ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A second-half goal by Lucky Mkosana ensured the Tampa Bay Rowdies remained undefeated in the 2020 season while Miami FC earned its first point in the USL Championship after a 1-1 draw on Sunday night at Al Lang Stadium.

Aiming to maintain their undefeated record on home turf, the Rowdies had a chance to take the lead early when a free kick from the right by Lewis Hilton found Juan Tejada at the near post, but the Panamanian couldn’t redirect his header on target. Instead, it was Miami that grabbed the early lead as off a counterattack from a corner kick, Sebastian Velasquez capitalized on a 2-on-1 chance set up by Prince Saydee and fired a low shot from the left side of the penalty area into the right corner of the net to break Tampa Bay’s three-game shutout streak.

Tampa Bay almost leveled in the 27th minute as Mustapha Dumbuya cut in from the right side and slipped a through-ball for Tejada into the penalty area, but Miami goalkeeper Bryant Gammiero got off his line quickly to smother the shot. Velasquez then threatened again for the visitors, but his shot from long range was punched away by Louro.

The Rowdies began to build pressure on Miami in the final 10 minutes of the first half, but the visitors were solid enough defensively to get to the halftime break with the lead. The hosts picked up where they left off in the second half, however, and in the 59th minute after two prior opportunities to deliver a telling pass from the right, Malik Johnson delivered a near-post cross for Lucky Mkosana that the halftime substitute headed into the right corner of the net.

Tampa Bay continued to have the better of the game after the equalizer, but Miami almost regained the lead in the 74th minute when a break forward came to Marco Franco in the right side of the penalty area, only for his shot to fly wide of the far post. The Rowdies also threatened minutes later, but Sebastian Dalgaard’s low cross from the left was decisively cleared by the Miami defense.

The Rowdies almost found the lead with four minutes to go as a corner from the right by Hilton fell for Yann Ekra just inside the penalty area, but his shot flew over the crossbar. Mkosana also had two chances in stoppage time, both denied by Gammiero, who first tipped over a shot from a tight angle on the right side of the penalty area and then smothered a chance similar to Tejada’s in the first half while coming off his line.

Tampa Bay had one final chance to grab all three points off the ensuing corner kick from Mkosana’s second chance, but after the ball fell in the penalty area, Rowdies debutant Adam Najem sent his finish just wide of the left post through a crowd of players. There would be no late winner, however, as the Florida rivals ended with honors even.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Malik Johnson, Tampa Bay Rowdies – Johnson looked the most dangerous player on the pitch after switching to the right side in the 35th minute and recorded one assist, two chances created and completed 8 of 14 dribbles on the night.