ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies became the first team to book its place in the 2026 USL Championship Playoffs on Saturday night as goals by Louis Perez and Evan Conway earned a 2-0 victory against Brooklyn FC at Al Lang Stadium.
The victory moved the Rowdies (14-3-6, 48pts) nine points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference while giving the side an eight-point lead in the Players’ Shield race ahead of current Western Conference leaders El Paso Locomotive FC and New Mexico United.
The result marked a return to the postseason for Tampa Bay, which finished in 10th place in the Eastern Conference a season ago. Now the side has already recorded 14 more points than in 2025, with its overhauled roster living up to preseason expectations.
“I think somebody asked me about [playoffs] earlier this week when I was doing some media and I just said that’s the expectation here,” said Rowdies defender Nate Dossantos. “I think that’s the bare minimum, right? We want to compete for trophies, and to do that we need to be in a position like we are right now.”
In a tightly-fought game, the Rowdies took the lead in the 24th minute when Perez powered home a finish from Charlie Ostrem’s layoff inside the penalty area. Conway then scored in second-half stoppage time to wrap up all three points as goalkeeper Jahmali Waite posted a three-save shutout.
“We needed a second goal to put the game to bed,” said Rowdies Head Coach Dominic Casciato. “I think Brooklyn are a good side. I think they play good football and they’re tough to play against. We were definitely uncomfortable while it was 1-0, so to go and get that second one was great. We talk a lot about the impact that guys coming off the bench can have for us. A great example of that was Pedro feeding Evan tonight. I know Evan’s been working really hard to get that goal, so I’m really pleased for him.”