Tampa Bay Rowdies draw with Indy Eleven to grab vital point
Tampa Bay Rowdies picked up another crucial point in the race for The Championship tonight with a 1-1 draw against the Indy Eleven at Al Lang Stadium.
The point pulls the Rowdies even with FC Edmonton on points in fourth place in the NASL Combined Standings, but the Rowdies trail the Eddies by four goals in goal difference. As things stand, the top four teams in the Combined Standings will qualify for The Championship, the NASL’s four-team playoffs.
A pair of first-time Rowdies starters gave the Rowdies a lead in the second half, with Freddy Adu (Pictured above) finding Long Tan (see below) at the back post on a looping corner kick, but the lead was short-lived. Just four minutes later, Jaime Frias took a shot that Matt Pickens went left to save, only for the shot to be deflected back to his right.
“(Long Tan and Freddy Adu) made a positive impact on the match,” Rowdies Head Coach Stuart Campbell said. “I’m happy Long Tan got his goal. With a little bit of luck, he might have had two or three, but it wasn’t to be.”
The Rowdies started the match quickly and piled the pressure on Indy in the opening 15 minutes, with Tan nearly putting Tampa Bay ahead just six minutes in. An Adu cross found Tan in space, but his glancing header toward the back post went just inches wide.
In the 10th minute, Georgi Hristov played a low cross for Juan Guerra, who blasted a first-time shot that was saved by Eleven goalkeeper Keith Cardona.
Indy replied to that chance with a great one of its own, with a Dylan Mares shot hitting post after a Rowdies turnover. Indy’s Brian Brown nearly got to the rebound for another shot on goal, but Darnell King won a footrace and cleared the ball.
Tampa Bay’s next great chance came in the 35th minute when Brian Shriver won a free kick 23 yards out from goal. Adu’s shot cleared the wall, but curved wide of the post at the last moment, ensuring neither team would score before halftime.
The scoring would begin in the 63rd minute as Adu’s connection with Tan (pictured above) from a corner kick in the 63rd minute was his second assist of the season. It was Long Tan’s first goal for the Rowdies since arriving on loan last week.
Indy’s goal was the result of a contentious free kick decision. Dane Richards took a shot on goal and went down from contact after the shot was off his foot. A free kick was awarded on the line of the 18-yard box. Erick Norales took the free kick, but it didn’t pass the wall. On the rebound, Frias tried a shot from about 28 yards out from goal that took at least one deflection before passing the wrong-footed Pickens (see above).
“In the past two or three weeks, I’ve seen some incredible decisions go against us,” Rowdies Head Coach Stuart Campbell said. “I’m gutted for the fans and the players because they gave me everything I asked for and we created chances but just couldn’t convert them. You look to take a 1-nil victory and move forward, but you get a decision like that. We got through the danger, but the guy hits a speculative shot and a deflection sends the keeper the other way.”
Tampa Bay pushed for a winner in the closing minutes, but was unable to score a second goal.
Up next, the Rowdies travel to play Minnesota United FC on Saturday night in another crucial night in the race for the playoffs. Tampa Bay then returns home to host league-leading Ottawa Fury FC on Saturday, October 10.
Lineups
Tampa Bay XI (4-4-2): GK Matt Pickens; D Darnell King, Tamika Mkandawire (c), Stefan Antonijevic, Rich Balchan; M Freddy Adu, Juan Guerra, Richard Menjivar, Brian Shriver (Corey Hertzog 60′); F Long Tan, Georgi Hristov
Indy XI (4-4-2): GK Keith Cardona; D Marco Franco, Cory Miller, Erick Norales (c), Jaime Frias (Dragan Stojkov 70′); M Don Smart, Sergio Peña (Daniel Keller 85′), Zach Steinberger, Duke Lacroix; F Dylan Mares, Brian Brown (Dane Richards 63′)
More photos at www.FloridaLeisurePhotography.com
