Home Win vs. Dallas Review
Date: Sunday May 4, 2025
Result: Tampa Bay 1-0 Dallas
Records: Tampa Bay Sun (39 pts 10W-9D-6L); Dallas Trinity FC (40 pts 11W-7D-7L)
Standings: The Sun stayed 3rd in the table.
With their backs against the wall, the Tampa Bay Sun stood tall and resisted everything Dallas could throw at them. A costly red card (the first in Super League history) could have impacts in the future. But, for now, there’s nothing to take away from this game other than celebration. From this fan’s perspective, my only request is that we never win that way again. I don’t know if my heart can take it!
Just how did we do that?!
The scoreline in this game is perfectly fine. A 1-0 win is just as many points as a 3-0 win or a 5-4 win. But, there was so much more to this story. The Sun’s greatest challenge throughout 2025 has been on the defensive side, keeping clean sheets that win games. Despite that, and despite going down a player, they managed a shutout in this crucial fixture against Trinity.
Tampa Bay started rather brightly. The game was delayed almost 24 hours after Dallas got stuck in their home state due to weather. (No such dispensation for the Sun last weekend on their way to Washington!) This seemingly didn’t mean much, as Hannah Keane had a few early chances, one of which she made entirely on her own and finished emphatically to go up 1-0.
Keane’s brilliant work would be undercut significantly only ten minutes later, though. Team captain Jordyn Listro could feel hard done by. Her manager Denise Schilte-Brown stated after the game she didn’t agree with the decision. However, a more cautious approach would be: don’t give a ref the chance to make that call. Easier said than done, of course, in the spur of the moment.
Listro received her marching orders for a high boot – getting the first red card ever in the league. That meant for more than 60 minutes, Tampa Bay would have to sit back and think defensively first. Any potential action has to be weighed against the chances that the necessary players won’t be back in time to make a play should Dallas get the ball in a bad area.
This is where the experience of a Jade Moore should really come in handy. Over the course of her career, she’s seen all sorts of situations. She was able to marshal the midfield properly until her exit around the 65th minute, which also saw new signing Gabby Provenzano come on to replace Moore. The latter had only joined her new team this past week, experiencing high pressure immediately off the bench.
A bad night could have been made worse when Carlee Giammona was the first player to go down with concussive symptoms. After having made all five allowed substitutions, the Sun were given another to handle the potential head injury, and Ashley Clark stepped onto the field. Tori Haugen had a similar problem in stoppage time; although, she was deemed fit to continue.
With Haugen stepping off the field, Tampa Bay were down to nine players on the field for a spell. Given this, it’s all the more remarkable that Sydney Schneider and her backline were able to hold on for the full 90 minutes. While Dallas haven’t been in the best form lately, they’re certainly no slouches. Even with these three points, the Sun are still one behind them in the table.
To say the last few weeks have felt different is almost understating it. For the first two months since the winter break, Tampa Bay have had to deal with a crazy number of draws in addition to normal things like an ACL tear, bad travel, and an extra game thrown into their schedule. Now, it all seems to be coming together in perfect order, and not a moment too soon!
Player of the Game:
Liz: Sydney Schneider
Tom: Sydney Schneider
RBLR Score Predictions Standings:
Lizzie: 21
Tom: 13
Yurika: 14
James: 13
