Rowdies Cruise Past Phoenix Rising FC After Electric First Half
Recap:
A three-goal first half from Tampa Bay sees them go seven points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference table, beating Phoenix Rising FC 3-0.
The Rowdies were hunting goals from the very start of the match. With just over a minute into the game, they got their first.
A throw-in deep in the Phoenix Rising defensive half was thrown to Marco Micaletto, who played the ball back to the thrower, Brian Schaefer. Schaefer then chipped the ball to MD Myers. Myers then set up Pedro Dolabella with a lovely pullback cross on the six-yard box, who smashed the ball into the net, near-post with 1:13 on the clock.
The play was beautifully worked, and the link-up play between Pedro and MD was next-level.
The goal also showed great composure from Pedro, who didn’t overdo the shot. He went for placement over power, and gave the Green and Gold an early lead.
In the 25th minute, Phoenix striker Ihsan Sacko got a free kick in a dangerous area. Sacko’s effort blazed over the bar. A close effort, but not enough to get the equalizer for Rising.
A couple minutes later, a nice pass into open space from Charlie Ostrem found MD Myers. Myers collected the ball, did a skill move, and buried the shot. The Rowdies were up 2-0 inside 30 minutes.
The run from MD Myers was truly magical as his skill move sent a Phoenix defender back to Arizona. He was also not phased by the rushing Rising goalie, and calmly fired the ball right past him.
A great assist from Ostrem, but it was truly a magical finish from Myers. I will be watching this goal’s replay for a while. A truly great finish from Myers.
The Rowdies weren’t done yet, as Frenchman Louis Perez collected his third goal in three games.
Given a lot of space in the Phoenix eighteen-yard box, Perez’s left-footed effort rifled off the crossbar, and in for the Rowdies’ third goal in just over thirty minutes.
Given way too much space for how lethal Perez can be from range, he bagged a quality goal.
Perez has been in such good form recently for the Rowdies, scoring in three games in a row.
After a long six-minute added time due to an Austin Pack injury after the Sacko free kick, the Rowdies went into the half 3-0 up.
As the second half progressed, Rising increased their attacking output. This required Austin Pack to jump into service multiple times.
The best attempt came from Phoenix’s Hope Avayevu. He was found in open space just outside the eighteen-yard box. The effort curled around the Rowdies defenders attempting to block, and was heading towards the bottom right of the goal. Pack was quick to react, and punched the ball away, denying Avayevu.
While I have been hyper-critical in the Rowdies struggling to close down space in the past, this was not one of those moments. Laurence Wyke was jumping in front of the ball, and Lewis Hilton was positioned well on the edge of the eighteen-yard box. It was a very well placed shot from Avayevu.
The last Rowdies chance of the game came from MLS’ LA Galaxy loanee Gino Vivi. Vivi was played through by Evan Conway into open space. Vivi slightly rushed the effort, which ultimately bounced off the crossbar and back into play.
Vivi was unlucky to get his first goal as a Rowdie, however, it was a great pass from Conway, and a good attempt from Vivi. I am very happy to see that even the players who don’t get much playing time still seem to be on the same page.
Keeping Up With The (B)east:
The first game that needs to be covered is Miami FC vs Louisville City FC.
Jürgen Locadia continued decent form for Miami FC, scoring a hat-trick against the defending Player’s Shield holders.
Locadia had secured his brace before the 30th minute. Louisville City pulled one back before the half with a header from Chris Donovan. The placement of the cross from Ray Serrano was perfect, and cut the lead in half for the visitors.
Miami FC regained their two goal advantage after an own goal from Lou City’s Kyle Adams. Miami FC’s Brandon Brant had his cross redirected on target, flat-footing Louisville’s goalkeeper Hugo Fauroux in the process.
Miami FC goalkeeper Eloy Room denied a power header from Chris Donovan from close range. A fantastic stop from Room, stopping Louisville from getting back into the game.
Louisville City eventually got their second goal of the night, with Tuni Showunmi redirecting a Taylor Davila cross into the net.
A minute later, a horrific backline pass from Kyle Adams was intercepted by Jürgen Locadia, who rounded Fauroux and secured his hat-trick for the night. An instant response from Miami FC re-secured their two-goal cushion with less than ten minutes to play.
With two minutes to go in regular time, Louisville pulled one back thanks to a Chris Donovan header from a corner kick. The header was too high for Room to reach, but just low enough to skate under the bar.
Despite the late chances, Louisville was unable to find that final goal to salvage a point in Miami. This also meant that Louisville lost their third league game in a row.
The other important game for Rowdies fans was the eventful 0-0 slugfest between Detroit City and Loudoun United.
The best chance from Detroit City’s Rhys Williams. A nice cross in from Tommy Silva set up Williams right at the six-yard box for a header. The shot was on target, and required a quick save from former Rowdie Ethan Bandré.
Marcos Dias had a great chance for Loudoun, finding himself in a 1v1 vs the Detroit keeper. However, the finish lacked the required composure to score.
With those two big results, the Rowdies move seven points clear at the top. Tampa Bay sits at the top of the table with 24 points. Detroit City sits in 2nd place with 17 points. Lou City FC and Miami FC are tied with 16 points. 5th place Indy Eleven has 15 points, and Charleston Battery, Hartford Athletic, and Pittsburgh all have 13 points. 9th place Rhode Island FC has 12 points, 10th place Birmingham has 10 points, and Loudoun has 9 points in 11th. 12th place Brooklyn has 7 points, and finally Sporting Jax remains in 13th with 1 point.
The Bigger Picture:
The Good: Honestly, there were a lot of good things in the game. The attack wasted no time, with Dolabella getting a goal within the first two minutes of the match.
As an athlete, you always talk about “setting the tone” for the match. This can mean anything: a good tackle, a great chance. In this instance, it was a quick, well-worked team goal.
In addition to this great offensive performance, the defense had another stellar performance getting their eighth clean sheet of the 2026 season.
However, the part that really stood out to me was the heart of the team. The team was pressing relentlessly. I said to someone next to me in the stands, “they’re up 3-0, but they are pressing like they are down one.”
I think this highlights the mentality of the team. They aren’t just playing for a paycheck, they are playing to win trophies.
The Bad: I think the Rowdies played really good.
The thing that I think the Rowdies struggled with was giving away fouls in dangerous positions. A player like Ihsan Sacko can be lethal, and giving away free kicks in dangerous areas will eventually result in goals.
In fact, we have seen it result in goals. The first goal the Rowdies conceded in the 2026 season was a free kick against Loudoun United.
Final Thoughts: The team did all you can ask for. They went out and dominated.
I think it is very important to highlight Austin Pack in this game. When relied on later in the game, he was there. Collecting stray balls and parrying shots, but most importantly, he kept Phoenix from scoring.
If the Rowdies want to collect three points against Louisville City, they’ll need to be at their best.
Coming Up/Match Prediction:
The Rowdies travel to Kentucky to face Louisville City FC at Lynn Family Stadium. This is a game I have had circled on my calendar since the Pittsburgh game.
Since Danny Cruz departed for the MLS, it looks like we are watching a different Louisville City. They have struggled in games, and look far different than the regular season juggernauts we know Lou City as.
Louisville are currently on a three-game losing streak in the league. Those losses were to Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Miami. In the USL Cup, they beat Union Omaha 5-1.
No matter their form, Louisville’s attack on paper is very dangerous. Tuni Showunmi was very dangerous in the US Open Cup and Ray Serrano always seems to play well against the Rowdies. Chris Donovan is also coming off a brace against Miami FC in their most recent game.
Personally, I think Jansen Wilson is the player the Rowdies need to watch out for. Jansen has 6 goal contributions in 10 USL Championship games.
However, with the Rowdies having the least amount of goal conceded in the league, I feel very confident in the defense.
I am going for a 1-0 win for the Rowdies.
