(Re-post from atrainssportsdrain.sportsblog.com)

By Alex Tronnes May 30, 2013 02:00 PM EST

 

     Wednesday night marked an important step in my insertion into the Tampa Bay sports scene. After living in the area for nearly three years now, I finally made it over to Al Lang Stadium in beautiful St. Petersburg to watch the Tampa Bay Rowdies defend the Bay. I could not have picked a better game to be my first. In a third round match-up for this year’s U.S. Open Cup, the Rowdies, who currently play in the North American Soccer League, met one of Major League Soccer’s best teams in the Seattle Sounders. The game represented a great chance for the Rowdies to not only test their skills against a true competitor, but also get the opportunity to garner national attention in the chance they could pull off a victory. Needless to say, “Ralph’s Mob” and the Rowdies showed up ready for a fight.

Walking up to the box office on this cool May night, my anticipation for a great match was quickly building. Echoing throughout the area surrounding Al Lang Stadium was the sound of beating drums and chanting fans. I would soon learn that “Ralph’s Mob”, the teams faithful followers, were responsible for the spirited ambiance. Watching a soccer match with the sound of passionate fans adding a chorus of support in the background adds an unmeasurable energy to the game, and no doubt gives the on-field action a heartbeat.

The Mob was even good for some comic relief when their chants began targeting the section of Seattle fans in attendance (about 15 or so). Included in their songbook was my personal favorite; “To hell, to hell with Seattle, To hell, to hell with Seattle, To hell, to hell with Seattle, the cesspool of the West!”.

The living soundtrack of the stadium was just the beginning of Al Lang’s unique atmosphere. Behind the stands you can see the masts of boats docked at the bay, and the image of them swaying in the evening breeze provides the stadium a unique waterfront location. This succeeds in giving a field full of intensity, a relaxing backdrop that encompasses the essence of St. Pete.

This style is also evident at the opposite corner of the stadium where there is a grassy area surrounded with some of Florida’s trademark palm trees. The area was filled with children playing the night away, realizing little that they may be the future of the teams fan base.

There was one more moment in which I knew I’d be coming to another Rowdies game soon. Upon first entering the stadium and walking past the concession stand I saw something that instantly made me feel classier being a fan of soccer. Import beer being sold. Not just the watered-down domestic trash that every other sporting venue is complacent in serving. Not sure if it’s the foreign demographic soccer tends to draw that prompted this beautiful offering of beverages, or if the distributors are just trying to keep up with the hipster soccer fan, but either way I like it.

The game itself continued the theme of an all around great experience. Although the forecast called for rain in the Bay area, it stayed dry, and the Rowdies proved capable of weathering the storm anyway. The first half was mostly uneventful besides what seemed like 30 whistles in the last 30 seconds of the half. Something tells me the Rowdies were more than happy with the first 45 minutes of play and subsequent 0-0 score. As the players headed back to the locker room the sound of “Sweet Caroline” came over the speakers along with a few drunken renditions from the crowd, marking the close of the first half.

The first real excitement came around the 56th minute when the Sounders put together an attack that looked promising until a Seattle forward fired a shot at the goal that sailed at least 20 feet too high and almost careened into the children playing in the grassy area. Perhaps it was seeing their future fans in danger that finally woke the Rowdies up as the intensity of the game seemed to rise significantly thereafter.

Only a couple minutes after that misguided shot, the Sounders again strung together an impressive attack which caused the Rowdies Goalkeeper Diego Restrepo to come off his line and make a challenge on an attacker that had entered the box. After being clearly shaken up after the collision and resulting  save, Restrepo rose to his feet and provided another great save on the following corner.

This strong defensive series gave way to the offense attempting to match this effort. In the 66th minute Rowdies Midfielder and 2-time NASL Champion, Luke Mulholland, made a series of great moves into the Sounders box and delivered a near perfect cross in front of goal, sadly without a teammate there to put the ball in the net. Although a letdown, this play clearly showed the momentum building in the Rowdies favor, and Mulholland surely wasn’t finished.

The scoreless streak would end in the 75th minute. In an example of near perfect touches, Luke Mulholland fielded a pass in front of him in the Sounders box and took a running right-footed shot on goal. Seattle Goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann was able to get a finger on the laser shot that would’ve been enough to redirect the ball an inch outside of the far post if it wasn’t for Rowdies Forward Georgi Hristov being in the right place to accurately deflect the ball into the back of the net. Once that goal was scored I began to agree with the chorus Ralph’s Mob was chanting; “I believe that we will win”.  

The climax of the action came in the 84th minute when heart-rates throughout the stands spiked. On a Sounders corner kick, the ball found it’s way past the Rowdies Goalkeeper. However no goal was scored. Rowdies Midfielder Jordan Gafa was positioned behind Diego Restrepo on the goal line and in a split second decision, with the ball well on it’s way into the net, Gafa managed to punch it off the line and out of harms way. Receiving a red card for this handball, Gafa in essence gave himself up to save a goal. This scenario of losing a player in exchange for a goal would only prove successful if Restrepo could save the impeding penalty kick.

Up to the line stepped Obafemi Martins , a Nigerian footballer new to the Sounders, equipped with experience playing professionally in both the English and Russian Premier Leagues. In other words, the last person the Rowdies wanted taking the penalty kick. In the second round of the U.S. Open Cup, Goalkeeper Diego Restrepo saved a penalty kick that ended up being vital in the Rowdies 2-1 upset over crosstown rivals VSI Tampa Bay . Here he would be asked to make perhaps another game saving stop.

As Martins approached the ball for his shot, Restrepo started leaning right. He also managed to guess right. Martins blasted a low flying shot that Restrepo dove correctly towards and strongly deflected it out behind the goal. The stands erupted in the loudest applause of the evening, knowing that Gafa’s decision to stop the Sounders goal, even at the cost of leaving the game, was worth it. Restrepo survived a couple more corners and the seemingly never ending five minutes of stoppage time to finish the game as the hero for the second round in a row.

This win will propel Tampa Bay into the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup where they will meet yet another MLS team from the upper Northwest in the Portland Timbers . If they can record another win, the Rowdies may be well on their way back to their glory days. Victories like this are vital to a team playing in a smaller league such as the NASL. The Rowdies have a rich history in the Tampa Bay area and having a successful team back in existence can be a real draw in the community. If the Rowdies can keep providing upsets when matched against “better” opponents, they’ll no doubt put Tampa on the map of possible MLS expansion locations right alongside Miami and Orlando.

I would give my first Tampa Bay Rowdies experience an A+ for sure. Everything from the play on the field, to Al Lang Stadium’s phenomenal presentation, made for a great evening and a great soccer game. I’ll leave you with my favorite Ralph’s Mob chant of the night; “Tampa Bay we are here, Gettin’ Rowdie, drinkn’ beer!” Music to this new Rowdies fan’s ears…

 

AT

@SportsDrain