ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The USL Championship unveiled the Team of the Week for Week 4 of the 2026 USL Championship season on Tuesday, with Tampa Bay Rowdies Wingback Sebastian Cruz earning a spot for his performance in the club’s 3-1 win over Loudoun United FC.
Cruz opened the scoring for Tampa Bay in the 7th minute of the match, collecting a clearance out of Loudoun’s box and sending the ball straight back in with a right-footed rocket into the top right corner. His go-ahead goal set the tone for the Rowdies third victory of the year, continuing their perfect start to the campaign.
Along with his goal, Cruz put in a strong shift overall in his third appearance for the club. He won six of his eight duels, won three tackles, made three recoveries, and recorded one clearance and one interception against Loudoun. Cruz is also one of four Rowdies players who has played every minute of the season so far.
This marks Cruz’s first USL Championship Team of the Week selection. The 25-year-old California native started his career in the USL Championship as an academy player for Swope Park Rangers (now Sporting Kansas City II) in 2018 before moving on to play college soccer at Cal State Fullerton. He returned to Kansas City after college to represent the club in MLS Next Pro for two seasons. Last year, Cruz was a standout for UV Alta FC in the club’s inaugural season in USL League One.
“I think the mentality that we’ve had since day one of the preseason has helped us overcome any challenges and start with three wins,” said Cruz. “That mentality to fight on both sides of the ball, to be hungry offensively and defensively, has definitely helped us a lot. With that mentality, I think we can win anywhere. We take so much pride on both sides of the ball, and we know there’s still room for us to improve.”
