MIAMI, Fla (March 22, 2025) – The Tampa Bay Rowdies notched their first victory of the 2025 USL Championship on Saturday night, topping South Florida rivals Miami FC 2-1 at Miami’s FIU Pitbull Stadium.
“I was just pleased overall with the way we played tonight,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “I thought we controlled the whole game… We managed to get the two goals and then saw out the game at the end. So really pleased with how we won tonight. It’s always difficult when you lose your first two league games and it feels like you’re chasing your first win.”
Miami jumped out to an early lead in the second minute of play. Rowdies keeper Nicolas Campisi came off his line to snuff out a bouncing ball just inside the box, but Miami striker Francisco Bonfiglio beat him to the punch with a chipped shot that sailed over the keeper and into the back of the net.
Despite the early concession, the Rowdies gradually took hold of the match in the first half with sustained possession and finally equalized in the 31st minute. Cutting inside from the right flank, Rowdies wingback Nick Moon threaded a pass for teammate Woobens Pacius through Miami’s defensive line. Pacius made the most of the opportunity, latching on to the through ball with a powerful one-timed shot past keeper Bill Hamid to secure his first goal for the Rowdies and the club’s first goal of the campaign.
“It’s always good to get off the mark when you’re a striker coming in,” said Neilson. “If you can get Woobens in that area of the box, I think there’s nobody better than the league at finishing. With so many new guys coming in, guys need to get a feel for what each other are good at. I think tonight will really help Woobens and the team.”
The Rowdies grabbed a go-ahead goal moments before the halftime whistle. Wearing the captain’s armband, midfielder Lewis Hilton whipped in a curling cross from the right wing toward the center of the box. Midfielder Danny Crisostomo was waiting to strike and did so with a nifty right-foote volley into the bottom left corner.
Miami missed out on a chance to get back on level terms from the penalty spot in the 68th minute. After Rowdies midfielder Blake Bodily was whistled for a foul in the box, Bonfiglio sent his penalty attempt into the stadium stands.
“It’s so important getting those first three points of the season,” said Neilson. “You want to get them the first game. When you don’t get them in the first or the second game then there comes a little bit of tension in the group. I could see that toward the end. If we’d already picked up points earlier in the season, we probably would have won tonight 3-1 or 4-1. But I just felt there was that wee bit of tension So hopefully getting those three points helps release that a bit.”
The Rowdies are off from USL Championship action next weekend. They’ll resume regular season play on Saturday, April 5 with a trip up to South Carolina to face the Charleston Battery.
