Moon, Blake add scores in come-from-behind win to continue best start in franchise history
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 30, 2022) – Evan Conway stood up and was nearly immediately swallowed by a herd of teammates Saturday night. The San Diego Loyal SC forward had little time to completely soak in what had transpired when the group celebration began.
Conway was greeted for sending in the goal that was the difference in a 3-2 come-from-behind win against host Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium. Conway sent all 18 of his teammates into a frenzy when he took a Tumi Moshobane low-rolling pass and sent it past Tampa Bay goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena in the 88th minute for his second score of the season.
The goal not only gave SD Loyal three more points in the USL Championship Western Conference standings but it came late after coach Landon Donovan’s team struggled to find the net despite controlling possession for most of the match. It had to rely on a complete match played by Conway and a pair of second half substitutes to overcome a 2-1 second half deficit to end a busy month of April.
SD Loyal (6W-2L-1D, 19 points) played in four league matches and two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches prior to traveling 2,400 miles to Florida to face the defending Eastern Conference champions and one of the top clubs in the league. It took a Jack Blake goal in the 75th minute off a Kyle Vassell pass to tie the match on a play by two players who came on as substitutes.
Tampa Bay Rowdies (3W-3L-4D, 13 points) had taken a 2-1 lead in the 40th minute when Sebastian Guenzatti scored on a half bicycle kick for the home side from a few yards away from the SD Loyal goal. The Tampa Bay goal came off a ball that bounced off defender Kyle Adams’ chest after it took a bounce off a corner kick.
Tampa Bay also got a goal from Jake LaCava (21st minute) that tied the match 1-1. LaCava beat SD Loyal goalkeeper Koke Vegas with a left-footed shot. LaCava sprinted upfield on the left side, avoided a sliding tackle and beat a defender as he fired from inside the penalty box.
SD Loyal, who was coming off a 14-day rest from USL Championship play and an April 19 U.S. Open Cup match at MLS side LA Galaxy, had taken a 1-0 lead with a 19th minute goal by Nick Moon. The SD Loyal forward scored with a blast into the right wall of the Tampa Bay net after he shook off a defender with a couple of moves from the left side. Elijah Martin, who played in his 100th USL Championship match, fed Moon on the scoring play.
Moon’s early goal set the pace of the first-meeting between the two clubs as Donovan’s team implemented its style of play. It controlled 80-percent possession into the 70th minute. SD Loyal eventually broke through with goals from Blake and Conway to earn the three points on the road. It was Blake’s first goal of the season, coming against the team he played with in 2018.
SD Loyal will now return home to begin preparing for its next match as it will visit New Mexico United Saturday May 4.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
San Diego Loyal SC – Nick Moon (Elijah Martin), 19th minute: Moon finished a play where he beat defenders with some moves with a blast into the right wall of the net. TBR 0, SD 1
Tampa Bay Rowdies – Jake LaCava, 21st minute: LaCava buried left-footed shot after sprinting into the box from the left side. TBR 1, SD 1
Tampa Bay Rowdies – Sebastian Guenzatti, 40th minute: Guenzatti sent in a ball that bounced off Kyle Adams’ chest in front of the SD Loyal goal line. TBR 2, SD 1
San Diego Loyal SC – Jack Blake (Kyle Vassell), 75th minute: Blake scored his first goal of the season by tapping in a shot off a Kyle Vassell pass. TBR 2, SD 2
San Diego Loyal – Evan Conway (Tumi Moshobane), 88th minute: Conway sprinted down the left side and sent in a shot before falling down and scoring the match-winner. TBR 2, SD 3
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Elijah Martin made his 100th USL Championship regular season appearance.
- SD Loyal broke Tampa Bay’s 50-match unbeaten streak when leading at the half.
- Charlie Adams returned to the SD Loyal lineup after missing the last five league matches due to injury.
- Nick Moon scored his first goal of the season for SD Loyal.
- Elijah Martin recorded his first assist of the season for SD Loyal.
- SD Loyal attempted 582 passes, their highest total in a single match in the USL Championship this season.
- Tumi Moshobane assisted his third goal this season, the most recorded for SD Loyal this season.
- SD Loyal scored its fifth goal in the last 15 minutes of the second half, more than any other team in the USL Championship this season.
-SAN DIEGO LOYAL SC MATCH REPORT-
Match: San Diego Loyal SC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Date: April 30, 2022
Competition: USL Championship
Venue: Al Lang Stadium; St. Petersburg, Fla.
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. PT
Weather: 74 degrees, partly cloudy
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | F |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| San Diego Loyal SC | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Goal | Minute |
| SD – Nick Moon (Elijah Martin) | 19 |
| TBR – Jake La Cava | 21 |
| TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti | 40 |
| SD – Jack Blake (Kyle Vassell) | 75 |
| SD – Evan Conway (Tumi Moshobane) | 88 |
LINEUPS
Tampa Bay Rowdies: 56-Raiko Arozarena; 5-Jordan Scarlett, 15-Timothy Mehl, 33-Aaron Guillen; 2-William Antley, 27-Laurence Wyke, 6-Junior Etou, 11-Leonardo Fernandes; 19-Jake La Cava (7-Yann Ekra, 77), 13-Sebastian Guenzatti (Capt.) (77-Luckymore Mkosana, 89), 22-Kyle Greig (21-Dayonn Harris, 61)
Substitutes not used: 1-Carl Cochran, 8-Jake Areman, 9-Juan Tejada, 46-Sanitago Castañeda
Manager: Neill Collins
San Diego Loyal SC: 25-Koke Vegas; 4-Jack Metcalf, 15-Nikko Boxall, 32-Kyle Adams, 3-Elijah Martin (7-Jack Blake, 61); 20-Nick Moon, 6-Charlie Adams (Capt.) (9-Kyle Vassell, 60), 10-Alejandro Guido, 17-Collin Martin (13-Camden Riley, 93), 11-Tumi Moshobane; 14-Evan Conway
Substitutes not used: 2-Morgan Hackworth, 19-Taylor Crull, 40-Calvin Fodrey, 60-Duran Ferree
Manager: Landon Donovan
| Stats Summary | TBR | SD |
| Shots | 6 | 8 |
| Shots on Goal | 2 | 4 |
| Saves | 1 | 0 |
| Corner Kicks | 6 | 5 |
| Fouls | 16 | 16 |
| Offside | 1 | 0 |
| Misconduct Summary | Minute |
| SD – Kyle Adams (Caution) | 48 |
| SD – Elijah Martin (Caution) | 50 |
| TBR – William Antley (Caution) | 78 |
| SD – Collin Martin (Caution) | 86 |
| SD – Alejandro Guido (Caution) | 87 |
| TBR – Timothy Mehl (Caution) | 90 |
| TBR – Jordan Scarlett (Caution) | 90+4 |
Chosen Foods Man of the Match: Evan Conway
