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The Tampa Bay Rowdies posted their third stragiht win to start the year on Saturday night at Al Lang, defeating the defending Western Conference champion Phoenix Rising FC 2-1. For the second week in a row, forward Steevan Dos Santos played a critical part in multiple tallies.

Dos Santos and the Rowdies gave the visitors an early gut punch just four minutes into the match. The Rowdies attacker found a pocket of space to streak down the left wing before whipping in a cross toward goal that reached defender Aodhan Quinn, whose errant clearance blew past his own keeper and into the back of the net.

The early goal was a change of pace from what both sides had experienced in their first two matches prior to Saturday. Phoenix had jumped out to early leads in its previous matches, while the Rowdies had slowly built up before finding their leads.

“Phoenix had started really quickly (in previous matches). So we’d emphasized that,” said Tampa Bay Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “These are the scenarios where you develop as the season goes on. How do the players handle being one-nil up? They handled it great. They just went straight on the front foot and should have capitalized but then they had a (lull) and that’s when you’ve got to go through that experience to learn when the other team starts gambling and taking impetus because we’re one-nil up. Great learning moment. I thought the players handled it well.”

Dos Santos could have scored just seven minutes later when Zach Steinberger picked him out in front of goal with a pass, but he lifted his effort well over the goal.

Phoenix eventually found its footing as the half wore on and tested Rowdies keeper Evan Louro. Quinn attempted to make up for the own goal with a well-hit strike to the bottom right corner, but Louro got down to deny the shot and keep the Rowdies ahead. Louro was caught off his line a few moments later, though nothing came of it as Quinn fumbled the attempt and sent his shot wide of net.

The Rowdies finally doubled their lead at the hour mark. Midfielder Leo Fernandes didn’t end up on the scoresheet but deserves plaudits for setting up the chance when he forced Ben Lundt into a save with a blast to the near post and led to a Rowdies corner. On the ensuing corner, Forrest Lasso powered a header from the back post onto frame that required Lundt to stop with diving effort. The rebound fell for Dos Santos, who cleaned it up to record his second goal of the year.

Just seven minutes later, though, Moar pulled one back for Phoenix. Moar made the final stages of the match interesting with a rifled shot form 26 yards out that got by Louro. The Rowdies keeper and Phoenix’s Rufat Dadashov then both picked up yellow cards for tussling after the goal.

The final 20 minutes were tense, but the Rowdies always looked comfortable riding out the victory.

“Those last 20 minutes were played end to end full of passion, energy, emotion,” said Collins. “That’s what everyone wants to see. You don’t want to see a soulless stadium, players going through the motions. Both fans will be proud of their teams. It was a different game compared to what we’ve had in the past. We were tested. It was great. I’m so proud of the players that in a moment like tonight they were able to play the same as we want them to every week and not have the occasion overtake. The credit tonight goes to the players as it always does.”

Lineups:
Rowdies: Louro; Scarlett, Lasso, Guillen; Antley, Wyke (Doherty, 77′), Hilton, Fernandes; Dos Santos (Adebayo-Smith, 88′), Steinberger, Guenzatti (Dalgaard, 88′)

Phoenix: Lundt; King (Billingsley, 65′), Musa, Adewole, Flood (Saydee, 78′); Lambert, Quinn, Bakero (Rodriguez, 65′); Moar, Dadashov, Asante

Caution Summary:
Hilton, 40′
Quinn, 42′
Dadashov, 68′
Louro, 68′
Adewole, 80′
Saydee, 86′
Billingsley, 90′
Adebayo-Smith, 90+2′

Scoring Summary:
-Quinn (4′ Own Goal)
-Dos Santos (61′)
-Moar (68′)

Gameday Info

Tampa Bay Rowdies host Phoenix Rising FC
Saturday, May 15 at 8 p..m ET
Al Lang Stadium, St Petersburg, FL

Watch: The match will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2

Follow Along: Live updates for the match will be posted on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday. Score Updates will also be posted on the Rowdies’ Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Inside Al Lang: Al Lang Stadium is now completely cash-free, including all retail and concession stands. Credit and debit cards as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay will be accepted throughout the stadium. Roaming vendors will also not accept cash.

This Saturday, Al Lang Stadium will host a highly anticipated match when the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Rowdies and defending Western Conference champion Phoenix Rising FC finally meet on the field. The match will be broadcast on ESPN2, with kickoff set for 8 pm ET.

Outside observers and the fans may be looking at this match with extra anticipation due to the circumstances that led to the cancelation of the USL Championship Final last year, but none of that is a factor for the Rowdies.

“To be honest, last year’s in the past,” Said Rowdies midfielder Zach Steinberger. “It really is just the third game of the season for us. We’re looking to carry the momentum that we’ve carried in the first couple games. The culture in our locker room is to try and put in as many good performances as we can over the course of the season and get better every day. That’s something that comes from the top and everyone buys into it. That’s where our focus is every day, and where the focus is on the weekend.”

So, what does get Steinberger and his teammates amped up about this match? The rare chance to test themselves against one of the best teams from the Western Conference and one of the most highly rated teams across the whole league. Like the Rowdies, Phoenix has started the year with two commanding victories and +6 goal differential.

“I’m excited to play a really good team,” said Steinberger. “It’s a team we never get to play and they’re a team that’s really well-respected in the west. For that reason I’m really excited to test ourselves as a team against the best in the west and see where we stack up.”

Through two matches this year the Rowdies have had three players already earn spots on the USL Team of the Week. Club captain Sebastian Guenzatti earned the honor after the first match for his two goals and assist against Charlotte. Guenzatti added another goal in the win over Pittsburgh last week, but it was his partner up top Steevan Dos Santos and center back Forrest Lasso who earned spots on the league’s team of the week.

Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins only made two changes for last week’s starting XI, swapping midfielders Lewis Hilton and Leo Fernandes into the starting lineup. The changes worked, as the Rowdies put in a performance that showed improvement from the previous week. Collins has tough decisions to make with this week’s lineup, especially with midfielder Yann Ekra pushing for playing time after returning from injury.

Injury Report:
Out: Lucky Mkosana, Juan Tejada, Luiz Fernando

Opposition Notes:

Phoenix travels to Tampa Bay on the back of a 3-0 win over the Oakland Roots and a 4-1 win against San Diego Loyal the week before that. As a result of the positive start, Phoenix leads the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. The Rowdies’ other two cross-conference matchups later in the season are against Phoenix’s Pacific Division rivals Oakland and Las Vegas Lights FC.

Similar to Collins, Phoenix Head Coach Rick Schantz has been able to retain a solid core of players from last year’s successful squad. Attackers Solomon Asante and Santi Moar are both off to productive starts, with two goals each after two matches.

Injuries to Phoenix’s two top keepers Zac Lubin and Andre Rawls forced the club to find a replacement on short notics. Schantz and his staff did pretty well, pulling in 2020 USL Championship Goalkeeper of the Year Ben Lundt on loan from MLS’ FC Cincinnati. The Rowdies last faced Lundt in the 2020 Eastern Conference final, when started in net for Louisville City FC. Lundt was in net for Phoenix’s clean sheet against Oakland.

Phoenix has been beat in possession in both of their first matches, though it hasn’t seemed to hurt them much. Meanwhile, the Rowdies have held a considerable possession advantage through their first two matches.

“Phoenix being able to counter on any mistakes is something we’ll need to be very aware of,” said Collins. To give their games a bit of context, they scored early in both of those games, which changes the opposition’s willingness to risk. Phoenix were more than happy to let them have the ball knowing they’d already gotten the lead. We had to be a little more patient, certainly in our first game. We want to be at home and we want to have the ball, but I think we’re always willing to do what it takes to win the game. For any reason, if we’re not having the ball we’ll adapt. But the plan will be to play our way, implement our style. Make the adjustments for their strengths without changing too much, because if you change to much it can become a bit fractured performance.”

 ST PETERSBURG, Fla (May 11, 2021) – Two Tampa Bay Rowdies players have been named to the USL Championship’s Team of the Week for Week 3 of the 2021 season. Center back Forrest Lasso and Steevan Dos Santos earned a spot on the team for their performances in the Rowdies’ 3-0 victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

Dos Santos notched his first goal of the match and his first as a Rowdies a half hour in, heading home a fantastic cross from the left wing by Leo Fernandes. The Rowdies newcomer continued to be a threat up top against his former team the rest of the night. He recorded four shots in the match, won 10 of 14 duels, set his teammates up for several scoring chances, and also drew the penalty Sebastian Guenzatti converted to double the lead in  the 75th minute. All in all, Dos Santos demonstrated why Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins and his staff plucked him off Pittsburgh in the offseason.

Lasso, who was voted the USL Defender of the Year in 2020, had an impressive shift himself against the Riverhounds. He and the rest of the Rowdies defensive unit held the visitors to just one shot on frame all night, a dipping from kick by Tommy Williamson from 25 yards out. Lasso won 9 of 11 duels, made four interceptions and six clearances while also completing 76 of 90 passes.

The Championship’s Player of the Week is selected by the USL National Media Panel, which is made up of representatives from each media market in the Championship.

USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 3

GK – Tyler Deric, Rio Grande Valley FC: Deric posted a three-save shutout to keep the Toros in the game against San Diego Loyal SC last Thursday night before the hosts grabbed a late winner for their second win of the season.

D – Josh Drack, LA Galaxy II: Drack recorded his first professional assist in LA’s victory against Las Vegas Lights FC on Wednesday night, and for the week completed 77 of 96 passes, won 16 duels and made seven interceptions defensively.

D – Abdoulaye Cissoko, Tacoma Defiance: Cissoko earned the Defiance a point on Sunday evening with a beautiful penalty kick in a 1-1 draw at the LA Galaxy II, and also completed 39 of 45 passes and made three interceptions.

D – Forrest Lasso, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Lasso won 9 of 11 duels, made four interceptions and six clearances while completing 76 of 90 passes in Tampa Bay’s 3-0 victory against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday night.

D – Bradley Bourgeois, FC Tulsa: Bourgeois earned his second consecutive selection after recording an assist on Joaquin Rivas’ opening goal and winning 8 of 13 duels and 6 of 8 aerial duels and winning two tackles in his side’s win against Indy Eleven.

M – Ibrahim Bancé, Real Monarchs SLC: Bancé made a stellar debut for the Monarchs in the club’s 2-2 draw with San Antonio FC, scoring once while completing 31 of 41 passes, winning 8 of 11 duels and making 10 recoveries in midfield.

M – Corben Bone, Louisville City FC: Bone had an early assist on Patrick McMahon’s goal, notched two key passes overall and completed 62 of 70 passes, and won 4 of 4 duels while making 12 recoveries in LouCity’s 1-1 draw with Birmingham Legion FC.

M – Marcus Epps, San Antonio FC: Epps scored his first goal for SAFC and finished with four shots overall while winning 11 of 18 duels and 5 of 7 aerial duels and recording seven recoveries in his side’s 2-2 draw with Real Monarchs SLC.

F – Solomon Asante, Phoenix Rising FC: Asante recorded his first two goals of the season while recording two key passes, completing 26 of 33 passes overall and winning 6 of 7 duels in Phoenix’s win against Oakland Roots SC.

F – Joaquin Rivas, FC Tulsa: Rivas recorded his second two-goal outing of the campaign to lead Tulsa past Indy Eleven, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer in the process, and had two key passes while completing 17 of 22 passes overall.

F – Steevan Dos Santos, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Dos Santos scored the opening goal of Tampa Bay’s 3-0 win against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, and also drew a penalty kick while winning 10 of 14 duels and recording four shots overall.

Bench: Justin Vom Steeg (LA), Ben Di Rosa (CHS), Emil Cuello (SA), Harry Swartz (NM), Rodrigo Lopez (RGV), Jorge Hernandez (LA), Preston Tabort Etaka (HFD)

It’s not every day a team drops three goals on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. In fact, the Tampa Bay Rowdies are only the second team in the last three years to post more than two goals in a match against the Riverhounds. Ex-Riverhounds Steevan Dos Santos kicked the Rowdies off with a first-half goal and continued to showcase why the Rowdies brought him into the squad the rest of the night by being a constant threat to his former team.

The Rowdies expected a tight match from Pittsburgh as usual, and they got just that for the first hour or so until Sebastian Guenzatti and Jordan Adebayo-Smith put Pittsburgh in a three-goal hole.

“A lot of very good performances tonight across the board,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “It was a team performance. You can see the front two/three working together and the back three working well together. That was definitely a team performance. That’s the only way to beat a team like Pittsburgh, for everyone to be on the same page.”

Collins and his staff know this is not the time to get carried away with two lopsided results, especially considering the Rowdies still have to face the Riverhounds three more times this year as Atlantic Division counterparts. This year’s regular season format sees every team playing each team in its division twice at home and twice away. Only the top four teams in each division will make the postseason.

In 2020, the Rowdies beat the Charleston Battery handedly in the first meeting between the two sides only to drop the next three. The grind is only going to get tougher as the pace of the schedule increases over the summer and the Rowdies start seeing teams for the third or fourth time. Pittsburgh will more than likely find its form in the next month or so and be even more formidable in their home stadium.

In the immediate future, it doesn’t get any easier next week with Phoenix Rising FC coming to town. The defending Western Conference winners have started the season in almost identical fashion as the Rowdies, securing a 4-1 win and 3-0 in their first two outings.

“Confidence should be very high,” said Collins. “I think the good thing is we’ve got good experienced players that will know we’ve got a very tough challenge coming up next. We’re so fortunate to have had the game tonight against a team that’s going to be challenging us all the way. Now we’ve got another team we expect to be challenging at the top of any standings. The lads should enjoy the day off and then come back in ready to go.”

Sturdy Start

The Rowdies effectively neutralized Pittsburgh’s attack on Saturday. Keeper Evan Louro only had one shot come his way, a dipping free kick from 20 yards out he managed to tip over the bar.

Midfielder Kenardo Forbes, who is the USL Championship’s all-time assist leader, was hardly heard from in the match. Newcomer Alex Dixon also had a quiet night apart from a breakaway opportunity in the 68th minute, which Rowdies defender Jordan Scarlett snuffed out with an incredible recovery sprint down the field and sliding tackle in the box.

“I think when you score three goals the strikers take plaudits, but when you look back at those moments of the game, that’s what those center backs are there for,” Collins said of Scarlett’s stop. “If they do that consistently, that’s when they get the plaudits. They’ve started with two clean sheets and as you add those, those moments add up. I’m really pleased Jordan made that intervention. That’s life being a defender, you’ve gotta do that at important times in the game and he did that tonight.”

All three center backs put in resolute shifts. Scarlett, Forrest Lasso, and Aaron Guillen combined to win 21 duels, with 12 of those being aerial duels. They will need bring that same tenacity next Saturday against the firepower Phoenix boasts.

You Never Forget Your First

Jordan Adebayo-Smith hasn’t even played 20 minutes for the Rowdies, yet the 20-year-old attacker already has his first goal for the Green and Gold.

Five minutes after entering the match for Steevan Dos Santos, Adebayo-Smith took advantage of some sloppy play from Pittsburgh and sealed the match. A long header from Lasso from inside the Rowdies’ own half bounced over Adebayo-Smith’s head at first, but he kept pursuing the ball as it made its way into Pittsburgh’s box. Mekeil Williams and keeper Danny Vitiello were slow to react and secure the ball, so Adebayo-Smith pounced and poked the ball away before slotting it into the goal.

“It’s a great feeling to get my first goal for the Rowdies,” said Adebayo-Smith. “Neill talks a lot about the substitutes making an impact and giving a real energy, especially in the last 15 or 20 minutes of the game. That’s when other teams get tired. We get even more energized, pushing each other toward the last minutes of the game. We showed that with the goal, chasing everything down and trying to be a threat all the time.”

The Tampa Bay Rowdies continued their excellent start to the 2021 USL Championship season on at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday night, posting a 3-0 victory for the second straight week. This time the Rowdies dispatched the visiting Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. 

Veterans Steevan Dos Santos and Sebastian Guenzatti grabbed the first two of the night for Tampa Bay, followed by newcomer Jordan Adebayo-Smith.

Neither side produced much in the opening half hour, though the Riverhounds’ Thomas Williamson delivered a free kick toward goal that required keeper Evan Louro to tip the ball out for a corner kick in the 15th minute. 

It took a former Riverhound to break deadlock in the 31st minute. Midfielder Leo Fernandes set up the sequence, whipping in a cross from the left flank that found the head of Dos Santos, who deftly redirected the ball past his former teammates.

Dos Santos kept being a pest for Pittsburgh the entire night and eventually created the second scoring opportunity in the 75th minute. The forward was clipped down in the box by keeper Danny Vitiello, drawing a penalty which Guenzatti converted for his third goal of the season.

Williamson had another chance at goal a few minutes in the second half when a cross came his way in front of goal, but he placed his effort well off the mark. Defender Jordan Scarlett shut down Pittsburgh’s only other opportunity in the 68th minute, racing back down field and sliding to swipe the ball off Alex Dixon.

Adebayo-Smith then sealed the result with a third goal in the 84th minute, just five minutes after entering the match.

The Rowdies remain at Al Lang next Saturday as they host Phoenix Rising FC. The match will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Lineups:
Rowdies: Louro; Scarlett, Lasso, Guillen; Antley (Dalgaard 70′), Wyke, Hilton, Steinberger, Fernandes (Harris 83′); Dos Santos (Adebayo-Smith 79′), Guenzatti (C)

Pittsburgh: Vitiello; Dover, Rovira (Perez 61′), Kilwien, Wiedt, Dover; Cicerone (Velarde 62′), Griffin, Forbes, Williamson (Wharton 61′), Dixon (Gatt 69′)

Scoring Summary

TBR – Steevan Dos Santos (Leo Fernandes) 30’
TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti (Penalty) 75’
TBR – Jordan Adebayo-Smith 84’

Gameday Info:

Tampa Bay Rowdies host Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Saturday, May 8, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St Petersburg, Florida

Watch: The match will be broadcast on ESPN+. Fans can watch here.

Follow Along: Live updates for the match will be posted on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday. Score Updates will also be posted on the Rowdies’ Instagram and Facebook accounts.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies are starting this year’s USL Championship season under similar circumstances to their start in the 2019 campaign. Like two years ago, the Rowdies will be hosting Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC after opening the season the week before with a win at Al Lang Stadium.

That night in 2019 ended with a 2-0 Rowdies victory, a result Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins will hope to replicate this Saturday. The two teams did not meet at all in 2020 but they’ll make up for it this year as they face each other four times in the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division.

“For me this is one of the toughest opponents we’ll face,” said Collins. “Facing them four times this year will be very difficult for both teams. If you look over the past three seasons since Bob Lilley’s been in charge, they’ve always been a difficult team to beat.”

This offseason Collins and his staff plucked one of Pittsburgh’s biggest contributors in Steevan Dos Santos. The tall, imposing forward earned his first start for the Rowdies in last week’s win over the Charlotte Independence and played a key role in the buildup to the club’s third goal.

It won’t be the first time Dos Santos has faced off against one his former teams. Having been in the league since 2015 (and notching 51 goals in that span) he’s done it a few times. After joining the Rowdies a little late into preseason camp, Dos Santos is now feeling comfortable with his teammates and working up top with Rowdies captain Sebastian Guenzatti in the attack.

“He’s an experienced player like me and he knows the team better than me,” Dos Santos said of Guenzatti. “He’s a very good player for the team. That makes it easy for me, sometimes I get tired running forward and he’s running back to cover. And the same the other way. It is good to know someone has your back. It took time for us to build the confidence, but I think now we’ve been playing better day by day.”

Substitutions played an important role in the Rowdies securing three points last week. Halftime substitute Lewis Hilton delivered the set piece ball leading to Guenzatti’s second goal and Leo Fernandes didn’t need much time to bag his first goal of the year as a late substitute. The Rowdies will need contributions from the starters and the bench as they continue to carry a few knocks in camp.

“One thing our players learned last year is they can be called upon at any time,” said Collins. “If it’s the right matchup, if I think they’re doing well in training, if we need to freshen up and change we’ll make a change. No one’s guaranteed to play every week. We’ll do what’s best for the team. Right now the competition is healthy and it’ll be even better once we get two or three guys back from injury.”

Scouting Pittsburgh:

This is Pittsburgh’s first match of the year, which could give head coach Bob Lilley a slight advantage as his Riverhounds remains a bit more of an unknown factor with a sizable group of new players joining the returnees who took the club to the postseason last year.

Last year’s successful season was built largely on the back of a stout defense that led the league with 8 clean sheets and allowed just 10 goals in the regular season. On the offensive side, the Riverhounds retained midfielder Kenardo Forbes who led the team with 8 assists last year and holds the league records with 46 assists in six seasons.

Pittsburgh has never won a match at Al Lang. In three trips to Tampa Bay they’ve left with one loss and two draws. In fact, the Riverhounds’ only win over the Rowdies came in Third Round of the 2015 U.S. Open Cup.

Rowdies Injury Report:
Questionable: Juan Tejada, Lucky Mksoana, Yann Ekra
Out: Luiz Fernando

The Tampa Bay Rowdies and Tampa Bay United Soccer Club (TBU) announced today the conclusion of their formal relationship but the two will continue to remain strong partners for the growth of the game in the Tampa Bay region. During the past five years the organizations have built and implemented a coach and player development model that benefitted thousands of children from throughout the Tampa Bay region. This model emphasized the success of the player, both on-and-off-the-field, while exposing the families to the excitement of Rowdies soccer.

“We want to thank Tampa Bay United for their fantastic partnership over the past several years,” said Tampa Bay Rowdies President Lee Cohen. “We have all benefitted from the relationship and together contributed a great deal to the game in the Tampa Bay community. Both organizations have provided a pathway for players to develop form the youth level and earn opportunities to play for the Rowdies. We look forward to continuing to work together in the community and continuing to provide opportunities for tomorrow’s future stars.”

The Rowdies are grateful to TBU leadership, its Board of Directors, and everyone at the club for their partnership over the last five years working together to improve the landscape of youth soccer in the region. The Rowdies remain committed to providing equal opportunities to all youth players in the region through the Rowdies Youth Network and our current partnerships with Florida Youth Soccer Association and YMCA. In addition to those efforts, the Rowdies are in the process of launching a USL Academy program under a free-to-play model.

“We are grateful for the Rowdies partnership which has significantly benefitted TBU’s families, players, and coaches. We have elevated youth soccer and TBU will always root for the Green & Gold,” said Anthony Latronica, Sporting Director for TBU. “It’s vital that Rowdies Youth Network partners support our local professional team. We are committed to providing opportunities for TBU players, both current and future, to go to the next level. And we’re equally excited to provide support and options for the Rowdies USL Academy program as well as for Head Coach Neill Collins and his first team staff. Continuing to work together on the technical side will help complete the pathway to pro for all players from the greater Tampa Bay area and beyond.”

TBU programs will continue to wear Rowdies colors and branding through the end of the current season, and then transition to wearing the historical TBU crest and red, white and blue uniforms starting with the 21’-22’ season.

Sebastian Guenzatti is off to a hot start in 2021. The Tampa Bay Rowdies club captain has earned a spot on the USL Championship Team of the Week for playing a part in every goal scored by the club in the 3-0 win over the Charlotte Independence over the weekend.

Guenzatti, now in his fifth season in Tampa Bay, broke the deadlock for the Rowdies in the 59th minute when he put a penalty past Charlotte keeper Brandon Miller. He then doubled the Rowdies’ lead in the 77th minute, latching on to a headed pass from center back Forrest Lasso with a header of his own in front of goal. Rather than go for the hat trick two minutes later, Guenzatti laid off a no-look pass for Rowdies veteran midfielder Leo Fernandes to slot into the goal.

Rowdies newcomer Laurence Wyke and returning keeper Evan Louro were included in the bench of the Team of the Week. Wyke played the entire match for Tampa Bay, earned the penalty to kick off the scoring, and finished the night with an 84 percent successful passing rate. Louro made three saves in his first outing of the year to keep the clean sheet intact, including a diving save to deny a chance sent to the bottom corner of the net.

Here’s a full look at Team of the Week from Week 2:

GK – Connor Sparrow, Miami FC: Sparrow recorded eight saves and three punched clearances as he helped Miami hold on for a 2-1 victory against Loudoun United FC despite playing down a man for the final 75 minutes of the contest.

D – Jorge Corrales, FC Tulsa: Corrales notched his second assist in as many games, completed 35 of 42 passes overall and three key passes while also winning 9 of 10 duels and recording four interceptions defensively in a 2-0 win against Sporting Kansas City II.

D – Nii Armah Ashitey, Hartford Athletic: Ashitey made seven interceptions and 12 recoveries, won 4 of 5 tackles and 10 of 16 duels in an impressive debut performance at the back for Hartford in its 3-2 victory against the New York Red Bulls II on Friday night.

D – Grant Robinson, Rio Grande Valley FC: Robinson won 8 of 12 duels, recorded four interceptions and seven recoveries, completed 2 of 2 dribbles and notched two key passes in the Toros’ 1-0 victory against New Mexico United.

D – Bradley Bourgeois, FC Tulsa: Bourgeois won 4 of 4 tackles and made five interceptions and 15 recoveries defensively and also completed 36 of 45 passes and 2 of 5 crosses on the ball in Tulsa’s 2-0 win against Sporting Kansas City II.

M – Arthur Rogers, Hartford Athletic: Rogers found the net once and was active throughout in midfield, winning 9 of 15 duels and 5 of 6 aerial duels while recording 13 recoveries and three interceptions in Hartford’s 3-2 win against the New York Red Bulls II.

M – Kevon Lambert, Phoenix Rising FC: Lambert won 8 of 12 duels and made 11 recoveries and six interceptions before capping his performance with a long-range finish as Rising FC defeated San Diego Loyal SC on Friday night.

M – PC, San Antonio FC: The Brazilian recorded one assist and three key passes in attack and won 10 of 15 duels while recording four interceptions defensively in SAFC’s 3-0 victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday night.

F – Santiago Patino, San Antonio FC: Making his debut for SAFC, Patino recorded a hat trick and finished with seven shots overall to lead his side to a 3-0 victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday night.

F – Santi Moar, Phoenix Rising FC: Moar put in a standout performance with one goal, two assists and eight chances created as Phoenix romped to a 4-1 victory against San Diego Loyal SC on Friday night.

F – Sebastian Guenzatti, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Guenzatti powered the Rowdies to an opening-night victory with two goals and one assist in the side’s 3-0 victory against the Charlotte Independence on Saturday night.

Bench: Evan Louro (TBR), A.J. Cochran (IND), Sam Gleadle (SA), George Campbell (ATL), Jon Bakero (PHX), Laurence Wyke (TBR), Rodrigo Da Costa (TUL)

Veterans Sebastian Guenzatti and Leo Fernandes dominated the scoresheet in the 3-0 victory over the Charlotte Independence this past weekend. However, several Tampa Bay Rowdies newcomers played important roles in ensuring the club came away with three points.

“I’m very pleased with the impact the new players had,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “I think it’s great for them to experience what it’s like to experience playing at Al Lang, the challenges we face. I’m pleased for all the boys that were able to make their debuts. Conner Antley had a very good game as well at right wing back.”

Both sides looked a little rusty in the first half, likely a result of the long offseason and anxious buildup to the match after so much time off.

“We’ve been down here for several months now, so it was great to finally get out on the field and play against someone else other than your own team,” said Antley. “It was good game from the group and I’m just excited to get the three points.”

In total, six new Rowdies made their debuts in front of the home fans at Al Lang Stadium. Forward Steevan Dos Santos paired up top with Guenzatti, Laurence Wyke slotted in the center of the midfield, while Conner Antley took on the right wingback spot. Midfielders Matt Srbely and Dayonn Harris, as well as forward Jordan Adebayo-Smith all also earned their first appearances as Rowdies coming off the bench in the 88th minute.

Dos Santos and Wyke had both played at Al Lang previously for the opposing sides. Antley, though, was getting his first taste of the gameday experience in downtown St Pete.

“The atmosphere was unbelievable for my first game at Al Lang,” said Antley. “I thought the weather and everything in the stadium was really great. You could hear the fans, it sounded like we had 7,000 in there. It’s a really great place to play. It was an awesome night.”

Antley played 88 minutes on the night before making way for Harris to enter. He and Wyke, who played the full 90-minute shift, finished with impressive passing numbers. Along with registering Tampa bay’s first shot on goal, Wyke had a passing accuracy rate of 84 percent. Antley was slightly higher at 87 percent, but also posted a solid 84 percent successful passing rate in Charlotte’s end of the field.

“I thought I started off a bit shaky in the first half, just working some nerves out and working myself into the game,” said Antley. “I tried to keep it simple, just connect passes and do my role on the team. But overall, I thought I played well and I’m just glad we got the win. Any time you have six months off you can kind of expect that in the first game, especially in the first half. I think we were a bit flat to start the game. I think we’ll learn from that moving forward. Starting in our next game against Pittsburgh I think we’ll take what happened against Charlotte and we’ll try to change that.”

Dos Santos also had a meaningful impact. Guenzatti was credited with the assist on Fernande’s goal to seal the result in the 79th minute, but Dos Santos was a critical part in the sequence leading up to it. With his back to goa, the imposing attacker shook off a defender behind him and turned to feed Guenzatti into the final third.

The performance of the new crew is an encouraging sign for the Rowdies as contributors from last year such as Lucky Mkosana, Juan Tejada, and Yann Ekra work their way back from short-term injuries. Luiz Fernando, another new player, is expected to be out for a longer period due to an injury.

The Rowdies remain at Al Lang this Saturday and will face off against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.