Tampa Bay Suns lost 2-0 to D.C. Power F.C at Suncoast Credit Union Field. Photo Courtesy of Isabella Ferrou.
By Isabella Ferrou
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Suns suffered a 2-0 loss to the D.C. Power F.C. on April 11, 2026. This loss affected their chances to qualify for the playoffs, trailing 14 points from the fourth seed, which is the last slot in contention for the Knockout stage.
D.C Power F.C started strong, scoring both goals within the first 25 minutes of the game. Catching the goalkeeper off guard, Alyssa Walker scored a screamer at the 18th minute outside of the box at the top left corner. Both center backs covered too early; they exposed themselves, leaving the goalie in no man’s land and the goal wide open.
24, Dasia Torbert received an amazing center by former Suns player Paige Almendariz, and headed the ball to the bottom right corner in the 24th minute. Those two goals set the tone for the rest of the game, holding it until the D.C Power won the game.
While the two goals did end up being enough to take home three points, the reigning United Soccer League (USL) Super League Champions didn’t go without a fight. Faith Weber, a full-back for the Suns, said at the press conference that both teams needed these points to have a chance to win the 2025-2026 title.
“It’s two teams fighting for every point, and we know each other well, so I just felt like it was aggressive, and it really just came down to who got on the board first,” said Weber.
Before this match, Tampa Bay was undefeated against the D.C Power, holding a 4-0-2 record in all previous meetings between the two teams. The Sun started gaining momentum in the second half.
The Suns held 52% possession, earning 10 corners and recording nine shot attempts, with most of their chances coming towards the end of this half. The Tampa Bay Suns played a tight game, almost scoring on the D.C Power multiple times. Sandrina Mauron hit the crossbar after the central midfielder attempted a long-range shot from outside the box.
The Tampa Bay Suns were in control in the second half, making them have all of the momentum and become clear favorites to win, despite the score. In a press conference, Jordyn Listro reflected on the positive shift in intensity and control throughout that half.
“We just played like we had nothing to lose, so everyone just gave it their all and just went based on instinct, and you could see that, but it shouldn’t take us to be down two nothing to play that way,” Listro said.
Because the Suns sit last in the USL Super League standings, head coach Denise Schilte-Brown said the team adopted a more aggressive approach, which means taking risks in an effort to earn points and stay in the race. Coach Brown said the team struggled to execute it more consistently from the first whistle.
“Maybe what we need to do is ease ourselves into those risks, because it was something that was kind of difficult for the women to grasp right off the cusp,” said Coach Brown after the match.
With the Suns being 2-3 in their last five games, Brown said at the end of the press conference that the fans’ constant support encourages the team to get better and work harder.
On Youth Sports Night, young athletes came to the game with energy and posters with “I have your back” printed on them. This constant pride and belief they have for this team does not go unnoticed by Brown, and she promises that their support will be used as motivation to continue to improve throughout the season.
“There’ll be no step backward, there’ll be no loss of determination, this team is going to continue to push, not just for ourselves, but for everybody that supports us, so it’s really important that the fans know that,” said Brown, closing out the conference.