ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies faced off against Major League Soccer’s CF Montreal in 120 minutes of preseason action on Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium. Goals by Karsen Henderlong and Russell Cicerone saw Tampa Bay earn a 2-0 result through 90 minutes before Montreal tallied twice in the additional 30 minutes to conclude the scrimmage.
The Rowdies had a flurry of chances within the opening minutes, with Pedro Dolabella coming close to nabbing the opening goal with a strike from distance that just sailed over the crossbar. Defender Brian Schaefer then forced Montreal’s goalkeeper into a save with a header off a corner kick sent in by teammate Marco Micaletto before Cicerone was also denied on a shot to the top-left corner of the goal.
Henderlong finally put Tampa Bay on top in the 34th minute. Dolabella initiated the scoring sequence, penetrating from the right edge of Montreal’s penalty area before sliding a pass across goal for Cicerone. The Rowdies attacker fired off a shot off that was parried away but put right into the path on an unmarked Henderlong, who buried the ball into the open net.
Henderlong nearly scored a second goal early in the second after he stripped the ball off the goalkeeper outside of the box, but he sent his strike a few inches wide right of the goal as defenders rushed in to thwart him.
The Rowdies eventually found their second goal from the penalty spot. Montreal’s Brayan Vera drew the referee’s whistle for committing a foul while attempting to nullify a Rowdies corner-kick opportunity. Vera was sent off for his infraction and Cicerone stepped to convert the chance with an emphatic blast into the back of the net.
With several players carrying injuries, the Rowdies squad was primarily made up of trialists and players from the Rowdies 2 development past the 75th minute. The Rowdies still managed to hold Montreal at bay until the 104th minute when the visitors final broke through. Montreal then nicked an equalizer goal off a header on the last sequence of the match.
LEXINGTON SC 2, NASHVILLE SC 1: Marcus Epps and Malik Henry-Scott scored late in either half to send Lexington to its second victory against Major League Soccer opposition this preseason with victory at Geodis Park on Saturday afternoon.
Epps gave Lexington the lead three minutes before the halftime break when he capitalized on a loose touch by Nashville goalkeeper Xavier Valdez on a backpass, stealing possession before finishing into the net. Nashville equalized 10 minutes into the second half when a missed clearance by goalkeeper Oliver Semmle went directly to Hany Mukhtar, who set up Cristian Espinosa for a simple finish.
With 10 minutes to play, however, Henry-Scott bagged the winner as Jacob Greene picked up possession on the left flank before cutting back a cross to the forward to finish.
PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SC 2, LOUDOUN UNITED FC 1: Trevor Amann scored his first goal of the preseason before a second-half own goal gave Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC its third consecutive win to start preseason against Loudoun United at the AHN Montour Sports Complex on Friday afternoon.
Amann gave the Hounds the lead in the 24th minute when Jorge Garcia capitalized on a turnover in the Loudoun half, allowing Garcie to dribble toward goal on the right before he played a low pass across goal for Amann, who calmly finished into the open part of the net.
United hit back four minutes into the second half as Jack Panayotou turned the corner along the goal line and into the right side of the penalty area. The New England Revolution loanee found Arquimides Ordóñez arriving late to the front of goal, and the Guatemalan international scored with a rising shot under the crossbar.
The Hounds regained the lead in the 66th minute, however, after Eliot Goldthorp’s whipped cross into the box aimed for Albert Dikwa and Brigham Larsen instead redirected off a Loudoun defender that turned the ball into the goal.
Other Preseason Scores
Las Vegas Lights FC 1, Phoenix Rising FC 0
San Antonio FC 0, FC Tulsa 0 (game abandoned due to lightning at halftime)