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Rowdies strike quickly, dispatch Indy Eleven in home opener

Saturday’s match isn’t even a minute old, and Juan Tejada puts Tampa Bay on top.
 
The Rowdies always tend to have a lot of fan support, including Ralph's Mob (seen here last season). The team was back at Al Lang for its first home game of the 2022 season Saturday night.
The Rowdies always tend to have a lot of fan support, including Ralph's Mob (seen here last season). The team was back at Al Lang for its first home game of the 2022 season Saturday night. [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]
Published March 20, 2022

ST. PETERSBURG — The 2021 Eastern Conference championship banner barely had time to breathe before the 2022 Rowdies got their first home goal of the season. Juan Tejada blasted a goal 34 seconds in and Tampa Bay was on its way to a 2-0 defeat of Indy Eleven before an announced crowd of 5,192 Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium.

Jake LaCava, 21, added the second goal in the 51st minute, and when Indy went a man down on the hour mark, the game was effectively decided.  Tampa Bay (1-0-1, four points) held possession for nearly 70 percent of the contest and outshot Indy (0-2) by a 13-5 margin.

The home opener saw two banners added to the east end zone right before kickoff, one commemorating the regular-season title, the other the second straight conference playoff crown.

Lewis Hilton, impeccable in picking out teammates with long deliveries all night, sent a 30-yard ball down the right flank to Sebastian Guenzatti, who put on a terrific move around a defender and slotted a low pass to Tejada, 25. The Panamanian took one touch himself leading to a clean look on goal, blasting it past keeper Elliot Panicco.

“We obviously like to start fast at home, but you don’t always get rewarded. It was three or four fantastic bits of play,” coach Neill Collins said. “Great team goal, got us off to a very good start.”

Understandably the pace slowed but Tampa Bay was always in control. Hilton delivered another peach to Sebastian Dalgaard in the 18th minute but Panicco made a nice stop, and 20 minutes later Dalgaard’s pass to Guenzatti was backheeled onto the near post but again Panicco kept it 1-0.

In between, Indy had one prominent chance but Tampa Bay goalkeeper CJ Cochran forced Raul Aguilera into a tough angle, and the midfielder’s low attempt drifted a few feet wide of the left post. The visitors did not manage a shot on target until the 84th minute, but it was easily smothered by Cochran.

Still they were hanging around until a quality combination doubled the Tampa Bay advantage. Leo Fernandes, who sat out the opener (a 1-1 draw at Birmingham) with a minor injury, chipped in a cross that Tejada headed down for LaCava to one-time home.

Tejada said the staff has been working “a lot on finishing, and movements, and it really has helped all the attackers” and that was clearly on display Saturday night.

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The goal-scoring youngsters received their first starts of the season based on a solid week of training — which Collins referred to as the hardest week to select a starting lineup during his tenure, such was the competition level.

“Juan and Jake just bring the energy and desire that we need on our team at all times. We’ve had it, for the past four years, from different people at different times,” Collins said. “I felt that we just needed that tonight, and I thought those two would bring it. ... I’m glad that they proved their selections tonight.”

When Aguilera picked up a second yellow card for coming in high on Hilton, the Indy Eleven were down to 10 players. Laurence Wyke’s tremendous curling strike in the 66th minute banged off the crossbar, and an apparent third goal off the ensuing corner was nullified as Jordan Scarlett was ruled offside.

Collins made his first substitution shortly after and in effect emptied the bench with three more in the next 10 minutes.  Jared Timmer did make a strong bid for an Indy goal with a header off an 88th-minute corner, but Cochran dove to his left for the save.

Conner Antley, normally a right-side player, got the start in the center of Tampa Bay’s three-man defense for the injured Robert Castellanos.

The Rowdies return home next Saturday but first head to Atlanta United 2 for a Wednesday tilt. Atlanta has lost its first two matches by 1-0 scores.