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MIAMI (July 22, 2020) – The Miami FC announced on Wednesday that Head Coach Nelson Vargas has assumed the role of Executive Director for the club’s Youth Academy. Along with his first team duties, Vargas will also focus on assisting the growth of the Miami FC Youth Academy.

The appointment of Vargas as Academy Executive Director will see him join his First Team assistant coaches Paul Crichton, Chris Spendlove and Anthony Hazelwood, who were all named Academy Technical Directors back in June of this year. With all four coach holding USSF A-Licenses, the Miami FC Youth Academy will take a vast leap in professionalism, aligning its curriculum with that of the First Team.

“Miami is a city that means a lot to me and growing the game right here in the heart of this community is my top priority,” said Vargas. “It’s extremely important our Youth Academy is aligned with our First Team, which is why all our Assistant Coaches and myself have decided to take a prominent role with both. I couldn’t be more excited for this amazing opportunity and my goal is to provide continued success both at the professional and Academy level.”

Vargas has been with the club since before the 2018 NPSL season, where he has helped the team capture multiple trophies. He was appointed head coach of Miami FC in November 2019 after Paul Dalglish moved to the General Manager and President role.

“There is no better fit to help guide and grow our Academy than Nelson,” said Dalglish. “Nelson is an important figure in the Miami soccer landscape, having played professionally in the area and also more recently having been involved with several important local youth clubs. This announcement is yet another important step in growing our Youth Academy and aligning its vision with that of the First Team.”

An accomplished soccer player, Vargas began his career by rising through the youth ranks of Standard Liège in Belgium. He was drafted by the MLS’ Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1996, and played there for two seasons, before joining Miami Fusion in 1998. He played three seasons with the Fusion and made 54 appearances for the side. During his career, Vargas also made four international appearances for the U.S. men’s senior national team, including being a member of the 1996 Olympic Squad.

After retiring, Vargas’ career focused on youth soccer and growing the game. From 2007 to 2009, Vargas was a coach for the U.S. Olympic Development Program, while also being an Academy Scout for U.S. Soccer. After his time with U.S. Soccer, Vargas became Director of Coaching for Miami Rush Kendall SC, a position he held from 2009 until 2019.

The Miami FC Youth Academy is holding tryouts at Tamiami Park this upcoming week from Monday, July 27 to Thursday, July 30. To learn more about tryouts or to secure your spot, click here.

MIAMI (July 7, 2020) – The Miami FC announced on Tuesday it has launched a Black Lives Matters campaign, which includes a set of Black Lives Matters t-shirts that are now available for purchase. The goal is to help raise awareness for racial prejudice and injustice, while donating proceeds to a local organization which focuses on this matter.

“We have been working on a project to bring awareness to Black Lives Matters,” said Miami FC President and General Manager Paul Dalglish. “All proceeds will be donated to support the cause here in the Miami community. Miami is a celebration of diversity and we would love the help of our community. We have also incorporated the Freedom Tower into the design, which is an iconic Miami landmark. Although we understand all lives matter, it’s our duty to make sure all lives matter the same.”

There will be three variations of the shirt and they will be on sale on our online store, while also being available in both black and white t-shirts.

To purchase yours today, click here.

Miami will now host Charlotte Independence on Aug. 23

MIAMI (July 14, 2020) — The Miami FC announced on Tuesday that the USL Championship match slated to be played on Wednesday, July 22 at Riccardo Silva Stadium against Charlotte Independence, has been moved to Sunday, August 23.

The match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and will be played behind closed doors due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Fans will be able to watch the match live on ESPN+.

The Miami FC’s full USL Championship schedule can be found below:

Date	Location	Home Team	Away Team
7/29/20	Fifth Third Bank Stadium	Atlanta United FC 2	Miami FC
8/7/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Tampa Bay Rowdies
8/16/20	Al Lang Stadium	Tampa Bay Rowdies	Miami FC
8/19/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Atlanta United FC 2
8/23/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Charlotte Independence
8/26/20	Patriots Point Soccer Complex	Charleston Battery	Miami FC
9/2/20	Al Lang Stadium	Tampa Bay Rowdies	Miami FC
9/5/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Charleston Battery
9/12/20	Fifth Third Bank Stadium	Atlanta United FC 2	Miami FC
9/16/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Birmingham Legion FC
9/20/20	Patriots Point Soccer Complex	Charleston Battery	Miami FC
9/23/20	Sportsplex at Matthews	Charlotte Independence	Miami FC
9/26/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Tampa Bay Rowdies
9/30/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Charleston Battery
10/4/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Atlanta United FC 2

All  home matches will kick off at 7:30 p.m.
*All match dates and times are subject to change

Miami FC resumes season July 22

MIAMI (July 2, 2020) — The Miami FC announced their complete 2020 USL Championship revised scheduled on Thursday. Miami is set to take the field on Wednesday, July 22 at Riccardo Silva Stadium against Charlotte Independence. With the current COVID-19 situation, Miami FC will play all home matches behind closed doors.

Miami FC will play its 15 remaining matches during this revised schedule, as the first match of the season which was held in March against Saint Louis FC will count towards this season.

The schedule will feature four matches, two at home and two on the road, against in-state rivals Tampa Bay Rowdies, reviving the derby which began in 2016. 

Miami FC will also play four matches against the Charleston Battery and Atlanta United 2, with the remaining two matches coming against Charlotte Independence. The regular season will run until Sunday, October 4, when Miami FC hosts Atlanta United 2 at Riccardo Silva Stadium

The league’s clubs are set to play 263 games over 13 weeks to decide which 16 teams will advance to the 2020 USL Championship Playoffs, which will open in the second weekend of October.

Date	Location	Home Team	Away Team
7/22/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Charlotte Independence
7/29/20	Fifth Third Bank Stadium	Atlanta United FC 2	Miami FC
8/7/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Tampa Bay Rowdies
8/16/20	Al Lang Stadium	Tampa Bay Rowdies	Miami FC
8/19/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Atlanta United FC 2
8/26/20	Patriots Point Soccer Complex	Charleston Battery	Miami FC
9/2/20	Al Lang Stadium	Tampa Bay Rowdies	Miami FC
9/5/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Charleston Battery
9/12/20	Fifth Third Bank Stadium	Atlanta United FC 2	Miami FC
9/16/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Birmingham Legion FC
9/20/20	Patriots Point Soccer Complex	Charleston Battery	Miami FC
9/23/20	Sportsplex at Matthews	Charlotte Independence	Miami FC
9/26/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Tampa Bay Rowdies
9/30/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Charleston Battery
10/4/20	Riccardo Silva Stadium	Miami FC	Atlanta United FC 2

All  home matches will kick off at 7:30 p.m.
*All match dates and times are subject to change

Miami FC Joins Tampa Bay, Charleston and ATLUTD 2 in Group H

MIAMI (June 26, 2020) — The USL Championship announced on Friday the four groups made up of teams from the Eastern Conference that will battle for a place in the 2020 USL Championship Playoffs when the league returns to play on Saturday, July 11.

Your Miami FC was placed into Group H, alongside Charleston Battery, Atlanta United 2 and in-state rivals Tampa Bay Rowdies.

As detailed in the Championship’s announcement of the updated season structure, each team in Group E, Group G and Group H will play its fellow group members four times during the regular season. Meanwhile, each team in Group F will play its fellow group members three times. The remaining games will be played against teams that fall within a similar geographic region.

The Eastern Conference Groups are as follows:
Group E: Indy Eleven, Louisville City FC, Saint Louis FC, Sporting Kansas City II

Group F: Hartford Athletic, Loudoun United FC, New York Red Bulls II, Philadelphia Union II, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Group G: Birmingham Legion FC, Charlotte Independence, Memphis 901 FC, North Carolina FC

Group H: Atlanta United 2, Charleston Battery, Miami FC, Tampa Bay Rowdies

Crichton, Spendlove and Hazelwood to take prominent role in growing club’s Youth System

MIAMI (June 25, 2020) – The Miami FC announced on Thursday that First Team Assistant Coaches Paul Crichton, Chris Spendlove and Anthony Hazelwood have all been named Technical Directors of the Youth Academy. The addition of the three is yet another monumental step in supporting the club’s investment in their academy system at Tamiami Park, located in the heart of Miami.

As Technical Directors, all three will have a massive involvement in the implementation of the Youth Academy’s curriculum, which will be designed to follow the First Team methodology and playing style. In addition to their extensive careers in football, all three coaches hold USSF A-Licenses.

All three will also be heavily involved in educating and developing the current Youth Academy coaches, with the ultimate goal of helping develop their careers.

“To be able to add three A-Licensed coaches shows Miami FC’s determination and drive to provide the best possible education for our youth players,” said President and General Manager Paul Dalglish. “All three of them have a tremendous work ethic with the First Team and they will help us take the Academy to another level. Actions speak louder than words and this is a statement of intent which showcases our mission of providing path-to-pro for our players, while allowing them to fulfill their dreams. This is a club which is built for our Miami Community.”

Prior to coming to the United States several years ago to continue his coaching career, Crichton enjoyed a successful playing career which spanned over 20 season in England’s top football leagues, including the Premier League. The experienced English goalkeeper played for clubs such as Norwich City, Doncaster Rovers, Grimsby Town, Burnley and Notts County. After several coaching stints in the U.K., Crichton moved to the United States to continue his career. During his time in Florida, the USSF A-Licensed coach was involved in youth football at the world-renowned IMG Academy, PSA Soccer Academy and Southeast Volusia Soccer Club. Crichton has been an assistant coach at The Miami FC since the start of the 2019 season.

Spendlove, originally from Liverpool, England, came over to the United States in 2007, playing collegiately for Oklahoma City University. During his college career, the former defender played in the USL PDL (now USL League Two) for the Austin Aztex and GPS Portland Phoenix. After finishing his studies, Spendlove went on to play professionally for Wilmington Hammerheads and OKC Energy, retiring in 2013.Prior to joining Miami FC ahead of the 2020 season, Spendlove was an assistant coach at USL Championship clubs OKC Energy (2014-2017) and Hartford Athletic (2019)

Hazelwood joined the Miami FC in January 2019 as an Assistant Soccer and Sports Performance Coach. He currently holds a USSF “A” coaching license, an MSc in Sports Training and Nutrition from the Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM), and a Master’s in International Sports Management with the Johan Cruyff Institute. During his time in Spain, he took part in coaching internships with Real Madrid, the Getafe SAD CF U-18s and the Levante UD U17s. Presently, he is a grassroots coach educator with the US Soccer Federation and FYSA. Previously, he was an academy sports performance and assistant soccer coach with the Seattle Sounders. Along with his Technical Director role, Hazelwood will oversee and develop the Academy’s sports performance program at all age levels.

About The Miami FC Youth Academy
The Miami FC originally announced the launch of its new Youth Academy Program at Tamiami Park in December 2018. As a further demonstration of the club’s continued commitment to soccer in Miami, The Miami FC Youth Academy has been dedicated to increasing opportunities for youth soccer players in South Florida to develop their skills and knowledge of the game.

The Miami FC Youth Academy offers one of the best values in Miami when it comes down to youth soccer, while also providing a competitive environment for all skill levels.

In the heart of Miami, The Miami FC Youth Academy is a place where the primary objective is to grow your love for the sport of fútbol. From Path2Pro to the USL Academy, MFCYA is committed to establishing programs to help you grow as an athlete year-after-year.

The Miami FC Youth Academy offers competitive programs for ages 8-19 for both Boys and Girls.

By joining the MFCYA, all players will have the opportunity to be coached by Miami FC First Team professional players, who are eager to share their knowledge of the sport, but also share their career experiences to further develop you in and off the pitch.

Crichton, Spendlove y Hazelwood tomarán un papel destacado en el sistema juvenil del club

MIAMI (25 de junio ,2020) – Miami FC anuncio este jueves que los asistentes técnicos del primer equipo Paul Crichton, Chris Spendlove y Anthony Hazelwood pasan también a formar parte de la academia juvenil como Directores Técnicos. Esta incorporación es otro paso monumental para apoyar la inversión del club en su academia en Tamiami Park, ubicada en el corazón de Miami.

Como Directores Técnicos, los tres tendrán una gran participación en la implementación del plan de estudios de la Academia Juvenil, que estará diseñado para seguir la metodología y el estilo de juego del Primer Equipo. Además de sus extensas carreras en el mundo del fútbol, ​​los tres entrenadores tienen Licencias A de la USSF, que es la licencia más alta que un entrenador puede obtener en el fútbol juvenil en los Estados Unidos.

Los tres también estarán muy involucrados en la educación y el desarrollo de los entrenadores actuales de la Academia Juvenil, con el objetivo final de ayudarles a desarrollar sus carreras.

“Poder contar con tres entrenadores con licencia A muestra la determinación de Miami FC para proporcionar la mejor educación posible para nuestros jugadores juveniles”, dijo el presidente y Diretor general Paul Dalglish. “Los tres tienen una ética de trabajo tremenda con el primer equipo y nos ayudarán a llevar la Academia a otro nivel. Las acciones hablan más que las palabras y esta es una declaración de intenciones que muestra nuestra misión de proporcionar un camino a los profesionales para nuestros jugadores, al tiempo que les permite cumplir sus sueños. Este es un club construido para nuestra comunidad de Miami.”

Antes de venir a Estados Unidos hace varios años para continuar su carrera como entrenador, Crichton disfrutó de una exitosa carrera como jugador que abarcó más de 20 temporadas en las principales ligas de fútbol de Inglaterra, incluida la Premier League. El experimentado portero inglés jugó para clubes como Norwich City, Doncaster Rovers, Grimsby Town, Burnley y el condado de Notts. Después de varios períodos de entrenamiento en el Reino Unido, Crichton se mudó a los Estados Unidos para continuar su carrera. Durante su tiempo en Florida, el entrenador con licencia A de la USSF participó en fútbol juvenil en la mundialmente reconocida Academia IMG, Academia de fútbol PSA y el Club de fútbol Southeast Volusia. Crichton ha sido entrenador asistente en The Miami FC desde el comienzo de la temporada 2019.

Spendlove, originalmente de Liverpool, Inglaterra, vino a los Estados Unidos en 2007, para jugar para la Universidad de Oklahoma City. Durante su carrera universitaria, el ex defensor jugó en la USL PDL (ahora USL League Two) para Austin Aztex y GPS Portland Phoenix. 

Después de terminar sus estudios, Spendlove pasó a jugar profesionalmente para Wilmington Hammerheads y OKC Energy, retirándose en 2013. Antes de unirse a Miami FC para la temporada 2020, Spendlove fue entrenador asistente en los clubes OKC Energy (2014-2017) del USL Championship clubs y Hartford Athletic (2019).

Hazelwood se unió a Miami FC en enero de 2019 como preparador físico y asistente del primer equipo. Actualmente posee una licencia de entrenador “A” de la USSF, una Maestría en Entrenamiento Deportivo y Nutrición de la Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM) y una Maestría en Gestión Deportiva Internacional con el Instituto Johan Cruyff. Durante su estancia en España, participó en prácticas de coaching con el Real Madrid, el Getafe SAD CF U-18 y el Levante UD U17. Actualmente, es un profesor de la licencia “Grassroots” con la Federación de Fútbol de Estados Unidos y la FYSA. Anteriormente, fue entrenador de rendimiento deportivo y asistente del primer equipo con los Seattle Sounders. Junto con su papel de Director Técnico, Hazelwood supervisará y desarrollará el programa de rendimiento deportivo de la Academia en todas las edades.

Acerca de la Academia Juvenil de Miami FC
Miami FC anunció el lanzamiento de su nuevo Programa de Academia Juvenil en el Parque Tamiami en diciembre de 2018. Como una demostración más del compromiso continuo del club con el fútbol en Miami, la Academia Juvenil Miami FC se ha dedicado a aumentar las oportunidades para los jugadores de fútbol juvenil en el Sur de la Florida para desarrollar sus habilidades y conocimientos del juego.

La Academia Juvenil ofrece uno de los mejores valores en Miami en lo que respecta al fútbol juvenil, al tiempo que proporciona un entorno competitivo para todos los niveles de habilidad.

En el corazón de Miami, The Miami FC Youth Academy es un lugar donde el objetivo principal es hacer crecer tu amor el fútbol. Desde Path2Pro hasta la Academia USL, se compromete a establecer programas para ayudar a crecer a cada niño como atleta año tras año.

La Academia Juvenil de Miami FC ofrece programas competitivos para niños de 8 a 19 años, tanto para niños como para niñas.

Al unirse al MFCYA, todos los jugadores tendrán la oportunidad de ser entrenados por jugadores profesionales del primer equipo de Miami FC, que están ansiosos por compartir su conocimiento del deporte, pero también compartir sus experiencias profesionales para desarrollarlo aún más dentro y fuera del campo.

Upon restart of league, clubs to be divided into eight groups to complete a 16-game regular season

TAMPA, Fla. (June 24, 2020) – The USL Championship announced on Wednesday an updated format for the remainder of the 2020 season that will see clubs divided into eight groups to complete a 16-game regular season followed by a single-elimination playoff. 

Regular Season Structure
In order to limit travel, the regular season will see the Championship’s clubs divided into eight regionalized groups, and each team will complete a 16-game regular season. There will be five groups made up of four teams, and three groups made up of five teams to cover the 35 member clubs of the Championship.

The regular season games will be played over 13 weeks, concluding on the weekend of October 2-4. Games completed prior to the season suspension in March will be counted and included in the schedule, with teams that were active on the opening weekend of the season having 15 games remaining in their schedule. 

Both San Diego Loyal SC and the Tacoma Defiance – who completed two games prior to the season suspension – will have 14 games remaining in their respective schedules. The three clubs that did not play prior to the season suspension – Birmingham Legion FC, Hartford Athletic and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – will play their full 16 games upon the resumption of play.

Balance of Schedule 
Each team’s schedule will be made up of 12 games from within its own group, with the remaining four games to be played against teams that fall within a similar geographic region. Through this, each team placed in a four-team group will play its three fellow group members four times, while each team placed in a five-team group will play its four fellow group members three times. 

Games played prior to the suspension of the season will count toward the allotment of 16 overall games, either as in-group contests or as one of the additional four contests that will complete the schedule. 

Teams will be initially scheduled to play a balanced schedule of eight games home and away in the regular season. However, the Board of Governors has also approved the ability for clubs to play an unbalanced amount of home and away matches, if necessary. For example, if a club is experiencing difficulties with venue availability due to the impact of COVID-19 in their community. 

Five Substitution Rule
As was previously announced, the Championship will allow five substitutes to be used for the remainder of the 2020 season, with each team having three opportunities to make its substitutions during regular play. Substitutions may also be made at halftime without counting against a club’s three in-game opportunities.

2020 USL Championship Playoffs Structure
The top two teams from each group in the regular season will advance to the 2020 USL Championship Playoffs, producing a field of 16 teams overall in a regionalized single-elimination bracket. Group winners will be paired with Group runners-up in the Round of 16, with home advantage being determined by record for the remainder of the bracket.