By: Jay Rosquites, EBC Florida Bureau
In a highly contested match, the Eastern Conference semifinal between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the New York Red Bulls II did not disappoint the avid soccer fan. Georgi Hristov put the Rowdies on the board first in the 26th minute.
The Red Bulls II turned it up the second half, by becoming more physical and aggressive. Stefano Bonomo drew a penalty kick, and tacked on the neutralizer for the Red Bulls II on the 58th minute.
Closing out the regulation, the Rowdies had some close chances to break the tie, but couldn’t capitalize. In Extra time, Bonomo found the back of the net again , when he kicked in the tie-breaking goal putting the Red Bulls II up 2-1 in just the 3 minutes after regulation.
Once again, the Rowdies had some ample opportunities to tie the game including a close one made by midfielder, Sebastian Guenzatti when the ball hit the goal post. As extra time expired, the Red Bulls II celebrated and the Rowdies season would come to end with a score of 2-1 in an action-packed playoff game.
“We knew Tampa Bay had some really good players. They can be physical at times, and have some guys that have height and size . And we’re a young team, but you know in a lot of ways , our guys fought hard and put a lot into it. So, I’m just really proud of our effort”, stated Red Bulls II head coach , John Wolyniec, after the emphatic win.
The Red Bulls II will face top-seeded Louisville City FC next Saturday , Nov. 4, in hopes to continue their momentum as the underdog and a chance to head back to the USL Cup Final.