ROWDIES FALL 1-0 IN OAKLAND

The Tampa Bay Rowdies saw their three-match winning streak halted by Oakland Roots SC on Saturday night at Pioneer Stadium. A 72nd-minute goal from Noah Cedeño was enough for Oakland to ride out a 1-0 result over the Rowdies.

“I thought we were poor tonight,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “After a brilliant performance last week, we just didn’t get to the levels that we need to get. A few opportunities, but the game just became really scrappy and, to [Oakland’s] credit, they nullified us quite a bit, which was a disappointing part.

Tampa Bay had the two best looks at goal in the opening half. In the 18th minute, wingback Pacifique Niyongabire lifted a cross from the right flank to set up forward Manuel Arteaga for a diving header. Arteaga’s attempt was on its way into the top left corner of the goal until keeper Timothy Siyel parried it away. Forward Cal Jennings registered Tampa Bay’s other shot on target of the first half moments before the halftime whistle, collecting a long ball and streaking forward before launching a left-footed strike into the arms of Siyel.

In the 57th minute, the Rowdies were hard done by a missed handball call in Oakland’s box. An attempted cross by Arteaga hit the right arm of Oakland captain Neveal Hackshaw in plain view of center referee Elijio Arreguin a few yards away. No whistle came though and the Rowdies were left to continue searching for a way into Oakland’s goal.

Five minutes after the missed handball, Rowdies keeper Jordan Farr was called on to make a clutch stop to keep the match level. Following a foul by Arteaga just outside Tampa Bay’s box, Cedeño sent a curling free kick toward the top corner, but Farr was up to the task with a diving save.

In the 71st minute, Tampa Bay’s Eddie Munjoma chipped a cross into the center of the box looking for Arteaga. The Rowdies forward was in the area, but Siyel managed to get to the service first to disrupt the chance. Siyel was unable to hold the ball, though, allowing the rebound to fall for Jennings, who sent an off-balance effort over the bar.

“We looked off it. [Oakland] were first to every ball, those 50-50s we weren’t winning," said Neilson. "Last week we were winning all of them. I think that swings momentum within the game, you know. We just weren’t at it, which is really disappointing because we’ve been here all week. The reason we came out last week and stayed was to prepare ourselves for both games. We got a great result last week and then we didn’t perform today, which is the most disappointing thing.”

Just one minute after Jennings’ missed opportunity, Oakland found their winner. With space down the right wing, Guillermo Diaz delivered a cross in for Cedeño to head across the line.

“We just didn’t track the runner,” said Neilson. “We worked on it most of the night and then we don’t track the right back and he gets time to deliver it. If you do that, you’ll lose games.”

After conceding, the Rowdies struggled to create many scoring chances. Jennings came close to breaking through in the 75th minute when he slipped through the back line, but Siyel did well to rush off his line and snuff out the attack before Jennings could get a quality shot off. That was the closest the Rowdies looked to equalizing the rest of the night. Oakland aimed to double the lead from the penalty spot deep in stoppage time after Tampa Bay’s Danny Crisostomo was whistled for a foul in the box, but substitute Baboucarr Njie fired his attempt into the crossbar.

“For us tonight it’s about figuring out ways to win on these types of [artificial ] surfaces where you can’t really play football at all,” said Neilson. “It’s more about, I would say percentage football. Get it forward, try and get deliveries in the box and see what happens. Back at Al Lang next week will be a different game.”

Next up, the Rowdies return home to Al Lang Stadium for a matchup with first-place Louisville City FC, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
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