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CINCINNATI, Ohio (July 15, 2018) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies fell 2-0 to conference-leading FC Cincinnati on Saturday night, their first-ever competitive loss to Cincinnati.

Here’s three things from the match…

1. New faces abound
Tampa Bay Head Coach Neill Collins trotted out a starting XI featuring three players making their first start of the season for the Rowdies in forward Stefano Bonomo, midfielders Kwadwo Poku and Afrim Taku, and defender Kyle Porter. Add in that goalkeeper Cody Mizell was making his first appearance since mid-May and it felt like a brand new team.

Bonomo entered the weekend having played only 61 minutes for the Rowdies since joining earlier this month. Poku had yet to play while he waited for the transfer window to open. Taku had played six minutes off the bench in nearly a month since he signed with the club. Porter signed with the Rowdies late this week and was immediately inserted into the starting lineup.

Those players have all put in plenty of time training with their teammates, but games are played at an entirely different speed and intensity. It will take game minutes to complete the process of growing together as a unified team at the end of this mid-season roster revamp.

Playing that green of a team against the best team in the Eastern Conference on that stage in Nippert Stadium was a bold choice that didn’t necessarily work out on the night, but should benefit the Rowdies in the coming weeks.

The point has been made before that the Rowdies team that plays now hardly resembles the 14 players that featured in an opening day win on March 17, but you don’t even have to go back that far anymore. Of the 14 players that played in Neill Collins’ first match in charge of the Rowdies on May 19, only five played last night.

2. Playing on turf
The Rowdies made it to mid-July by playing only on natural grass (apart from the one quarter of a field that is artificial turf at Louisville City FC’s Slugger Field), but they will have to get used to artificial turf in the coming weeks and months.

Each of Tampa Bay’s next two road matches — at Ottawa Fury FC on August 3 and at the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on August 22 — are on plastic grass. The Rowdies will play on turf once more in the regular season when they visit the Indy Eleven on September 26.

It was by scheduling luck alone that the Rowdies had dodged turf for this long. Toronto FC II and the New York Red Bulls II both play on artificial turf at their regular home venues, but both teams instead hosted the Rowdies at their MLS stadiums, which both have natural grass.

Artificial turf has traditionally been a bogeyman for the Rowdies, who posted a 1-4-2 (W-L-T) record on turf in 2017 and a 0-5-3 record on it in 2016.

Four of the current playoff teams in the Eastern Conference field play on turf at home, so it seems the Rowdies will need to overcome their turf issues if they are to achieve their goals for this season.

3. Coming home
It’s hard to overstate the importance of the Rowdies’ next two matches, with Indy Eleven visiting Al Lang Stadium next Saturday and then the Red Bulls II coming to St. Pete on July 28.

Those two teams are both within six points of the Rowdies, so whichever teams pick up points in those games will be taking points away from a direct playoff rival.

CINCINNATI, Ohio (July 14, 2018) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies lost 2-0 to FC Cincinnati on Saturday night at Nippert Stadium. Two second-half goals gave the home side the victory, keeping them first in the USL Eastern Conference standings.

Midfielder Emmanuel Ledesma and forward Danni Konig scored the goals for the home side, coming in the 54th and 84th minutes,  respectively. 

Despite both clubs having their chances in the first half, neither was able to get on the scoresheet, with both goalkeepers making several saves to keep their teams in the match.

Rowdies forward Junior Flemmings had the first clear chance of the match in the 12th minute, finding his way past defender Forrest Lasso to put his strike on frame. Despite the powerful shot by the Jamaican, goalkeeper Evan Newton was in perfect position to make a comfortable save.

Minutes later, Cincinnati came inches from getting a goal of their own off a terrific free kick by midfielder Emmanuel Ledesma. His curling free kick had goalkeeper Cody Mizell beat, but luckily for the Rowdies it went just over the crossbar.

The home side had yet another chance in the 31st minute, with midfielder Corben Bone firing a shot from just outside the box. Mizell was forced to dive to his right and punch it out for a corner kick. 

Cincinnati kept applying the pressure as the minutes passed, with Danni Konig getting a chance in the 41st minute. Leaping over the Tampa Bay defense, the Danish forward was unable to get his header on frame as it bounced just wide of the goal.

Right before halftime, Flemmings found himself in front of goal after making a fantastic solo run down the right side of the field. But just like his first shot, Newton made a great save and sent it out for a corner.

FC Cincinnati came close to scoring the first goal of the match in the 49th minute, but midfielder Dominic Oduro was on the line to head it out. However minutes later, the home side would find its first goal.

As the match entered the 54th minute, Ledesma found space behind defender Hunter Gorskie and headed it past Mizell to make it 1-0.

After picking up the assist on the first goal, Bone nearly doubled the lead four minutes later but his shot smashed off the cross bar keeping it 1-0 for the home side.

Despite searching for the equalizer, the Rowdies would go down 2-0 in the 84th minutes. A perfectly-executed counter attack by substitute Emery Welshman led to Danni Konig’s ninth goal of the season. 

For the first time in five official matches, FC Cincinnati was able to defeat the Rowdies.

Tampa Bay returns home on Saturday, July 21 to host Indy Eleven at Al Lang Stadium. For tickets, call 727-222-2000 or click here.

Scoring Summary
Cincinnati: Emmanuel Ledesma – 54th minute (assisted by Corben Bone)
Cincinnati: Danni König – 84th minute (assisted by Emery Welshman)

Caution Summary
Tampa Bay: Junior Flemmings – 23rd minute
Cincinnati: Emmanuel Ledesma – 63rd minute

Lineups
Rowdies XI (4-4-2): GK Cody Mizell; D Kyle Porter, Tamika Mkandawire, Hunter Gorskie, Max Lachowecki; M Afrim Taku (Leo Fernandes 61′), Dom Oduro, Kwadwo Poku (Leon Taylor 71′), Joe Cole (c); F Junior Flemmings, Stefano Bonomo (Georgi Hristov 77′)

FC Cincinnati XI (4-2-3-1): GK Evan Newton; D Blake Smith (Matt Bahner 90+), Forrest Lasso, Dekel Keinan (C), Justin Hoyte; M Michael Lahoud, Kenney Walker; M Corben Bone, Nazmi Albadawi (Jimmy McLaughlin 89′), Emmanuel Ledesma (Emery Welshman 84′); F Danni König

The Basics
FC Cincinnati vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, July 14, 7:30 p.m. ET
Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Follow us for live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday

How to Watch
The match will be broadcast locally on thisTV Tampa Bay and online on ESPN+ (subscription required), the official streaming partner of the USL, here. International viewers in regions where ESPN+ is not offered can watch the match here. 

Records
FC Cincinnati: 10-3-5; 4-2-2 at home; 1st place
Tampa Bay: 6-7-4; 2-5-1 on road; 11th place

From the Head Coach
Neill Collins on Saturday’s match:
“As a professional player, these are the environments you want to play in and it generally brings the best out of you. You’re going up against a good side, they’re top of the table. It’ll be a great, great test in the environment and we’ve obviously got players that have played in that environment before and I expect us to rise to the occasion.”

Rowdies Notes
The Rowdies are coming off a 2-1 loss at home to Louisville City FC last weekend, their second home loss in three matches. Kyle Smith opened the scoring midway through the first half and Junior Flemmings pulled the Rowdies level in the 71st minute. Louisville’s Cameron Lancaster scored the winner on a perfect free kick just five minutes later to win 2-1. 

A few new faces could appear for the Rowdies this weekend in midfielder Kwadwo Poku and defender Kyle Porter. Poku signed with Tampa Bay on June 26 from FC Anzhi Makhachkala in the Russian Premier League, but was not eligible to play until the transfer window opened on July 10. Poku previously played for Miami FC, New York City FC and the Atlanta Silverbacks. Porter signed with the Rowdies this week after being released from Ottawa Fury FC. Porter made 12 appearances for Tampa Bay in 2017. 

Tampa Bay is 2-5-1 on the road this season, but has been trending up in recent road trips, with four points from their last two away games. The Rowdies beat Toronto 4-2 on May 26 at BMO Field and earned a late 2-2 draw in Charlotte on June 27. Those two results followed five consecutive losses away from home. 

This match marks the first time the Rowdies will play on a full field of artificial turf in 2018. Tampa Bay has played every match on natural grass this season, apart from the quarter of a field of artificial turf in Louisville. Tampa Bay went 1-4-2 (W-L-T) on artificial turf in 2017. 

• Suspended: None
• Injury Report: OUT: D David Najem (torn ACL, April 14)    
                                     D Kyle Curinga (sprained ankle, May 12)
                                     D Zac Portillos (left knee sprain, May 26)    
                                      M Lance Rozeboom (right knee sprain, June 2)
                                                

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (July 13, 2018) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies have re-signed a familiar face in defender Kyle Porter, the club announced Friday, pending league and federation approval.

Porter played for the Rowdies last season, making 11 appearances in green and gold. He scored a goal in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against Jacksonville Armada U23.

A Toronto native, Porter began this season with the Ottawa Fury FC. He made three appearances for Ottawa this season and was released from his contract late last week. 

“Kyle is obviously a player we know quite well,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “We’ve had a lot on injuries on the backline this season. Kyle’s return allows us a little more competition for places in the squad, which is always a healthy thing to have.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (July 11, 2018) — A little more than one month ago, Dom Oduro was playing for the FC Golden State Force in the amateur USL PDL in California.  

After logging what turned out to be his final appearance for the Force on June 9 against the Southern California Seahorses, Oduro made a cross-country trek to St. Petersburg for a trial with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

In the month since then, Oduro has signed a professional contract, earned his first start, scored a game-tying goal in stoppage, featured on SportsCenter’s Top 10, and became a key cog in the Rowdies’ midfield. In other words, it’s been a good month for the 23-year old Ghanaian.

Since being named in the starting lineup for his Rowdies debut on June 27 against the Charlotte Independence, Oduro has played all 270 available minutes for the Rowdies in the all-important defensive midfield role. Despite being small of frame at just 5-foot-5, Oduro has proven more than a handful for the opposition.

“I’m starting to improve my game,” he said after training Wednesday. “The USL, compared to the PDL, is very different. I have to be much quicker with my decision making now and how I read opponents. It’s been good so far and I’m improving.”

If he’s struggled at all with the jump to the USL, his teammates haven’t noticed. Rowdies center back Tamika Mkandawire praised Oduro’s impact on the team through his first three appearances.

“We saw him a little bit in training before he signed and you could see what his strengths are and what he could potentially bring to the team, but I think he’s surpassed probably everyone’s expectations and that’s fantastic,” Mkandawire said. “He’s such a down-to-earth guy and I couldn’t be happier that he’s come in and done so well. Because he’s not a ‘flashy’ player, maybe it’s taken him a little more time to get noticed. He does a lot of work in front of the back four that maybe goes unnoticed by the average fan. He’s a real big part of this team already.”

Oduro said he has two primary objectives every time he steps onto the field. He wants to win tackles for his team and then he wants to connect passes. If those are his criteria for success, he gets full marks for his performances so far.

According to USL stats partner Opta, Oduro is yet to lose a tackle and he has completed more than 90 percent of his passes.

As luck would have it, Oduro knows Essien, a fellow Ghanaian and one of the best players to ever represent their country.

“I like the Michael Essien comparison,” Oduro said. “When I played my first game and scored, I texted him the video and he said, ‘Congrats. You’ve done really well.’ He’s not my close friend, but I’ve texted him to get advice throughout my career. He’s always there for me. When I sent him the video of my goal I told him, ‘I’m trying to compete with you and your goals for Chelsea.’ He said. ‘Yeah, yours was better!’”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (July 8, 2018) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the defending USL Cup champions Louisville City FC on Saturday night at Al Lang. It was only the Rowdies’ third regulation loss at home in the last two seasons.

1. The halfway point
Last night’s match was the Rowdies’ 17th of the regular, marking the official halfway point of the USL schedule. The first half was tumultuous, with a coaching change and a handful of starters going down with long-term injuries or retiring and the Rowdies didn’t cope with adversity as well as they had probably hoped. Tampa Bay has posted a record of 6-7-4 (W-L-T) to this point in the season and sits three points outside the playoff positions.

The good news, though, is that the second half figures to be much smoother as Neill Collins continues to grow into his new role as head coach after an extremely short transition period. The Rowdies have strengthened their roster in the last few weeks with the additions of Dominic Oduro, Afrim Taku, Poku and Stefano Bonomo.

With departures and absences from the squad, as well as being on short rest after Wednesday night’s match, only two players in the Rowdies’ starting lineup against Louisville started for the Rowdies on opening day of this season. Cody Mizell (bench), David Najem (injured), Neill Collins (coach), Zac Portillos (injured), Joe Cole (bench), Jack Blake (away on loan), Marcel Schäfer (retired), Georgi Hristov (bench) and Leo Fernandes (bench) were all opening day starters that were absent from the lineup last night.

Still, there’s plenty of reason for optimism as the roster continues to come together in the coming weeks. The playoffs are within easy touching distance, but even first place isn’t truly out of reach yet. The Rowdies trail FC Cincinnati by 13 points with 17 games remaining. If the Rowdies beat Cincinnati next week, the gap reduces to 10 points and the Rowdies will still have a game in hand over Cincinnati.

2. Oduro’s impact
Dominic Oduro has made an instant impact on the Rowdies since joining the club June 20. He arrived with a lower profile than some of the other players to sign for the Rowdies, having previously played for the FC Golden State Force in the USL PDL, but the 23-year old midfielder has more than proved his worth in his short time with the club.

In his three matches with the Rowdies, Oduro is yet to lose a tackle (7-for-7), has four clearances and three interceptions and he has completed 90.6 percent of his passes, with only 10 percent of his passes go backward. In addition, he has already tallied a goal and an assist. The goal was a bomb from distance in Charlotte to tie the match in the 90th minute.

3. Help is on the way
Collins asserted after the match in his postgame press conference that more signings are potentially on the way.

“Hopefully by next week and the following week, we’ll have more additions and we can start making the changes we want and having more competition for places,” Collins said. “Obviously, in the attacking positions we do, other positions we don’t.”

Tampa Bay opened the season with eight defenders on the roster, but has only had four available for the last two months, with David Najem, Zac Portillos and Kyle Curing all unavailable due to injury, plus Neill Collins coaching.

In addition to any potential defensive signings, the Rowdies should have midfielder Kwadwo Poku ready for next weekend’s match in Cincinnati. Poku signed with Tampa Bay on June 26, but he is ineligible to play until after the transfer window opens this coming Tuesday, July 10.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (July 7, 2018) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies tried to rally against the defending USL Cup champions in the second half of Saturday night’s match, but came up just short, falling 2-1 to Louisville City FC at Al Lang Stadium.

The Rowdies (6-7-4, 22 points) trailed 1-0 at halftime and tied the game up with Junior Flemmings’ goal in the 71st minute, but Louisville’s Cameron Lancaster scored the game winner with a perfect free kick just five minutes later.

“They say you learn more in a defeat than in a win,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “I learned a lot against Penn and I learned a lot tonight. I’ll digest it and again, I’m in  a situation where I’ve got a bit of a threadbare squad, but hopefully by next week and the following week, we’ll have more additions and we can start making the changes that we want and have more competition for places.”

Despite playing on short rest after Wednesday night’s victory over Toronto FC II, it was the Rowdies that looked sharper in the opening stages of the game.

Rowdies forward Leon Taylor nearly hustled himself into a goal just six minutes into the game when he almost stole a lazy Louisville back pass, but Louisville goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh got to the ball just in time to clear the danger.

Around the 20 minute mark, Louisville (8-3-5, 29 points) started pulling itself back into the game.

Tampa Bay fell behind in the 22nd minute when a Niall McCabe cross found Kyle Smith at the back post for Louisville’s opening goal.

In the 38th minute, the Rowdies were very unlucky not to score a goal as a Flemmings shot was deflected onto the crossbar and then fell right onto the foot of Sebastian Guenzatti on the goal line, but it somehow managed to stay out.

The Rowdies pushed hard for the equalizer, with Leo Fernandes coming into the match in the 60th minute and Stefano Bonomo entering in the 62nd.

In the 67th minute, Fernandes had a header on frame, but Ranjitsingh made one of his four saves to keep Louisville ahead.

Tampa Bay wouldn’t have to wait too much longer for a goal though, with Bonomo flicking on a Fitzgerald long ball to Flemmings. The Jamaican forward outmuscled his defending and raced toward goal before firing a low shot from 16 yards that beat Ranjitsingh and snuck into the side netting to pull the Rowdies even.

The Rowdies’ momentum was suffocated shortly after though, when Louisville City was given a free kick 24 yards from goal. Lancaster whipped his free kick around the wall and into the top corner of the net, giving Fitzgerald no chance to make the save and putting the Rowdies down 2-1.

“I’m very disappointing,” said Rowdies defender Tamika Mkandawire, who captained the Rowdies in the match. “I think they created about three chances and scored two, one of which was a free kick, so they gave us a lesson in finishing and that’s why they’re the champions. They made us work really hard for what we did get and they finished their chances.”

Tampa Bay’s best chance to equalize came in the 83rd minute when Ranjitsingh made a great diving save to push a Bonomo header wide.

“We created a lot of chances,” Collins said. “I think we created far more clear-cut opportunities than Louisville, but it’s not about creating chances, it’s about putting it in the back of the net and they managed to put the ball in the back of the net twice in three chances and we just didn’t manage to find the right pass or take our chances. I’m pleased we created the chances, but I want to start winning games.”

Scoring Summary
Louisville City: Kyle Smith (assisted by Niall McCabe) – 22nd Minute
Tampa Bay: Junior Flemmings (assisted by Stefano Bonomo) – 71st Minute
Louisville City: Cameron Lancaster – 76th Minute

Caution Summary
Louisville City: Paco Craig – 41st Minute
Louisville City: Devon Williams – 44th Minute
Louisville City: Patrick McMahon – 51st Minute
Louisville City: Paolo DelPiccolo – 88th Minute

Starting Lineups
Rowdies XI (4-3-3): GK Akira Fitzgerald; D Hunter Gorskie, Tamika Mkandawire (c), Ivan Magalhães, Max Lachowecki; M Martin Vingaard, Dominic Oduro, Michael Nanchoff (Alex Morrell 82′); F Junior Flemmings, Leon Taylor (Stefano Bonomo 62′), Sebastian Guenzatti (Leo Fernandes 46′)

Louisville City XI (5-4-1): GK Greg Ranjitsingh; D Kyle Smith, Paco Craig, Sean Totsch, Oscar Jimenez, Patrick McMahon; M Paolo DelPiccolo (c), Devon Williams, Magnus Rasmussen (Ilija Ilic 83′), Niall McCabe (George Davis IV 68′); F Cameron Lancaster

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (July 5, 2018) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies kicked off an important month with a 3-1 win over Toronto FC II on Wednesday night, with Georgi Hristov finally claiming the Rowdies’ all-time scoring record with his 58th goal in green and gold.

Here’s Three Things we learned from the match…

1. Legend Status
At long last, Georgi Hristov is the leading scorer in Tampa Bay Rowdies history. He scored his 58th goal for the club last night, surpassing Derek Smethurst’s record of 57 goals which had stood since 1978.

Hristov tied the record with a goal against Real Monarchs SLC on April 21, but had to wait more than two months until his long lob in the eighth minute of action Wednesday night.

“I’m delighted for Georgi,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “We knew it was just a matter of time because a goal scorer is always a goal scorer. We were looking back at his record only last week and he’s got a goal every three games or every four games in his career, so that’s pretty impressive. He’s been getting into the right places and not put it in the net, and that’s a big sign that it’s going to come. I’m pleased for him. It’s huge for the club to have the record goal scorer in our ranks and it couldn’t happen to be a nicer guy.”

As for his part, Hristov said he was just happy his breakthrough moment came in a win.

“It means a lot to me,” Hristov said. “The Rowdies are such an old club with a lot of history, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the three points. Let’s not take away the effort that the guys put in tonight. We deserved the win, so I’m even more happy that we won the game.”

For more on Hristov’s record-setting performance, click here.

2. Smoove strikes again
Leon “El Smoove” Taylor proved again last night that he’s ready and able to score whenever asked. The young Rowdies forward, playing for his first professional team in the United States, scored 20 minutes into his debut on June 9 against Nashville. He scored against Penn FC in his second appearance with the Rowdies on June 22 and guess what he did last night…

That’s right, he scored against Toronto FC II to run his record to three goals in three games.

3. The journey continues
 Wednesday night’s win over Toronto FC II kicked off a hugely important month for the Rowdies. Tampa Bay now has a short turnaround before hosting the defending USL Cup champions, Louisville City FC, on Saturday night.

Louisville City FC will be without former Head Coach James O’Connor, who departed for Orlando City SC last week. In O’Connor’s stead, Louisville City will be under the direction of three co-head coaches/players in George Davis IV, Paolo DelPiccolo and Luke Spencer. Those three players have combined for 34 appearances and 2,354 minutes this season.

Next week, the Rowdies head to Ohio to meet first-place FC Cincinnati in another heavyweight bout. The Rowdies knocked FC Cincinnati out of the postseason last year.

After that, Tampa Bay returns home to close the month with back-to-back Saturday night matches against fifth-place Indy Eleven, a former rival, and then New York Red Bulls II. New York knocked the Rowdies out of the playoffs last year and laid a 5-0 drubbing on the Rowdies earlier this season.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (July 4, 2018) — The booms hit Al Lang Stadium a little early on Wednesday night, but not even a lightning delay could break the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ rhythm in a 3-1 win over Toronto FC II.

The match was suspended with the Rowdies up 2-1 in the 70th minute due to lightning in the vicinity, leading to a 59-minute delay in the match. Once things picked back up, the Rowdies tacked on a third goal to cruise to victory.

Georgi Hristov, Leon Taylor and Joe Cole had the goals for Tampa Bay (6-6-4, 22 points.)

“Without being disrespectful to Toronto because they’re a very young side with some really good players, but I think the score flattered them to be completely honest,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “I think on another night, we take our chances and we win handily. Goals change games, we gave up a goal and it made it a tense evening for us, especially with the rain delay.”

Hristov started the party in perfect fashion in just the eighth minute of play, receiving a long outlet pass from Rowdies goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald and lobbing it over Toronto (0-14-3, 3 points) goalkeeper Borja Angoitia from about 27 yards to put Tampa Bay ahead 1-0.

It was Hristov’s 58th goal for the Rowdies, surpassing Derek Smethurst’s long-standing Rowdies scoring record to become the clubs’ all-time leading scorer. Smethurst’s record of 57 goals had stood since 1978.

“It means a lot to me,” Rowdies forward Georgi Hristov said. “The Rowdies are such an old club with a lot of history, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the three points. Let’s not take away the effort that the guys put in tonight. We deserved the win, so I’m even more happy that we won the game.”

Taylor doubled the lead in the 54th minute with a close-range finish from Leo Fernandes’ cross to put Tampa Bay up 2-0. It was Taylor’s third goal in three appearances since signing with the Rowdies earlier this season.

Toronto got back into the match with a lucky break in the 58th minute when Luca Uccello’s free kick slipped through Fitzgerald’s fingers to make the score 2-1.

Despite giving up the goal, Tampa Bay was in cruise control until lightning nearby forced the players off the field in the 70th minute.

After a delay of just under one hour, the Rowdies took the field again without missing a beat. 

Cole’s goal sealed things in the 79th minute, but the result was never really in doubt. The Rowdies recorded 16 shots on the night (six on target), compared to just one shot (zero on target) for Toronto.

Tampa Bay has a quick turnaround now before welcoming the defending USL Cup champions, Louisville City FC, to Al Lang Stadium on Saturday night in a marquee showdown. Tickets are available here or by calling (727) 222-2000. 

Scoring Summary
Rowdies: Georgi Hristov – 8th minute (Assisted by Akira Fitzgerald)
Rowdies: Leon Taylor – 54th minute (Assisted by Leo Fernandes)
Toronto FC II: Luca Uccello – 58th minute
Rowdies: Joe Cole – 79th minute (Assisted by Dominic Oduro)

Caution Summary
Rowdies: Leon Taylor – 27th minute
Toronto FC II: Rocco Romeo – 31st minute
Toronto FC II: Julian Dunn – 47th minute

Starting XI
Rowdies XI (4-3-3): GK Akira Fitzgerald; D Hunter Gorskie, Tamika Mkandawire, Ivan Magalhães, Max Lachowecki; M Joe Cole (c), Dominic Oduro, Martin Vingaard; F Leo Fernandes (Sebastian Guenzatti 70′), Leon Taylor (Stefano Bonomo 57′), Georgi Hristov (Afrim Taku 84′)

Toronto FC II (4-5-1): GK Borja Angoitia; D Kyle Bjornethun (c) (Tim Kubel 70′), Rocco Romeo, Julian Dunn, Dante Campbell; M Luca Uccello, Noble Ocello (Matt Srbely 58′), Gideon Waja, Jordan Faria (Aidan Daniels 66′), Malik Johnson; F Shaan Hundal