There was a Miami derby in the US Open Cup last night as Miami FC and Inter Miami squared off, with the latter emerging victorious on penalties.
The derby had someone of a Milan feel to it though given that David Beckham – one of the icons of the game and a former Rossoneri player – is a part-owner of Inter Miami, while Riccardo Silva – a huge Milan fan and an investor in RedBird – is part-owner of Miami FC.
Miami FC are currently in the USL Championship which is the tier below Major League Soccer, but they took the ironically-named Inter to extra-time after a 1-1 draw in normal time (with an 89th-minute equaliser for the away side) and then to penalties (after an 118th-minute leveller for Inter Miami).
Ultimately it was Inter Miami who prevailed on spot kicks, but for Riccardo Silva it was still a very positive evening for football in the city.
“Obviously I am a bit disappointed with the result but I am super happy after a great night for soccer in Miami. We have shown we can play against a team at MLS level, which is the most important satisfaction,” Silva said.
Silva has certainly tried to give a bit of a red and black feel to Miami FC, with the USL side having been previously coached by Alessandro Nesta and with Luca Antonelli having played there in 2021-22.
