Entering last Saturday’s match with the Atlanta Silverbacks, Tampa Bay Rowdies goalkeeper Andrew Fontein had not allowed a goal this season. Not a bad start, considering the first two games of the spring season were also the first of his career.
Fontein’s shutout streak lasted for 202 minutes before Atlanta’s Rubén Luna tied Saturday’s match 1-1. Nothing lasts forever and Fontein could be happy with two clean sheets and a one-goal game in his first three career starts, but then came the second half.
After dominating the first half and taking a commanding 3-1 lead over the Silverbacks, the Rowdies allowed three unanswered goals in the second half and lost for the first time this season, 4-3.
Head coach Ricky Hill wasn’t happy with the full 90-minute effort. He criticized his defense for their spacing which allowed Atlanta’s forwards to advance the ball down field and create scoring opportunities. Hill didn’t put the entire blame on Fontein, but said there were a couple goals he wished he could have back.
He pointed to the second and third goals, in particular, as goals that shouldn’t have happened. He chalked it up to inexperience on the part of his goalkeeper.
Hill had a hard time putting the blame for the other two goals on Fontein. He said that both goals were the result of poor defense and required Fontein to make big saves. The defense has to play well in front of the goalie he said.
On Atlanta’s second goal Fontein moved forward from the goal line allowing Pedro Mendes to volley the ball over his head and into the net.
Fontein made a more tragic error on the third Atlanta goal scored by Luna, his second of the night. Fontein attempted to clear the ball as it came towards him, but instead, he collided with Rowdies’ defender Jay Needham, allowing Mendes to tap the ball past the keeper.
Entering the season, the goalie position was a question mark for the Rowdies. The unproven Fontein was stepping in to replace departed NASL Best XI goalkeeper Jeff Attinella who signed with Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake during the offseason. The two clean sheets in the first two weeks were a confidence builder for Fontein and Hill.
But Saturday’s performance was a setback for Fontein. However, Hill likes to point out that Attinella was in a similar position two years ago; no experience and a lot to prove.
Mike Hopey is the Managing Editor of The Crow’s Nest. He can be reached at hopey@mail.usf.edu.
Photo by Thomas Boyd.
