Tampa Bay Sun Weekly: 2-1 W vs FTL, DAL Up Next
Date: Saturday May 2, 2026
Result: Fort Lauderdale 1-2 Tampa Bay
Records: Tampa Bay Sun (24 pts 5W-9D-12L); Fort Lauderdale United FC (23 pts 5W-8D-13L)
Standings: The Sun are 8th in the USL Super League and FLOOTD are last in 9th.
Although the Sun are out of the playoffs, getting a good win over your rival is always welcome. Tampa Bay has never lost to Fort Lauderdale – including in preseason friendlies – and that record is not in danger any time soon. With pride on the line, the team returns home for their final home match of this season. Dallas have a playoff place on the line, so they aren’t likely to roll over. Can the Blue and Gold send their fans off with one more victory?
Can’t we just keep playing Fort L?
On a night when the pitch looked difficult to handle, the Sun stood tall over their first in-state rivals. Both of these teams, for better and worse, have had rough campaigns. With two games left for each, bragging rights were more than a little meaningful here: it had the potential to determine who would finish worst overall this season, an honor everyone would like to avoid.
Fort Lauderdale have gone through coaching changes as well as hits to their roster, recently selling Jasmine Hamid to Dallas. (Dallas, incidentally, will play first Tampa Bay and then Fort Lauderdale to end their own season.) Tampa Bay had good reason to think they could get the result here: in addition to these personnel losses, FLOOTD have never beat the Blue and Gold.
So, despite the soaked surface, set about trying to get another three points. Another change in net accompanied Carlee Giammona’s return to the starting lineup. She was where she had last year to such good effect in front of Jordyn Listro, who was partnered with Anna Heilferty. Recent signing Shea Connors also started up top after getting a goal the week before against Carolina.
The biggest threat the visitors posed actually came from a couple of longer ranger shots by Giammona. She also contributed in the buildup to a couple of good chances for her striker, springing on opportunities when Fort Lauderdale gave the ball away or missed a long clearance from the Tampa Bay defense. However, it was Sydny Nasello who earned the first major chance.
On a play that started from a goal kick, the Sun got the ball up the field in only three passes before finding their most dangerous player in the opposition box. Nasello, turning away from the United’s goal, was tripped and earned a penalty, which Faith Webber dutifully put away. That wouldn’t be the end, though, as Giammona got her just dessert ten minutes later.
Going down the left, the Sun found Heilferty, whose cut back into the box was not cleared – yet again. Giammona stepped up and found the corner first time. With the hosts rarely getting into similar positions, especially in the second half, the game looked done and dusted. Unfortunately, a late penalty given away by Taylor Chism allowed FLOOTD a consolation goal.
This performance was positive. It should change much about how fans remember the season. Yes, maintaining a record over your closest rival is good for the history books. However, they are quite literally the Sun’s closest rival right now specifically because they are both under 30 points on the season – the only team other than Brooklyn under this bar.
Including a preseason game before the inaugural 2024-25 season, these teams have played each other nine times. There have been four draws, including that preseason game, and five wins. All were in favor of the Sun. When this derby game is many years old, has numerous chapters written and even more standout moments, we’ll hope it still looks so one-sided.
Date: Saturday April 25 at 7:30 pm
Upcoming Game: Tampa Bay vs. Dallas
How do we beat Dallas?
For the Sun’s last home game of the season, they will host Dallas, currently in a playoff position and looking to keep it that way. Both DC and Spokane are hot on their tails, only trailing by one point. Any slip would, therefore, be extremely costly to Trinity. They’ll have that in mind when they come down to Florida before going back home to take on FLOOTD from the Cotton Bowl.
Despite mixed form, Dallas will surely have the upper hand here. They have an established playing style, which was just augmented by the signing of Hamid, as mentioned above. She’s yet to get off the mark for her new club; but, don’t be fooled. She’s as good a player as she was before, and her wide play has caused the Sun fits in the past.
With Lexi Missimo likely to start in the #10 role and Chioma Ubogagu likely on the right, the Texans have a potent attack. They’ve also had trouble putting it together recently, getting shut out on the road to Brooklyn and at home vs. Carolina. There is the natural caveat that the Sun haven’t had a shut out since March, and only have two all year.
Assuming Hamid and Ubogagu line up on the wings, the home side’s defense will need to adapt to handle things. Sabrina McNeill has spent a lot of time in recent games getting forward. This might help pin Dallas’ wide players back. However, they will also play with a natural fullback, meaning there may already be cover for the space where McNeill would want to attack.
The right side for the Sun has been a work in progress. Viv Bessette has played there, Taylor Chism has earned some of those minutes, and Dori Haugen got the start last week. Manager Denise Schilte-Brown will have to determine who is most likely to keep these dangerous wingers quiet. She at least has a lot of experience handling Hamid at this point.
Up top, the Sun have looked a little better, too. Giammona’s most recent play was more than decent, while multiple signings have added to the striker corps. Connors and Webber have both opened their accounts, and the latter has tallied at regular intervals so far. Dallas have similarly struggled for clean sheets, not earning one since March 8th, somehow an even longer period.
Even if the stakes are low for the Blue and Gold, this should be a good game to attend. Beyond the end-of-season giveaways for freebies, the team still could play spoiler. There is the added element of rivalry for the one player most familiar to Sun fans on the Dallas roster. Keeping her off the scoresheet entirely would be a huge feather in the defense’s cap after a rough year.
RBLR Score Predictions:
Liz: 1-1 D
JD: 2-2 D
Yurika: 1-1 D
James: 0-0 D
RBLR Score Predictions Standings:
Liz: 9
JD: 4
Yurika: 5
James: 15
