ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies got back in the win column with a decisive 4-0 victory over the visiting Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium. Forward MD Myers found the back of the net three times in the result to help the Rowdies claim three vital points in the standings.
Tampa Bay had recorded a win just once in their last four league outings heading into Saturday’s contest. However, Saturday’s showing demonstrated why the Rowdies have led the standings throughout almost all of 2026 and remain in the driver’s seat for the USL Championship Players’ Shield with five matches left to play in the regular season.
“(Tonight) has been a long time coming,” said Rowdies Head Coach Dominic Casciato. “I think we’ve kind of lost our way a little bit. We’ve had some difficult games over the last four or five, but good to see the guys get back into their rhythm and that’s what our team looks like. Great to see that and great to get back amongst the goals.”
The Rowdies put the visitors under the gun from the outset. Newcomer Jürgen Locadia, making his first start for the club since transferring from Miami FC just over a week ago, was active in the attack from the opening whistle. The Curacao international forced Birmingham Goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat to get low for a last-ditch save only two minutes into the match. Locadia then probed the goal again in the 14th minute with a right-footed rifle that was an inch or two away from finding the top right corner but clipped the underside of the crossbar instead.
“A couple of really big chances early on,” said Casciato. “Jürgen hits the bar. I think three or four corners in the first 20 minutes. So that was really good evidence of what we’re looking for and that’s how we always want to start games.”
Tampa Bay delivered the opening tally of the night 30 minutes into the match on a set-piece opportunity. Defender Charlie Ostrem initiated the scoring sequence with a corner-kick delivery to the near post, where teammate Max Schnieder connected on a header to send the ball across the face of Birmingham’s goal. Birmingham Defender AJ Paterson attempted to clear Schneider’s header only to send it straight toward his own goal and off the head of Koleilat on its way across the line.
Ostrem also helped set up Tampa Bay’s second of the night off another corner kick nine minutes later, delivering a delivery right on the money into the heart of Birmingham’s penalty area. Locadia was ready and waiting to head the service on target, but his attempt was denied by an outstanding diving save from Koleilat. The ensuing rebound, though, clanged off the post before falling to the feet of Myers, who promptly buried the loose ball into the goal.
Myers was at it again in the 56th minute. Receiving a pass into the box from Schneider, Myers did well to hold the ball while under pressure from a defender before cutting onto his right foot and depositing a low strike past Koleilat.
The early second-half goal marked the 40th regular-season goal of Myers’ USL Championship career, but the New Jersey native was not done yet. Myers completed his first Rowdies hat trick in the 60th minute to put the match well out of Birmingham’s reach. After an initial strike from Rowdies attacker Evan Conway was popped into the air by a Birmingham defender, Myers capitalized with a powerful volley that Koleilat was unable to keep out of the net.
“It’s been a little frustrating not being able to score some goals, but I think I’ve said it before; goals come in bunches,” said Myers. “I got that first one tonight, probably my easiest goal of the year. Sometimes those easy ones are the best because it gives you a little more confidence to take your chances.”
Saturday’s hat trick snapped a six-match scoreless streak for Myers. He now leads the Rowdies with 12 goals on the season and 15 goals across all competitions.
“MD wasn’t getting a ton of chances in recent games and obviously didn’t find the back of the net,” said Casciato. “MD is someone that lives for goals. So, to see him hit the back of the net tonight on three occasions was great for me. That’s his first hat-trick for the club, so I’m sure the first of many.”
Birmingham fired off 17 totals shots in the match, with substitute Tyler Pasher coming the closest to finding a goal in the 53rd minute when he sent a strike from the top of the box into the left post. In the end, the visitors were held at bay most of the night, with Rowdies Goalkeeper Jahmali Waite only needing to make one save on the way to posting Tampa Bay’s league-leading 13th shutout of the season. With his 11th shutout of the season, Waite has set a new personal record for clean sheets in a single season.
Next up, the Rowdies travel to the Lone Star State to take on San Antonio FC on Saturday, September 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Scoring Summary
TBR – Paterson (Own Goal), 30’
TBR – Myers, 39’
TBR – Myers (Schneider), 56’
TBR – Myers, 60’
Caution Summary
BHM – Head Coach Jay Heaps (Red Card), 54’
TBR – Ostrem (Yellow Card), 64’
BHM – Williams (Yellow Card), 68’
BHM – Shashoua (Yellow Card), 73’
TBR – Wyke (Yellow Card), 74’
Stats Summary: TBR / BHM
Shots: 14 / 17
Shots on Goal: 6 / 1
Saves: 1 / 3
Corner Kicks: 6 / 7
Fouls Conceded: 17 / 7
Offside: 2 / 8
Possession: 44.8 / 55.2
Lineups
TBR: Waite, Acoff, Bartlow, Dossantos, Ostrem, Schneider (Wyke, 61’), Hilton (Cruz, 46’), Conway (Schaefer, 61’), Cicerone (Micaletto, 61’), Myers (Dolabella, 77’), Locadia
TBR Bench: Pack, Schaefer, Wyke, Rodriguez, Cruz, Dolabella, Micaletto, Henderlong
BHM: Koleilat, Tregarthen (McCartney, 73’), Cole, Paterson (Diop, 46’), Brown, Antwi, McIllhatton (Pasher, 46’), Ngoma (Diarbian, 46’), Vassell, Shashoua, Damus (Williams, 61’)
BHM Bench: McMullen, Daley, McCartney, Diop, Pasher, Diarbian, Williams
