by JAKE NUTTING

After so many setbacks in the last year and half, the stars finally appeared in alignment for Keith Savage on Saturday night. The veteran notched his first goal for the Rowdies in nearly two years just five minutes into the second half (thanks to a classy assist from Joe Cole), setting the stage for a storybook ending to his special night.

Being the party poopers that they are though, the Fort Lauderdale rallied back in the late stage of the second half to do their best to ruin the festivities.

Enter Super Matty Pickens, who responded from a rough showing in the team’s two-game road trip last week with a rousing performance against the Strikers. The Strikers pulled one back through Jose Angulo in the 70th minute on a sequence when the back line left Pickens out to dry, and they seemed sure to equalize only five minutes later when Tamika Mkandawire was whistled for a handball in the box (clearly a PRO Referees conspiracy to get back at Bill Edwards for his highly-publicized criticisms of the organization).

Pickens, though, met the task with an emphatic stop on the attempt from Adrianinho.

“Listen, man, the pressure’s on them,” Pickens said. “They’re the one that has to score. I don’t know who the guy was that took it, so I don’t know any of tendencies or anything. I just threw all that out the window and said alright try to make a save.”

“I don’t who the guy was that took it” is the kind of unintentional trolling of the Strikers that can only endear Pickens to Rowdies supporters even more. Although, as our Matt Cox wisely pointed out after the match, Pickens might want to learn Adrianinho’s name as there’s a chance he might be a teammate in the future considering Tampa Bay’s habit of swiping players from Fort Lauderdale.

Pickens wasn’t done saving the Rowdies’ bacon. Angulo came up with a powerful volley from short-range that left the bearded wonder with less than a second to react and knock the attempt out of danger.

“What a night, what an incredible gift… Thank you Matt for bailing us out once again, what an incredible two saves,” Savage said. “It’s gotta be one of the hardest things in sports and how many times has he done it on the big stage and on big nights to make the night a celebration. I mean you can’t thank him enough.”

Savage Feels the Love

Ralph’s Mob also did its part to ensure the night was a special one for Keith Savage. With an assist from the Rowdies front office on a new pulley system at Al Lang Stadium, the supporters group was able to unveil one of its most impressive tifos to date in honor of Savage surpassing 100 appearances.

No words needed. pic.twitter.com/7fsUab5l1u — Tampa Bay Rowdies (@TampaBayRowdies) August 6, 2016

Savage definitely felt appreciated. After tallying his goal, his first move was toward the Mob section to show return the love. And when the three points were in the bag after the final whistle, Savage climbed into the stands to make sure he thanked them in person.

“Our fans are incredible. I’m not active on social media, but my teammates are and my family is. There’s always quick to send me pictures and congratulations. The reception from the fans, my family and the coaching staff was amazing. I’m so thankful to be a part of this team and be up there with Yama and Frankie.”

This was kinda weird, right?

Am I alone in finding the sight of PC in green and gold surreal?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have him, and also a club that is financially stable enough to secure a player of his caliber, but I was still somewhat taken aback by seeing him take the field for the Rowdies. Somehow this felt different than the handful of other ex-Strikers that have defected to Tampa Bay in recent years. It could have something to do with the fact that the move happened midseason as opposed to the offseason, or possibly his flashier style and attacking flair made him stand out more on the Strikers compared to guys like Darnell King or Stefan Antonijevic, players I never balked at seeing in a Rowdies shirt.

I’m looking forward to PC getting meaningful minutes in the coming weeks so he has an opportunity to imprint some positive memories of him with the good guys.

Pieces Falling Into Place (Hopefully)

PC isn’t the only recent addition trying to find his place in the squad. Saturday was Carlos Preciado’s first start since signing back in July and while he didn’t score, his pace and smart runs kept the Strikers on their toes. Preciado’s higher gear compared the rest of the attackers on the squad could prove fruitful as the chemistry with his new teammates strengthens.

“We’re coming along,” Stuart Campbell said. “We’re moving in the right direction. We’ve had some ups, we’ve had some downs, but most the important thing is the spirit in the camp is tremendous from top to bottom. Everyone believes in each other and is moving in the same direction. It’s going to take time, especially for Carlos as a striker. Our midfield has to know what type of runs he’s going to make. Our offensive players have to get to know each other. We’re going in the right direction.”

Lastly, may we all be as rowdy as Pete the Pelican