Rowdies defender Charlie Ostrem reacts after having his penalty kick blocked, making Miami FC the winner of Friday’s Eastern Conference quarterfinal. [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]
This article was first published in the Tampa Bay Times on October 31st.
By Hannah Walls
The Tampa Bay Rowdies championship hopes came to an end Friday night after they fell 5-4 in a penalty shootout against Miami FC in the opening round of the USL Championship playoffs at Al Lang Stadium.
The teams finished tied at 1-all after regulation and 30 minutes of extra time, sending the match to penalties. Miami (10-12-9) prevailed in the shootout, eliminating the top-seeded Rowdies (18-6-7) and advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Tampa Bay forward MD Myers failed to convert a penalty in the final moments of extra time but returned to score his attempt in the shootout. Midfielder Pedro Dolabella also failed to convert during the shootout. After Miami midfielder Riyon Tori scored to put the visitors ahead 5-4, defender Charlie Ostrem missed on Tampa Bay’s final attempt.
Rowdies head coach Dominic Casciato described the unpredictability of penalty shootouts following the loss.
“It’s a bit of a lottery; I think we all know that,” Casciato said.
Miami opened scoring in the 34th minute when midfielder Matías Romero scored off an assist from Bachir Ndiaye to give the visitors an early advantage.
Tampa Bay responded 10 minutes later when Myers scored the equalizer, then the teams were at a stalemate until a penalty shootout determined which team would advance.
Captain Nathan Dossantos said the Rowdies could have done more offensively to avoid having the match decided by penalties.
“We wanted to have an aggressive mindset coming to this game, and I just think we didn’t do enough in that sense,” Dossantos said.
Goalkeeper Jahmali Waite helped keep Miami scoreless after the 34th minute and made a save during the penalty shootout. Casciato praised Waite’s performance despite the loss.
“I think he’s been the best goalkeeper in the league by a mile,” Casciato said.
The Rowdies entered the postseason after capturing the USL Championship Players’ Shield, awarded to the team with the league’s best regular-season record. Tampa Bay secured the Shield with a 1-0 victory over Detroit City FC on Oct. 17, earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Rowdies became the third Players’ Shield winner in the last four seasons to be eliminated in the opening round, joining the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in 2023 and Louisville City FC in 2025. Louisville advanced to the conference semifinals in 2024.
Friday’s match marked Tampa Bay’s return to the USL Championship playoffs after missing the postseason in 2025. The matchup also gave Tampa Bay an opportunity to avenge a 2-1 loss to Miami FC at Al Lang Stadium on Oct. 3, one of just five regular-season defeats for the Rowdies.
An announced crowd of 5,448 attended Friday’s game, including members of the Rowdies’ support section, Ralph’s Mob, who helped lead chants and energize the crowd.
For Alma Soelch, 53, of St. Petersburg, the connection between the team and the fans made the playoff atmosphere special.
“You can feel the energy in the stadium, and that’s what we’re looking for,” Soelch said.
Despite the disappointing finish, Dossantos said the team, which entered the season with 22 new players, has reasons to be proud of its accomplishments and optimistic about the future.
“Perspective is massive right now,” Dossantos said. “We’re building something here.”