Tampa Bay Rowdies saw off Rhode Island FC 2–0 at home on Saturday night in USL Championship action, with William Conner Antley breaking the deadlock in the 61st minute and Louis Pérez sealing the win deep into second-half stoppage time.
The first half produced few clear-cut moments, though the tension was evident. Rhode Island's Hugo Bacharach picked up a yellow card in first-half stoppage time as the teams went into the break level.
Tampa Bay's Evan Conway was booked early in the second half before the Rowdies found their breakthrough eight minutes later. Dion Acoff delivered the key pass and Antley converted in the 61st minute to give the hosts the lead.
Rhode Island pushed for an equalizer but struggled to create meaningful chances, and their frustration showed. Eric Klein was cautioned in the 77th minute, followed by Khano Smith seven minutes later as the visitors grew increasingly desperate. Rhode Island's discipline slipped while Tampa Bay managed the game effectively through the final stretch.
The Rowdies put the result beyond doubt in the 92nd minute when Pérez finished from a Russell Cicerone feed to make it 2–0. Max Schneider picked up a late yellow card for Tampa Bay moments earlier, but it mattered little with the points already secured.
The victory gives Tampa Bay Rowdies valuable home points as the USL Championship season enters its critical late-summer stretch, while Rhode Island FC will need to regroup quickly after a frustrating road trip that yielded nothing.
USL Championship