Miami FC faces must-win trip to Sarasota Paradise for wild-card spot

Miami FC entered its trip to Sarasota Paradise needing more than a result. With six points in the group and the wild card reserved for the second-place team with the most points, with goals scored as the first tiebreaker, Miami had to keep the attack moving if it wanted a path to the 2026 USL Cup Quarterfinals.

Miami FC beat Sarasota Paradise 5-0 at Premier Sports Complex. Jürgen Locadia was among the scorers, and the result put Miami in position for the wild card before results elsewhere confirmed the club’s place in the knockout stage.

Miami’s final group-stage game kicked off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 11, in Sarasota, Florida, with a forecast of 86 degrees and a chance of rain. ESPN+ carried the game in the United States, while YouTube handled international viewing.

The 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup began on Saturday, April 25, with seven regional groups, six of them made up of six teams and one of seven, and each club played four group-stage matches. The seven group winners and one wild card advanced, with the quarterfinals set for Wednesday, Aug. 13, the semifinals for Wednesday, Sept. 9, and the final for the weekend of Oct. 2-4. Miami’s final group record ended at 3-1-0 with nine points and 11 goals.

Gastón Maddoni had taken over as Miami FC’s head coach before the 2026 season. Sarasota, which had already suffered a 2-0 loss to Sporting JAX in group play, could not slow Miami’s pace.