Rowdies Fall 2-1 in Conference Semifinal

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USL Tampa Bay Rowdies

Rowdies Fall 2-1 in Conference Semifinal

November 10, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release


CHARLESTON, SC - The Tampa Bay Rowdies 2024 season came to an end on Sunday as they fell 2-1 in their Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup against Charleston Battery at Patriots Point Soccer Complex. Tampa Bay was first on the scoresheet in the match, but two concessions in the second half ultimately downed them.

"We're obviously disappointed with the outcome and the final result," said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. "I thought we didn't really implement the way we wanted to play in the game, but I thought we defended well. We shut a lot of their options off. We got the opening goal and had an opportunity to make it two but couldn't convert. I thought over the course of the game we never really created enough to dominate.

The Rowdies broke open the scoring at the half-hour mark. Tampa Bay's go-ahead goal started from the back as keeper Jordan Farr launched a long ball from his box to Midfielder Leo Fernandes, who headed the ball forward into Charleston's defensive end. Forward Cal Jennings won the ball off a defender and slipped a pass to his left for Manuel Arteaga. The Rowdies veteran attacker took his time lining up a perfectly placed low strike into the bottom left corner for his team-leading 18th goal of the year.

Charleston responded with a flurry of scoring chances immediately following Arteaga's opening strike. Farr, who finished the match with eight saves, and his defense were up to the task. Farr first thwarted a point-blank header from Nick Markanich at the near post. Farr then produced another stellar save on the ensuing corner kick when he swatted a powerful blast from Jackson Conway off the line.

Tampa Bay's goal was under attack once again from a corner kick opportunity in the 36th minute. However, this time midfielder Danny Crisostomo made a pivotal header off the goal line to deny Markanich. Moments later, defender Jordan Doherty made another clutch header to clear the ball off Tampa Bay's line and keep the lead intact.

Jennings looked to double Tampa Bay's advantage in the dying moments of the opening half when we broke through Charleston's defensive line for a one-on-one opportunity against keeper Adam Grinwis. Jennings guided his attempt on frame, but Grinwis made the stop from the center of his box.

"We knew we were going to have to sit and defend a lot because [Charleston] are a good attacking team," said Neilson. "We wanted to be better in the transition because we know if you can connect in transition when you play Charleston, then you can go and break them. But we just weren't secure enough with our first pass a lot of the time. That was probably the downfall for us."

Charleston finally broke through five minutes into the second half. From deep in Tampa Bay's corner on the left flank, Charleston's Chris Allan curled a cross in just over the head of two Rowdies defenders for Nick Markanich to head across the line.

The hosts kept up the pressure, with the Rowdies able to hold them at bay until the 83rd minute. Charleston Midfielder Aaron Molloy put his side out in front with a deft free kick from the edge of the box placed into the top right corner of the goal.

"It's been such a tough stretch of over ten games now away from our home stadium," said Neilson. "At times we've overcome that and done really well. It's been tough losing our stadium this season, and a lot of people in Tampa Bay have had an even tougher time through the hurricanes. All we can ask is that the boys work hard and give it all. The boys did that. Now we need to go recharge and regroup for the next year."

Scoring Summary

TBR - Arteaga (Jennings), 30'

CHS - Markanich (Allan), 50'

CHS - Molloy, 83'

Caution Summary

CHS - Torres, Yellow Card, 9'

CHS - Smith, Yellow Card, 29'

TBR - Guillen, Yellow Card, 38'

CHS - Segbers, Yellow Card, 45+4'

TBR - Jennings, Yellow Card, 45+6'

CHS - Chapman, Yellow Card, 48'

TBR - Arteaga, Yellow Card, 51'

Lineups

Rowdies: Farr, Doherty, Kleemann, Guillen, Moon (Niyongabire, 77'), Hilton (Worth, 69'), Crisostomo, Bodily (Munjoma, 90+2 ‚¬Â²), Fernandes (Perez, 63'), Jennings (Rivera, 77'), Arteaga

Rowdies Bench: Breno, Munjoma, Niyongabire, Worth, Bender, Perez, Rivera

Charleston: Grinwis, Segbers, Smith, Dossantos, Allan, Molloy, Chapman (Ycaza, 57'), Markanich (Crawford, 90+2')), Rodriguez, Torres (Biek, 85'), Conway (Myers, 57')

Charleston Bench: Kuzemka, Drack, Crawford, Biek, Ycaza, Myers, Saydee

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