Huntsville City defeated Fort Lauderdale 4-1 in the MLS Next Pro group stage at Inter Miami Stadium on Saturday evening. The visitors took control early and never looked back, extending their winning run while Fort Lauderdale's winless start to the campaign continued.
And here's the thing about the opening exchanges — Fort Lauderdale started with possession but quickly lost their composure. Z. Yanez opened the scoring in the fourteenth minute, then doubled it eleven minutes later after a yellow card had shifted the momentum. By then the home side had already paid for a sloppy opening, with M. de Paula picking up a booking in the fourth minute.
J. Knight made it three before the break, and his effort earned him a substitution at half-time alongside M. Saja and D. Rey. It was an unusual move, but the hosts had no answer for Huntsville's clinical edge. To be fair, the away side had been sharper in the final third, and their efficiency told.
We had tipped the visitors to win at 53 per cent confidence, and they delivered when it mattered. M. Jamhour pulled one back for Fort Lauderdale in the eightieth minute, but M. Molina restored the two-goal cushion with a late effort. The home side had the deeper squad on paper, but Huntsville's movement between the lines proved decisive.
Match statistics
- Fort Lauderdale: 57 per cent possession, 8 shots on target from 22 attempts, 6 corners
- Huntsville City: 43 per cent possession, 8 shots on target from 17 attempts, 5 corners
Fort Lauderdale dominated possession but found few chances to trouble the goalkeeper, while Huntsville were more efficient with their opportunities. The visitors registered fewer attacks but converted them at a higher rate. There is no value left at that number when you look at the shot accuracy — 42 per cent compared to 36 per cent for the hosts.
The result moves Huntsville to fifth place with 41 points from 27 games, while Fort Lauderdale remain eighth on 15 points after 27 matches. The home side have not won since August and are running out of games to salvage something from this campaign. Huntsville, by contrast, have built momentum and could yet push for a higher finish.
