San Antonio edged past Miami 2:1 in the USL League One quarter-finals on Thursday evening, with C. Parano scoring both goals to keep his side's perfect record intact. The hosts sat fourth on 12 points from four games while Miami, sixth on nine, dropped their first match of the campaign.
Miami were reduced to nine men before half-time when Tiago was sent off in the 33rd minute, a moment that shifted the balance entirely. R. Tori picked up a yellow card in the 41st minute before being substituted on 46 minutes, but the numerical disadvantage had already taken its toll.
Parano opened the scoring in the 44th minute, capitalising on the disruption to give San Antonio a crucial advantage before the break. He doubled the lead in the 64th minute, and by then Miami had further problems with G. Diaz shown a second yellow card in the 74th minute.
A. Rocha pulled one back for Miami in the 79th minute, but it was too late to salvage anything from a game where the visitors had been outplayed for long stretches. San Antonio made three changes on 70 minutes, bringing on R. Da Costa, D. Pacheco and M. Romero, while Miami responded with substitutions for C. D. Milanes Navarro and A. Calfo in the 57th minute.
The result leaves San Antonio top of their section with maximum points, while Miami's clean-sheet run came to an end after three consecutive matches without conceding. Both sides will now reflect on how the early dismissal of Tiago proved decisive in a quarter-final that could have gone either way.