BRADENTON, FL (October 26, 2024) – The Tampa Bay Rowdies closed out the regular season with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Indy Eleven at IMG Academy on Saturday night.
“It was a great performance from the boys.,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “I thought they played really well. They showed that confidence and that positivity that we’ve had for a lot of the season. The last month or so has been difficult for everyone… tonight I thought [the fans] were brilliant. We were getting the fans behind us. It was good to see them enjoying the game.”
Saturday’s victory snapped a five-match winless skid for the Rowdies. They hope to carry the momentum of their win over Indy into next weekend’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal matchup at Detroit City FC.
“We needed it,” Rowdies Midfielder Leo Fernandes said following the win. “We needed to build some momentum and I think this week, we did. It was a good performance on Wednesday and then really good today. It just helps the group stay in that positive mindset and be ready for playoffs.”
Tampa Bay jumped in front early in the evening as forward Manuel Arteaga notched his team-leading 17th goal of the season. Wingback Nick Moon helped set Arteaga up for the scoring opportunity by earning a penalty in the 9th minute when he sliced through a couple of defenders and was cut down in the box. As he has all year, Arteaga stepped up and calmly deposited his penalty into the net as keeper Hunter Sulte dove in the opposite direction. It was the seventh penalty conversion of the season for Arteaga.
The Rowdies kept the pressure up following the go-ahead goal and were rewarded with a second tally in the 25th minute. Receiving a pass in the center of the field, Wingback Blake Bodily drove through the heart of Indy’s defense and slipped a pass forward for midfielder Danny Crisostomo, who slotted his shot into the bottom right corner for his first goal of the season.
Forward Cal Jennings also found his way onto the scoresheet for the second straight match. In the 63rd minute, Fernandes threaded a pass into the final third for Jennings. An Indy defender was in the area, but Jennings beat his mark to the service to tap it forward into the box. Another Indy defender was nearby, but Jennings shouldered him off and got just enough on of the ball to send it rolling past the keeper.
Fernandes’ assist to Jennings was his 33rd for the Rowdies. The Rowdies veteran is now tied with Georgi Hristov for most assists in club history.
“That assist to Cal [Jennings] is a long time coming,” said Fernandes. “I know how fast he is and it was one of those where if I could just get it somewhere near him, he’s going to get there because he’s so fast. It was good to get a goal, for both of them. They [Cal Jennings and Manuel Arteaga] have scored so many goals and they’re the best strikers in the league for a reason. For them both to get a goal tonight is huge for us going forward.”
As important as getting their first win since September 14 was on Saturday, equally as vital was getting a shutout. It was the 11th clean of the season for the club but their first since August 24. The Rowdies were relentless in their press all night and kept Indy to just one shot of target in the match.
“For us as a group, you love to see zeroes on the board,” said Rowdies Keeper Jordan Farr. It does something to the confidence of being able to keep opponents scoreless. It does something for confidence moving forward, as a team, not just as a goalkeeper. It solidifies us as a whole.”
The date and kickoff time for Tampa Bay’s playoff match in Detroit next weekend will be confirmed by the USL Championship on Sunday morning.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said Neilson. “We went up there earlier this season. It’s a difficult place to go. It’s a great atmosphere. It’s a tight pitch. It changes the way you play the game to be honest. But it’s a playoff. We’ve got to up there and play positive and try to win the game.”
Scoring Summary
TBR – Arteaga (Penalty), 9’
TBR – Crisostomo (Bodily), 25’
TBR – Jennings (Fernandes), 63’
Caution Summary
TBR – Hilton, Yellow Card, 50’
IND – Chapman-Page, Yellow Card, 52’
TBR – Munjoma, Yellow Card, 73’
TBR – Worth, Yellow Card, 90+2’
Lineups
Rowdies: Farr, Doherty, Kleemann, Guillen, Moon (Perez, 71’), Crisostomo, Hilton (Bender, 74’), Bodily (Munjoma, 46’), Jennings (Rivera, 74’), Fernandes (Worth, 71’), Arteaga
Rowdies Bench: Akin, Bubb, Munjoma, Worth, Bender, Rivera, Perez, Mustali, Ortiz
Indy: Sulte, Dize Pe, Chapman-Page, White (O’Brien, 62’), Mines, Lindley, Wootton, Neidlinger (Foster, 68’), Guenzatti, Williams, Collier (Martinez, 68’)
Indy Bench: Oettl, Ofeimu, Soumaoro, Foster, Martinez, Williams, O’Brien