The Tampa Bay Rowdies notched their sixth victory of the USL Championship season in Wednesday’s matchup with New Mexico United at Isotopes Park. Midfielder Louis Perez recorded the winning goal in the match, ensuring the Rowdies remain the last undefeated team in the league and the first team to surprass 20 points in the standings with six wins and three draws through their first nine matches.
The narrow scoreline doesn’t paint the full picture of what was a dominant performance from the Rowdies. New Mexico held 61.5 percent of the possession, but the Rowdies had twice as many touches in the opposing penalty area (30-14) and outshot their hosts 17 to 9.
“If you watch the balance of play, it could have been three or four nil in our favor,” said Rowdies Head Coach Dominic Casciato. “I think if our finishing was a little bit sharper in a couple of moments, especially in the second half, then it would have been. I’m really proud of the guys for the ways they dealt with the quick turnaround. It’s tough to travel all this way and play a very good team. They dominated the game for 90 minutes, so I’m proud of the guys and I think tonight’s performance stands us in good stead for what’s to come.”
Fresh off his tallying his first goal for the club last Saturday, Perez found his second only five minutes into Wednesday’s contest. Teammate Mattheus Oliveira offered the assist, intercepting an errant pass by a New Mexico defender in the final third before centering the Perez. With goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena off his line attempting to shut down Oliveira, Perez was able to calmly deposit his shot into the empty net.
Although the Rowdies were unable to recreate the final result, the scoring sequence originated from pressure up the field in New Mexico’s defensive half that was constant throughout the match. That pressure kept New Mexico in uncomfortable positions all night.
“Guys like MD Myers, Louis Perez, Pedro Dolabella, Sebastian Cruz, and Marco Micaletto when he came on, these guys really ran their hearts out tonight,” said Casciato. “That allowed us to make the game very uncomfortable for New Mexico and pick the ball up in very dangerous positions to create some dangerous chances for us.”
Marco Micaletto entered the match off the bench just past the half hour mark when Oliveira was unable to continue due to injury. His integration into the flow of the match was seamless. The former New Mexico midfielder nearly doubled Tampa Bay’s lead in the 42nd minute with a right-footed effort that required a fingertip save from Arozarena.
Rowdies Forward Evan Conway, forced another tough save five minutes in the second half. On one of his first touches of the night, Conway fired a low strike from inside the box that Arozarena managed to punch out of danger.
On the opposite end of the field, Rowdies Goalkeeper Jahmali Waite was called on to make two saves in the match, with the most important stop coming in the 90th minute as New Mexico pushed for an equalizer. A free kick sent in from the right side of the field made its way to New Mexico’s captain Greg Hurst, who headed the service on frame but was denied by Waite’s quick reflexes. The Jamaican international’s save, along with five blocked shots by the teammates in front of him, helped preserve Tampa Bay’s fifth shutout of the season.
“Jahmali is a great goalkeeper, and he comes up with big saves in big moments like great goalkeepers do,” said Casciato. “We’re very pleased to have Austin Pack here as well. He does exactly the same thing, so our goalkeeper department is really strong.”
The win in New Mexico caps off a three-match road swing for the Rowdies in which the club picked up a win and a draw in league play and a decisive victory in the Prinx Tires USL Cup. For the first time since 2019, the Rowdies are undefeated through their first nine matches of the season. The club’s current unbeaten streak across all competitions stands at 13 matches, dating back to the final two matches of the 2025 regular season. The Rowdies haven’t dropped a competitive match since October 11.
“The guys have done a tremendous job of being on the road and picking up points,” said Casciato. “Now it’s about getting in front of our fans again and putting on another performance against Phoenix. It’s going to be difficult opponent.”
Next up, the Rowdies head home to host Phoenix Rising FC on Military Appreciation Night at Al Lang Stadium. Kickoff for the match is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Scoring Summary
TBR – Perez (Oliveira), 5’
Caution Summary
TBR – Dossantos (Yellow Card), 3’
NM – Gloster (Yellow Card), 18’
TBR – Perez (Yellow Card), 37’
NM – Bailey (Yellow Card), 37′
NM – Hurst (Yellow Card), 48’
NM – Noel (Yellow Card), 49’
TBR – Schneider (Yellow Card), 59’
NM – Hämäläinen (Yellow Card), 74’
NM – Jabang (Yellow Card), 87’
TBR – Ostrem (Yellow Card), 89’
TBR – Conway (Yellow Card), 90+4’
Stats Summary TBR / NM
Shots: 17 / 9
Shots on Goal: 5 / 3
Saves: 2 / 4
Corner Kicks: 7 / 4
Fouls Conceded: 15 / 13
Offside: 1 / 4
Possession: 61.7 / 38.3
Lineups
TBR: Waite, Acoff (Wyke, 71’), Schaefer, Dossantos, Ostrem, Cruz, Schneider, Perez (Conway, 46’), Oliveira (Micaletto, 34’), Dolabella, Myers (Henderlong, 76’)
TBR Bench: Pack, Rodriguez, Wyke, Hilton, Micaletto, Conway, Henderlong,
NM: Arozarena, LaCava (Nava, 85’), Howell (Keller, 56’), Hämäläinen, Gloster (Rennicks, 72’), Bailey, Zelalem (Harris, 56’), Jabang, Noel (Seymore, 72’), Reid-Stephen (85’), Hurst
NM Bench: Shakes, Keller, Seymore, Wilkerson, Nava, Harris, Rennicks
