Tampa Bay Sun Weekly – L vs CAR, LEX Up Next
Date: Saturday October 10, 2026
Result: Tampa Bay 0-3 Carolina
Records: Tampa Bay Sun (9 pts 2W-3D-2L); Carolina Ascent (19 pts 6W-1D-1L)
Standings: The Sun are 6th in the USL Super League and the Ascent are 7th.
Playing the best team in the league seemingly did not come at the right time for the Sun. After promising displays in which they showed there might be something more to come, the visitors overwhelmed their hosts, making a statement of intent in the league. This weekend, Tampa Bay will travel to the club right above them in the table; although, the latter has a game in hand. Getting a win here, therefore, is crucial, and keeping this pace is nothing less than necessary.
Where did the game get away from us?
In the post-game press conference, split between players and manager Denise Schilte-Brown, a common theme was noted. First up were Kelsey Hill and Brooke Hendrix, two defenders heavily involved in the proceedings. Each of them mentioned that they went into this game with one thing in mind: do not give up a goal from set pieces.
Now, writing after the game, we can say: s*^% happens. This point was also put to DSB, speaking after her players had left the room, and she agreed. The weather this past week got in the way of all the training they intended to do, she said, cutting short the amount of time they had to work on set piece defending. This was not meant as an excuse, though.
The fact of the matter is that you can prepare all you want to defend set pieces. Sometimes, it just won’t go your way. The truly devastating part isn’t that they gave up the goals. Another point of agreement between players and coach is that they had basically not given up any other big chances to Carolina up until that point. It’s a cruel sport, as they say.
The Ascent had put the ball in the net, only to find their striker was in an offside position. But, there was always going to be a chance. They got their first good look from what else but a set piece. Opposition defender Jenna Butler, who stands out on the field for her height, headed the ball back across goal. The first shot was saved; but, no defender was prepared for the rebound.
Hendrix described this as a gut punch, because they had expected Carolina to threaten from exactly this position. If that’s how the team felt after the first goal, the second one must’ve been even worse. After the Sun cleared a corner, the visitors gathered on their own left side, close to where it had just been taken. The ball in was uncontested, and the Ascent had their second.
This goal in particular was very frustrating. On the first one, you can give Tampa Bay the benefit of the doubt. The deflections and bounces didn’t fall their way. With the second, it was much more about a slow reaction to events. Mia Corbin’s ball into the box wasn’t the most dangerous one of her career. It just happened to fall into a very dangerous area, even if it got there slowly.
The third goal came late on from former Sunny Riley Parker. You could use the phrase “gut punch” again; but, the damage was obviously already done. The issue at the time of the third goal was a lack of attacking impetus from the host side instead. After giving up the two they did before halftime, Tampa Bay never looked like getting back into it in the second 45.
The attacking phases of play haven’t necessarily been the issue for the Sun in this sprint season. The team and their fans alike knew that playing Carolina would be different. If they dug themselves into a hole, getting out of it was going to be more difficult than usual – and so it proved. That’s the difference between the top sides and the middle of the pack – always.
Date: Saturday October 17 at 7:00 pm at Lexington SC Stadium
Upcoming Game: Lexington vs. Tampa Bay
What’s on the line here?
After a tough loss, Tampa Bay go on the road looking to put themselves back in the playoff convo. Like always, it will be a big test. After playing Lexington only a few weeks ago, getting a disappointing draw at home, the team needs a good result. With only 14 games in this sprint season, and seven already played, the time to put the necessary points on the board is slipping away.
That 1-1 result from October 4th was characterized by a lack of execution in the final third. The Sun created the chances with which they could have won the game. However, with only Shea Connors getting on the scoresheet, the leveling goal from Addie McCain earned the visitors a point of their own. The reserve fixture now looms with worse circumstances.
Lexington sit a comfortable one point ahead of Tampa Bay. It’s only so comfortable because they happen to have a game in hand. While every match is important in a shortened season, it’s still feasible to say this one isn’t so do-or-die for Lex. With the added benefit of playing at home, it could be argued all the pressure in this one is on the Sun.
Tampa Bay haven’t won in three games. They drew away to DC (another game they might have won), drew with Lexington as noted above, and then lost this past weekend. All told, they’ve conceded five while only scoring two. It doesn’t take a football-rocket scientist to tell you that those numbers should be the opposite if you want success.
Where the Sun have been defensively poor of late is in defending set pieces. Lexington do not have the record of Carolina in terms of set piece goals; however, they will know these are big chances to take the lead. Getting their lineup and preparation right is important for the Sun. They need to have the pieces in play to prevent set pieces from turning into high xG chances.
On the other side of things, they also need to get the offense back on track. Connors has five goals, including one each against DC and Lexington. The obvious question then is: who else is getting goals for Tampa Bay? Tori Zierenberg has two, while another two players each have one. The chance creation for the Blue and Gold needs to increase.
Where do they get that? According to Hill and Hendrix in their post-Carolina loss presser, they have a lot of chances coming off the counter. This makes sense, as it is often noted as the most dangerous phase of the game. But, if the Sun aren’t forcing enough turnovers to lead to these dangerous counters, they need to look to build up from moments of possession as well.
This is certainly one area where Tampa Bay has struggled. Even getting enough players into the opposition half to have sufficient numbers to maintain possession is a challenge at times. You could certainly never say that for, say, the Ascent this past weekend. If the Sun don’t sort out their chance creation issues, they may see the gap between them and playoff places continue to grow.
RBLR Score Predictions:
Liz: 1-0 W
JD: 2-1 W
Yurika: 2-1 L
James: 2-2 D
RBLR Score Predictions Standings:
Liz: 4
JD: 1
Yurika: 7
James: 4
