by JAKE NUTTING

The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ playoff prospects looked at risk in the first 20 minutes of Friday’s meeting Miami FC, as they allowed the hosts to jump out to a 2-0 lead within a span of five minutes. They managed to dust themselves off, though, and rallied for a goal in each half to earn a critical point and remain in the thick of the playoff race.

Miami began applying pressure to Tampa Bay’s defense in the opening minute. Before the smoke from the Dade Brigade had even fully cleared from Tampa Bay’s penalty area, Blake Smith found himself with a wide open look at net that he scuffed off the top of the crossbar.

Continuing to press forward, Miami earned several quality scoring chances as the Rowdies struggled with their composure at the back.

Matt Pickens raced off his line to swat away a pass meant for a streaking Dario Cvitanich inside the box in the 12th minute, but the keeper’s block fell straight to Kwadwo Poku in the center of the box. Poku’s strike was weak, allowing Tamika Mkandawire to stick his foot out and make the pivotal block.

Just one minute later, Jaime Chavez did well to body Tam off the ball on the left side of the box, but he flubbed his chip attempt well over Pickens and the net.

Chavez’s second effort on goal in the 15th minute was of a much higher caliber. Smith switched the field with a terrific pass toward Chavez on the right side of the box and the attacker plucked the ball out of the air with a sensational volley past a helpless Pickens.

Six minutes after his confidence boosting strike, Chavez was back at it, this time slicing the back line to pick out Poku in the middle of the field. With PC keeping Poku onside from the left side, the attacker was free to run at Pickens and slip a second goal into the back of the net.

Already trailing by two on the road in a match with massive playoff implications, the Rowdies slowly began to gain a foothold and finally struck in the 27th minute. Eric Avila sparked the comeback with a deadly cross from the right edge of the penalty area for Georgi Hristov, who caught keeper Daniel Vega flat-footed with a deft glancing header into the side netting.

The match swung entirely in Tampa Bay’s favor after the halftime break. After losing the possession battle in the first 45 minutes, the Rowdies rarely allowed Miami to get a whiff of the ball for more than one or two passes in the first stages of the second half.

With Miami lulled into a stupor, the Rowdies earned their equalizer in the 66th minute. Hristov fought to win the ball on the left flank and flicked a pass past his defender for an unmarked Joe Cole, who assessed the situation and dished to Juan Guerra at the top of the box. Unchecked by a defender, Guerra was free to line up a gorgeous strike into the back of the net.

Despite continuing to dominate in possession, the Rowdies never managed another effort on Miami’s net after leveling the match. They took five more shots in the remaining minutes, but none of them tested Vega.

Miami did make the Rowdies sweat with a sudden burst in the four minutes of stoppage time, as a one-timed effort from Poku and a header by Rhett Bernstein were both fired straight into the Pickens in the dying moments.

A draw was not the optimal result the Rowdies had in mind heading into the match, but given how the night started a draw will feel like somewhat of a positive. They are now even on points for the fourth spot with Minnesota United and Rayo OKC, who both have matches to play this weekend. With the draw, the Rowdies also claimed the Coastal Cup for the first time since 2013.

The Rowdies return home next Wednesday for another vital match against Indy Eleven.

IMAGE, Patrick Patterson