The Tampa Bay Rowdies bounced back from their first loss of the season last week with an impressive three-goal victory over their Coastal Cup rivals, the Jacksonville Armada.
The Armada — who had a good sized fan-base in attendance — never lied down though. They added a couple goals themselves and put on a barrage of on-mark shots to close the game, all of which were denied by the ice-veined substitute goalie, Matt Pickens, who not only had a string of three to five remarkably athletic and explosive saves to finish the match — all of which were on shots fired from close range, inside the box — but did so after riding the pine for the entire 90 minutes of regulation, having only come in for the injured Rowdies’ starting goalie Kamil Contofalsky, during stoppage time.
The scoring started off early, with a 12th minute penalty kick goal from Rowdies’ Brazilian forward, Maicon Santos, who plays big at 6’2” by using his body and strength to box out defenders who may have a step or two on him. Santos’ shot was straight, low, fast and to the right. It was his first goal of the season in only his second start for the Rowdies.
Jacksonville would strike-back nearly instantaneously. In the 14th minute the Armada were a warded a penalty kick of their own, which was fired by Marcos Flores, blocked by Contofalsky, but rebounded by Flores, who popped it in for the uncontested score, bringing the game to a 1-1 tie.
Jacksonville continued to dominate the half, keeping the ball in Rowdies’ territory for much of the first 45 minutes of play, which ultimately led to an impressive scoring-strike by Jemal Johnson in the 32nd minute, the Armada’s most active and talented forward. The shot bounced off the top of the cross bar before trickling in the net for the leading score.
After half though, the Rowdies came out with the steady surge of on-field energy that ultimately lead to the win.
In the 59th minute, midfielder Martin Nunez scored the equalizer off an impressively bent shot from just outside the box, bringing the score to 2-2.
“I was in the right place at the right time,” said Nunez after the game. “I was able to bend it the way I wanted and it went in […] We knew we could turn this game around.”
Star Rowdies forward Corey Hertzog — who wasn’t even on the pitch during the opening ceremonies — was then subbed in during the 69th minute of play. The momentum then almost instantaneously shifted even-more-so in favor of the Rowdies. Hertzog’s speed and fresh legs led to some much needed 50/50 ball victories. And by the 77th minute, the Rowdies had regained the lead.
The goal came from Santos again, but this time on a header from a cross by Bulgarian midfielder Georgi Hristov.
“He was the only one there,” said Georgi — who rocks his first name on the back of his jersey, instead of his last. “I tried to hit him exactly [right]. I was a little bit lucky, but I did exactly what I wanted to do.”
“It was beautiful,” said Santos of the game winning play. “I saw the cross coming. We practice it every day, so we saw each other, and I read him and it was perfect.”
With the three goal victory, the Rowdies brought their record to 2-1-1 and jumped three spots in the NASL standings, to number two, only trailing the New York Cosmos. They’ll return home on May 16 to take on their long-time rival, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
Scoring Summary
Tampa Bay: Maicon Santos – 12th minute (Penalty Kick)
Jacksonville: Marcos Flores – 14th minute
Jacksonville: Jemal Johnson – 32nd minute
Tampa Bay: Martin Nuñez – 59th minute
Tampa Bay: Maicon Santos – 77th minute (Assisted by Georgi Hristov)
Photos courtesy of Sydney Mayner.
