The Rowdies finished the match with six goals from five different players.
Courtesy of Max Steele | The Crow’s Nest
By Max Steele
The Tampa Bay Rowdies defeated the University of South Florida’s men’s soccer team 6-2 in a spring exhibition match on Feb. 23 at Corbett Soccer Stadium. While the Bulls were able to score twice against the 2020 United Soccer League (USLC) champions, the Rowdies ultimately proved their professional-level dominance over the young college team.
In the 20th minute, Rowdies’ midfielder and captain Leo Fernandes put his team on the scoreboard first with a right-footed strike from inside the box that deflected past USF’s goalkeeper, Jackson Weyman.
The Bulls responded quickly with a goal of their own, equalizing the score with an aerial volley from left winger Josh Gomina in the 29th minute, proving they wouldn’t go down without a fight.
A late USF foul in the box allowed Fernandes to score his second goal of the night with a penalty kick in the 37th minute, putting the Rowdies up 2-1 just minutes before halftime.
Shortly after the break, the Rowdies poured on two more goals to increase their lead to 4-1 with goals from midfielders Jake Areman and Dayonn Harris in the 50th and 54th minute respectively.
Following substitutions on both sides, the Rowdies notched their fifth goal of the night after a corner kick sequence that eventually found the head of midfielder Sebastian Dalgaard.
The Bulls found a spark of life in the final minutes with a goal from midfielder Chris Lee, but only to be snuffed out shortly after by another Rowdies’ score – this time from forward Lucky Mkosana – to wrap up the match.
After the final whistle, the two teams embraced and expressed their gratitude to play against one another, as the experience was mutually beneficial for both sides.
“It’s a great learning experience to play against a professional team,” USF defender Sergio Pineros-Mayorga told the Crow’s Nest. “It’s a faster speed of play and the players are much bigger, so it was challenging.”
“There was definitely a difference in skill compared to college teams we’ve faced,” Bulls center back Nicolas Scargle said. “They were very technical and organized, had great field awareness and were quick and clean on the ball. They’re a top team in their league and we were expecting some next level soccer.”
When asked about the Bulls team, Rowdies’ head coach Neill Collins said they played a vital role in preparing his team for the upcoming season, according to a video released on the team’s Twitter page.
“We pick good opposition who have given us challenges in the past,” Collins said, referring to the 1-1 draw between the teams back in 2020. “We have to be at our best.”
