up the intensity, hitting the woodwork for the third time in the 61st minute after Vazquez let off a rocket just outside the box that bounced off the crossbar. They were able to stretch the scoreline to 5-1 two minutes later, after Garcia’s long ball found Sankoh inside the box. Sankoh brought it down nicely and squared it to a wide-open Vazquez, who blasted the ball into the top of the net in the 63rd minute. Sankoh got her second goal of the match shortly after in the 65th minute, when a short cross from Chloe Burst set her up in front of the net for an easy finish, making the score 6-1. The last goal of the game came in the 70th minute. It started with Sankoh, who beat multiple defenders in the middle of the pitch and hit a stunning through ball over the top to a sprinting Russo, who dribbled towards goal and put a calm finish past the goalkeeper. Miami AC got a consolation goal in the 77th minute, but it was not enough, as Fort Lauderdale earned its fifth victory of the season.
Our Fort Lauderdale United FC USL W league team returns to the pitch on Wednesday, June 18 for its second away game of the season against FC Miami City. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
