Tampa Bay Rowdies

2012 US Open Cup Third Round: Colorado Rapids rush Tampa Bay Rowdies in return to the tournament

May 30, 2012 by J.T. Alwin

Jaime Castrillon congratulates Edu on his PK goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Photo: Mark May Photography/Tampa Bay Rowdies

The Colorado Rapids traveled to Tampa on Tuesday determined not to become one of what became many upsets of MLS teams, and fielded a full-strength side against the NASL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies. The tactic worked to full effect, and the Rapids came away with a 3-1 win in the Third Round of the Open Cup. Brazilian striker Edu and Andre Akpan put the game away early for Colorado, and Kamani Hill added some late insurance before Rowdies sub Matt Clare salvaged a goal late in stoppage time.

With the win, the Rapids pick up their first Open Cup victory since 2007, after failing to qualify for the tournament four years in a row before qualification was done away with this year. Colorado moves on to face Sporting Kansas City next Tuesday in the Fourth Round as they attempt to win back-to-back tournament games for the first time since 1999.

Tampa, playing a more aggressive 4-3-3 to the MLS side’s 4-4-2; missed an early opportunity to put the Rapids on their heels, as striker Luke Mullholland hit the crossbar two minutes in, and Colorado keeper Steward Ceus gobbled the ball up for the save. The Rowdies were forced on their heels shortly after, with keeper Jeff Attinella forced to defends shots by strikers Andre Akpan and Edu, and midfielders Hill and Wells Thompson. However, a Tampa Bay defender was called for a handball in the box at 17 minutes, and Attinella guessed wrong on Edu’s penalty kick.

The Rowdies picked up their game after the opening goal, with Mulholland and Daniel Antoniuk both forcing saves from Ceus. The Rapids counterattacked after Antoniuk’s miss, and Thompson slotted to Akpan, who put it inside the far post two double their lead. Tampa couldn’t capitalize on chances by Antoniuk and Mike Ambersley late in the half, and the score remained 2-0 to the away squad at the half.

The second half was much quieter, with neither team able to capitalize on their minutes. One particularly chippy stretch included three yellow cards in three minutes: two to Colorado (Thompson and Tyrone Marshall), with Tampa Bay’s Draymond Washington earning the other. Colorado solidified their defense late, stopping shots by Washington and sub Fafa Picault late. Akpan turned giver late, as Hill put away his pass a minute into stoppage time, and Clare took a pass from Mulholland past Ceus to round out the scoring a minute later.

Colorado will travel to Sporting Kansas City next week, as KC survived a 3-2 battle with USL Pro side Orlando City SC. They will meet at 7:30 PM Central time at Livestrong Sporting Park, with a place in the Quarterfinals at stake.

LINEUPS:
COL- Steward Ceus (GK); Hunter Freeman (Kosuke Kimura 72′), Tyrone Marshall, Scott Palguta, Luis Zapata; Wells Thompson, Harrison Henao (Joseph Nane 58′), Kamani Hill, Jaime Castrillon (Tony Cascio 67′); Andre Akpan, Edu
TB- Jeff Attinella (GK); Frankie Sanfilippo, Andres Arango, Takuya Yamada, Draymond Washington; Stuart Campbell, Shane Hill, Keith Savage (Fafa Picault 61′); Luke Mulholland, Mike Ambersley, Daniel Antoniuk (Matt Clare 72′)

SCORING:
COL- Edu (PK) 17′
COL- Andre Akpan (Wells Thompson) 33′
COL- Kamani Hill (Andre Akpan) 90+1′
TB- Matt Clare (Luke Mulholland) 90+2′

BOOKINGS:
TB- Daniel Antoniuk 19′ (yellow)
COL- Wells Thompson 55′ (yellow)
TB- Draymond Washington 56′ (yellow)
COL- Tyrone Marshall 57′ (yellow)
COL- Steward Ceus 90+2′ (yellow)

STATS:
Shots: COL- 13; TB- 13
Saves: COL- 6; TB- 6
Fouls: COL- 18; TB- 14
Corners: COL- 3; TB- 6
Offsides: COL- 2; TB- 5

2012 US Open Cup Second Round: Tampa Bay Rowdies score early, often, defeat Jacksonville United 3-0

May 23, 2012 by Tavio Palazzolo

web-TB-Lineup — Photo: Tampa Bay Rowdies

After an hour-long lightning delay, the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Jacksonville United FC kicked off in what was sure to be an exciting Floridian affair in the Second Round of the 2012 US Open Cup. However, the Rowdies made sure not to give Jacksonville the opportunity to pull off an upset, scoring early and often. Tampa Bay finished out winning the match 3-0.

The newly-rechristened Rowdies kicked off the match with a very early goal, as Mike Ambersley scored off a pass from Dan Antoniuk to give Tampa Bay the lead in just the second minute.

“It was a fantastic start with the early goal. After some nice work with Dizzy (Daniel Antoniuk),” said Tampa Bay manager Ricky Hill. “Mike Ambersley tucked it away expertly in the bottom corner. Like I have said before, these games are not easy. Everyone expects you to win but you have to earn the right to win. We were happy to get that first goal.”

Even after that first goal, the Rowdies did not let up. A shot by Matt Clare in the 13th minute sailed wide, while Stuart Campbell’s attempt in the 16th minute went over the crossbar. Their efforts would pay off again, though, in the 19th minute. Ambersley attempted a hard shot, which was saved by Jacksonville goalkeeper Stuart McCrory. He couldn’t hold onto it, though, and Antoniuk was in the right place, putting home the rebound to give the Rowdies the 2-0 lead.

“We had struggled with our consistency after the first goal. But it was a hard shot by Mike that the keeper could only deflect, and Daniel was there to put in the rebound,” said Hill.

Jacksonville United would see its best chance of the match in the 51st minute, as midfielder Tyler Williams hit the post. The Rowdies would get more chances to build on their lead in the second half, starting with a shot by Shane Hill in the 55th minute. The attempt was saved by McCrory, who pushed it out for an ultimately unsuccessful corner kick.

Tampa Bay wouldn’t quit, though, as substitute Keith Savage (who came in for Antoniuk just six minutes earlier) scored off an assist from Luke Mulholland to put the Rowdies up 3-0 in the 65th minute. Even with that comforting lead, it just wasn’t enough, as the Rowdies kept pressing for more. Hill, Mulholland, and Takuya Yamada all made attempts on frame that were directed wide.

With the win, the Rowdies move on to the Third Round of the US Open Cup, where they will host the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer on Tuesday, May 29, at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“We are delighted that we managed to come out with the victory tonight. All of the players and our fans will be excited to welcome Colorado to our home pitch next Tuesday,” Hill said after the game. “It will be a great occasion to test our skills and see where our level is compared to Major League Soccer. Our players are capable of playing with anyone at any given time, and that was proven last July in our victory over English Premier League side Bolton. We are looking forward to the challenge.”

Tampa Bay Rowdies 3:0 Jacksonville United FC

Patton Park, Jacksonville, FL

Goals:
Tampa Bay Rowdies: Mike Ambersley – 2nd minute (assisted by Daniel Antoniuk)
Tampa Bay Rowdies: Daniel Antoniuk – 19th minute
Tampa Bay Rowdies: Keith Savage – 65th minute (assisted by Luke Mulholland)

Cautions:
Jacksonville United: Hollis Donaldson – 51st minute

Lineups

Tampa Bay Rowdies
GK Jeff Attinella, D Frankie Sanfilippo (Captain), D Andres Arango, D Draymond Washington, D Takuya Yamada, M Stuart Campbell, M Shane Hill, M Luke Mulholland (Dan O’Brien 77′), F Mike Ambersley, F Daniel Antoniuk (Keith Savage 59′), F Matt Clare (Fafa Picault 58′)

Jacksonville United
GK Stuart McCrory, D Adam Allee, D Hollis Donaldson, D Mats Elmsater, D Jacobi Goodfellow, M Stefan Durr (Darko Karamatic 59′), M Jonathan Glenn (Ramak Safi 67′), M Enrique Haussler, M Jay Nelson, M Tyler Williams, F Tornislav Krizanovic

Attendance
925

USSF: NASL teams will not be eligible for 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

February 14, 2011 by Josh Hakala

In a conference call to discuss the US Soccer Federation’s provisional sanctioning of the North American Soccer League (NASL), US Soccer president Sunil Gulati said the eight-team league will not be taking part in the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Five of the eight teams in the NASL — Carolina RailHawks, FC Tampa Bay Rowdies, Atlanta Silverbacks, NSC Minnesota Stars and Miami FC — will not participate due to the fact that a change to the Open Cup format at this stage of planning would be difficult.

Gulati said during the conference call, “It’s simply too late to incorporate them into the process in the various phases of the tournament. The timing does not work for the five U.S.-based teams to participate in this annual event.” He added, “It’s impossible to put them into . They’re not going to play this year.”

This marks the first time in the Professional Era (1995-present) that a pro league will not be taking part in the tournament. The last time a professional league was not represented in the Open Cup was when the previous North American Soccer League(1968-1984) refused to enter throughout the league’s 17-year existence. In 1996, the USISL Pro League did not enter a club into the Open Cup, but that was due to the qualification tournament created by the USISL, which merged all the leagues together into one competition. None of the USISL Pro teams survived the qualifying tournament.

The format for the 2011 US Open Cup has not been released, and it is unknown when it will be announced and how many teams will ultimately take part in the tournament. The last two years, the format was announced on May 5, 2010 and April 30, 2009.

The three remaining clubs, all of which are not eligible because they are not based in the United States, are still competing in their own cup competitions. The Canadian-based teams, FC Edmonton and the Montreal Impact will be taking part in the Canadian Nutrilite Championship and the Puerto Rico Islanders will also continue to participate in the Caribbean Football Union championships. Both tournaments lead to a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Currently there are a number of states who have either completed or are conducting their Open Cup qualifying tournament for the USASA. Check back with TheCup.us with a recap of all the state qualifying to this point.

2010 US Open Cup Second Round: Miami FC wins Floridian battle over Rowdies 2-1 in extra time

June 23, 2010 by Tavio Palazzolo

Miami FC was forced into extra time for the second time in the US Open Cup this year, and for the second time, they won the match to move on to the next round. This time it came at the expense of their in-state rivals, FC Tampa Bay Rowdies, winning 2-1 at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Miami got off to a very quick start in the match, scoring in the second minute. A free kick was awarded just outside the Rowdies penalty box, and Christian Gomez stepped up to take it. His kick bounced off goalkeeper Josh Lambo’s chest and into traffic in front of the net. The ball landed at the feet of Miami FC striker Paulo Jr, who shot the ball into the net to give his team the 1-0 lead. The hero from the first round scored his fifth goal of the 2010 US Open Cup, matching the totals of Sebastien Le Toux in 2007 and 2008 with the USL’s Seattle Sounders and scoring the most by a player in the tournament since 2005.

Miami almost doubled their lead in the 10th minute as threatening free kick by Euzebio Neto went past traffic and out of bounds. Despite the miss, the Blues managed to keep possession for most of the first half. The Rowdies would get their own chance at goal in the 35th minute, as a Yendry Diaz header was tipped over the crossbar by Miami goalkeeper Caleb Patterson to keep the shutout intact through the end of the half.

Both teams came out at full force to start the second half, with each getting a good scoring chance within minutes of kickoff. Tampa Bay would then pressure later in the match to force the equalizer as more chances came their way. They would finally break through in the 82nd minute as Mozzi Gyorio sent in a free kick into the box, which Diaz converted to tie the match. Diaz would get his shot at a game winner in the 87th minute with a hard shot, but Patterson made a diving save to keep his team alive through regulation.

In the 97th minute, Miami FC would get their advantage by virtue of a handball. Robert Valentino was called for a handling the ball in the box, resulting in a penalty kick. Abe Thompson stepped up to the spot and converted in the 98th minute, giving the Blues the lead they would hold onto for the rest of extra time.

Miami FC has moved on to the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time since 2008, when they lost 2-1 at FC Dallas. This time they travel to face Dallas’ Texas rival, the Houston Dynamo. The game is scheduled to take place at Robertson Stadium on Tuesday, June 29 at 8:30 p.m.

FC Tampa Bay Rowdies Lineup: Josh Lambo, Kwame “JJ” Adjeman-Pamboe, Yendry Diaz, Aaron King (80′ – Chad Burt), Gordon Kljestan (102′ – Joe Donoho), Pascal Millien, Stanley Nyazamba, Long Tan, Erik Ustruck, Rob Valentino, Takuya Yamada (65′ – Mozzi Gyorio).

Miami FC Lineup: Caleb Patterson, Paulo Araujo Jr. (97′ – Bryan Dominguez), Bryan Arquez, Cristiano Dias (104′ – Sean Cameron), Christian Gomez, Zach Kirby, Neto, JP Rodrigues, Edward Santeliz (116′ – Jair Cabas), Abe Thompson, Kyle Veris.

Scoring Summary
MIA – Paulo Araujo Jr. – 2′
TB – Yendry Diaz – 82′ (Mozzi Gyorio)
MIA – Abe Thompson – 98′ (PK)

Misconduct Summary
MIA – Zach Kirby – yellow (22′)
TB – Yendry Diaz – yellow (32′)
TB – Stanley Nyazamba – yellow (58′)
MIA – Abe Thompson – yellow (61′)
TB – Rob Valentino – yellow (79′)
MIA – Bryan Arquez – yellow (85′)
TB – Chad Burt – yellow (110′)