by JAKE NUTTING

Who is the loser when no one wins in a match that was billed as a must-win for both teams? That’s the question left for the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Minnesota United FC to answer after the two finished knotted at 2-2 on Wednesday night at Al Lang Stadium.

The match was a good encapsulation of what has hampered both sides and put them in a dogfight for the fourth and final playoff spot in the final month of the Fall Season. All the possession and fluidity moving forward couldn’t stop the Rowdies from kicking themselves in the foot once they got into the final third, and a pair of ruthless finishes for the Loons wasn’t enough to wipe away the late collapses that have plagued them in their last five matches.

Minnesota jumped in front in just the 17th minute with a bizarre breakdown from the Rowdies. Keith Savage failed to close down Jeb Brovsky, tempting the veteran to try his luck from nearly 40 yards out. Brovsky did just that with a rifle that Matt Pickens appeared to have a read on at first, but the keeper’s attempt to push the ball over the bar instead clanged off the frame and landed right at the feet of the league’s leading scorer Christian Ramirez. Unsurprisingly, Ramirez did what league-leading scorers do and immediately pounced on the open look at net to record his 16th of the year as no defenders came in to handle the quick rebound opportunity.

It took a beat for the Rowdies to regain their composure after the concession, but once they did Minnesota found it difficult to form any rhythm in the face of constant pressure.

The momentum eventually paid off with an equalizer in the 31st minute. Eric Avila played a hopeful ball that fell into the center of box and was popped up to the opposite side of the goal with flick from Tommy Heinemann. Keeper Sammy Ndjock overcommitted on Avila’s initial cross and was out of position for the second chance as a result, leaving Georgi Hristov with a window to rocket the ball across the line.

Despite the continued pressure placed on the visitors, the Rowdies came up frustrated when it came to producing quality scoring chances in the final third in the remaining minutes of the half.

Tampa Bay regretted their inability to find a go-ahead goal even more six minutes in the second half after Minnesota took the lead once again through a great individual effort from J.C. Banks. Kevin Venegas started the sequence when he whipped in a powerful cross from the right corner that Pickens desperately punched into the air. Darnell King won the aerial duel with Ramirez to get a touch on the ball, but his effort ended up falling to Banks. The midfielder managed to body three Rowdies off the ball with his back to goal and turned to fire a shot that slipped through the legs of an unsuspecting PC.

“We couldn’t quite get going in the second half,” said Head Coach Stuart Campbell. “Once again, the boys showed terrific spirit, heart and commitment. The fans dragged us over the line and kept us going right into the 95th minute and fortunately, we were able to get away with a point.”

The Rowdies found the Loons much tougher to break down once they took a second lead. Suddenly the Loons were the ones getting to close challenges first and disrupting their opponent’s flow in the second half. Campbell brought on forward Carlos Preciado and midfielder Kalif Alhassan in the late stages to find a spark, but the team remained exasperated trying to find a true look on goal.

Tampa Bay’s one and only shot on goal in the second half proved to be all they would need to level things up, though. As has been the case for the Loons throughout their recent four-game losing streak, they fell apart in the final moments and the Rowdies took full advantage.

With the final whistle looming, the Rowides needed the aid of a fortunate deflection off Minnesota to rescue a point in the third minute of stoppage time. Hristov drilled a low cross from the left side of the box that ricocheted off Venegas to gift an unmarked Savage with a chance. The veteran did well to readjust his body after the deflection came his way and blasted the ball by Ndjock.

“I was in the right spot at the right time,” said Savage. “It could have fallen to anyone. We were pushing for that goal and I’m really glad we got it. It means we’re still in it, right there in the hunt for the playoffs.”

The Rowdies are certainly still alive and well in the playoff race, but they will catch no breaks in their next three matches. They travel to Edmonton for a quick turnaround on Sunday, then face off with Miami FC the following Friday before heading home to host Indy Eleven in another Wednesday night matchup. The Eddies and Indy are ahead of the Rowdies in the combined table and are desperate to catch the New York Cosmos for the top spot, while Miami will be eager to knock off the Rowdies in their own playoff push.