The Tampa Bay Rowdies drew even with Indy Eleven to keep the honor of the only unbeaten side in the Eastern Conference, while Red Bulls II dropped five goals on Birmingham Legion FC for their second straight win.
INDIANAPOLIS – Indy Eleven and the Tampa Bay Rowdies drew honors even at Lucas Oil Stadium on Wednesday with the “Boys in Blue” playing with 10 men for the final 70 minutes of the match. The best chance of the half came the way of the Eleven after 13 minutes when defender got on the end of an Ayoze corner and headed strongly at Rowdies goalkeeper John McCarthy, who was able to beat the effort away on his goal line. Barrett’s contributions were cut short, however, when the defender was shown as second yellow in the 20th minute and was dismissed from the match. With a man advantage, the visitors created a few looks on goal but Sebastian Guenzatti’s curler from the top of the box into the outside side netting was the closest they would come to scoring. The Rowdies would apply pressure on Indy’s goal in the second half but ultimately would not find a winner, still remaining the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference.
USLChampionship.com Man of the Match
Andrew Tinari, Tampa Bay Rowdies – Tinari was perhaps the Rowdies’ most influential player in attack, completing a remarkably 90.3 percent of his 72 passes, including 85.5 percent in the opposition half, and created six chances.
MONTCLAIR, N.J. – New York Red Bulls II picked up their second straight victory after defeating Birmingham Legion FC in emphatic fashion at MSU Soccer Park. Derrick Etienne Jr. got things going for his side in the 23rd minute when he intercepted a pass back to the defense and calmly slotted past Legion goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel. Legion FC came closest to scoring just before the half when forward Chandler Hoffman rifled an effort off a corner at RBII netminder Ryan Meara only for the shotstopper to parry the effort. Red Bulls II held onto their advantage until the 55th minute, when they scored two goals in three minutes thanks to Sean Nealis, who scored his first professional goal, and Mathias Jorgenson in quick succession. Continuing to run at the Legion FC defense, substitute Jared Stroud drove forward and fired a shot at Van Oekel that he was only able to spill in front of goal where Jorgenson was waiting to tap-in for his second of the night. As the night wrapped up, Red Bulls II found their fifth when forward Tom Barlow took a Jared Stroud pass on the wing before dancing just inside the area and firing off the far post and in to cap an impressive evening in attack.
USLChampionship.com Man of the Match
Mathias Jorgenson, New York Red Bulls II – Jorgenson scored two goals and won four of six aerial duels for Red Bulls II in their dominant win over Birmingham.