Tampa Bay Sun Weekly – Draw vs FTL
Date: Friday November 6, 2026
Result: Fort Lauderdale 0-0 Tampa Bay
Records: Tampa Bay Sun (10 pts 2W-4D-5L); Fort Lauderdale United FC (8 pts 2W-2D-8L)
Standings: The Sun are 7th in the USL Super League and FLOOTD are last in 8th.
With just four games left, the Sun were only able to go down to south Florida and get a draw – this despite a penalty in the last ten minutes. While not mathematically out – like Fort Lauderdale are – Tampa Bay are very close to that fate. Two seasons of missing the playoffs after winning the Championship really strikes to the core of where the team is right now. This is only their third season, sure; but, what’s gone wrong? Do they still have a shot to sneak in?
How did we fail to capitalize here?
Going into this one, everyone knew what was on the line. The Sun needed a result to keep things going. It was actually even more dire for Fort Lauderdale, who, as noted previously, were out of contention without a win. Don’t get it twisted, though: a victory was almost certainly necessary for the Sun to stay in the competition for a playoff spot at year’s end.
Defensively, it worked well enough. This shouldn’t be too surprising, as United have had a lot of trouble in the attacking part of the field. Cristina Roque ended up keeping her first clean sheet – and on her birthday no less. Congratulations should go out to her. Ahead of her, though, the team just did not do what was needed to get what it needed out of the game.
Attacking moments came at a premium for the visitors as well. A shot within the first fifteen seconds from Shea Connors was almost as close as they got in the first half, with the notable exception of a header off the bar. Another good play off a through ball in from Sydny Nasello was wasted from just outside the six yard box by Erika Zschuppe.
The second half went much the same, with Connors wasting an even better opportunity than Zschuppe had before halftime. If fans of the Blue and Gold were weary at this stage of the match, you couldn’t blame them. However, it would somehow get worse as things went on. Around the 80th minute, after a save from close range, Fort Lauderdale conceded a penalty.
The commentator noted that this moment offered the Sun a chance to push themselves finally toward the playoffs. The shot from Eleanor Dale came in and smacked off the post. The rebound fell to her unkindly, and she was not able to direct it past the hosts’ goalkeeper. Haley Craig gladly gathered for only her second clean sheet of the season.
The FLOOTD fans in attendance got to celebrate. The Sun fans at the match did not, despite taking over the stadium with their chanting. It would be a long drive back for them and their team, left to rue the multiple missed opportunities to get a desperately needed three points.
In press conferences – which are only held at home games – players and staff have emphasized the talent of this team. They have noted over and over that the skill is there, the players are there. They have not had many lucky breaks. And in sports, while you do make your own luck, you need it, too. If it doesn’t, your confidence dips, and frequently so do results.
But, there are fewer lucky breaks in soccer than a penalty with roughly ten minutes left. At a certain point, larger questions need to be asked. The Sun have now scored two goals in five games. Where have all the chances gone? If they were saving them for Fort Lauderdale, how did they end up leaving empty handed? Are there deeper issues than a bad run of form?
Player of the Game:
Liz: Christina Roque
JD: Christina Roque
Date: Friday November 6 at 7:30 pm at Beyond Bancard Field
Upcoming Game: Tampa Bay vs. Dallas
We need to win. Can we?
The last three games for the Sun in the regular (sprint) season are all at home. This is positive. What is not positive, of course, is what was just mentioned above: Tampa Bay cannot score. Even when they have had better games on the defensive side, which anyone watching would concede for some of the past month, you can’t win if you can’t score.
Three draws would not be enough to put the Sun in the playoffs. They currently sit on ten points, with fourth-place Dallas already on 15. As it happens, it is also Trinity who comes to town this weekend looking to jump up to 18 points and potentially leapfrog Sporting Jax, who will host DC this weekend. Nothing is assured; but, every point they earn helps their cause.
The hope last weekend was that Tampa Bay would currently be sitting on 12 points, have some momentum from a win over a local rival, and see if they could earn three more wins on the bounce. Likely or not, it was locals’ best hopes to see their side make the postseason. Now instead, they must contend with the idea that another season will pass them by.
Dallas appear to be a quintessential bubble team right now: they have two wins, two draws, and two losses in their last six games. Essentially, they have split results right down the middle. They were shut out in both losses, and they won away against Fort Lauderdale in September. Trinity have good players in many positions, and one name in particular that will scare the Sun faithful.
Jasmine Hamid currently leads the team with five goals. She was a long-time thorn in the side of Tampa Bay, previously playing for Fort Lauderdale. Maybe it should be less surprising FLOOTD are current cellar dwellers considering they’ve lost Hamid and a few other big name players along the way. Replacing your biggest threats seems to be an issue in most of Florida.
This will not be the easy day Tampa Bay’s defense will want. With the attack seemingly out to lunch, the old adage returns: when you don’t score, you invite the other team to do so. Nobody wants to give up on their club. Nobody wants to say (or write) negative things. But, truth be told, this is a tough time for women’s soccer fans in the Bay area.
If the Sun believe they have the skill, if they believe they have the talent and the capability of righting the ship, now is the time. A draw would put Tampa Bay on 11 and Dallas on 16. A loss would obviously put them too far ahead. No one wants to get to the point where we ask, “do we have the players for this league?” Fort Lauderdale has proved they don’t. What about us?
RBLR Score Predictions:
Lizzie: 1-0 L
JD: 1-0 W
Yurika: 1-1 D
James: 1-0 L
RBLR Score Predictions Standings:
Lizzie: 4
JD: 1
Yurika: 7
James: 4
