Evan Louro Re-Signs for Rowdies

ST. PETERSBURG – A crucial part of the Tampa Bay Rowdies roster has re-upped for another year as goalkeeper Evan Louro signed for the 2021 season, the club reported on Thursday.

Louro played 19 games for the Rowdies in 2020 and recorded eight clean sheets, good for second in the league. He only allowed 11 goals and managed a save percentage of 75% in league games, leading the league by playing every minute.

Graphic: Tampa Bay Rowdies

 “We are so pleased that Evan will continue to build on last year, as he was a pivotal part in our fantastic defensive record,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “Evan is an excellent goalkeeper, but it’s his winning mentality that really gives him and our team that extra edge. He really bought in to what the Rowdies are all about, and I expect him to continue to build on that.”

The announcement of Louro sees the Rowdies now with two keepers, and he will surely be expected to be the starter ahead of Ian McGrane unless there any surprises between now and the start of the season.

With Louro’s signing the Rowdies now have 18 players confirmed for 2021, with more announcements coming throughout January.

Photo: Tampa Bay Rowdies

Floridians Abroad 12/27/2020-3/1/2021

12/27

Bolivian Liga de Futbol Profesional

Atletico Palmaflor 1-1 Jorge Wilstermann

Alejandro Melean was an unused substitute for Jorge Wilstermann.

12/28

Guatemalan Liga Nacional

Sacachispas 1-1 Antigua GFC

Pablo Aguilar came on as a 77th minute substitute for Antigua GFC as they drew with Sacachispas.

Antigua is 4th in the league with 20 points.

12/29

Bolivian Liga de Futbol Profesional

Jorge Wilstermann 2-0 Bolivar

Alejandro Melean played the full 90 for Jorge Wilstermann as it managed a 2-0 win over Bolivar.

Jorge Wilstermann is 5th in the league with 42 points.

English Championship

Norwich City 1-1 Queens Park Rangers

Niko Hamalainen played the full 90 minutes for QPR, managing one shot and two interceptions, as a penalty each split the points with Norwich.

QPR is 20th in the table, with 21 points.

12/31

Bolivian Liga de Futbol Profesional

Royal Pari 3-0 Jorge Wilstermann

Alejandro Melean played 72 minutes until he was substituted with his side 2-0 down.

Jorge Wilstermann finished the season in 5th place with 42 points.

Guatemalan Liga Nacional

Antigua GFC 0-0 Comunicaciones

A scoreless draw saw Antigua remain 4th in the league, no line-ups are available for this match

1/3

Australian W-League

Melbourne Victory 0-0 Brisbane Roar

Gabby Garton played a full 90 minutes in goal for Melbourne Victory as its season got started, keeping a clean sheet, making four saves.

Melbourne Victory is 5th in the league with 1 point, outside of the playoff places.

German 2.Bundesliga

Greuther Furth 2-1 St. Pauli

Julian Green played the full 90, scoring the opening goal from the spot in the 24th minute, his fourth of the season, to help his side to a win. Greuther Furth is currently in 3rd place with 27 points, t

Orlando Pride Loses Claire Emslie Permanently

LIVERPOOL, England – After being hopeful that Scottish midfielder Claire Emslie would return to Florida, Orlando Pride learned on Thursday that she would be making her stay in Everton permanent.

When the National Women’s Soccer League shut down due to COVID-19 last year Emslie was part of the many players who sought play overseas. That saw Emslie loaned out to Everton in the FA Women’s Super League.

It wasn’t for lack of trying, Orlando did reach make an offer to the Scotland international but she has been shining for Everton and has chosen to remain in the UK, being in Northern England makes her not far from her family north of the border.

READ MORE: Orlando Pride Picks up Meggie Dougherty Howard

She played for Orlando in 2019, but had the season interrupted by the World Cup where she scored Scotland’s first World Cup goal. That limited her to just nine appearances for the Pride, without any goals, managing one assist. She managed 25 crosses though, showing she could send the ball in but her teammates couldn’t polish it off.

There were hopes that Emslie would return to Florida, where she also played her college soccer, especially with her good form, but with a pandemic it is hard for any player to leave family behind. Emslie has signed an 18-month contract with the Liverpool club to make it two full years with the Toffees.

Emslie has played seven matches, starting six of them scoring two goals and providing two assists, managing to match her xG perfectly. Impressively she’s providing much more than expected, beating her xA of 0.9, according to Stats Bomb.

Her passing has been strong, managing a 66.4 percent passing accuracy (101/152), producing six key passes and 13 passes into the final third. Most of those incomplete passes (14) have been blocked rather than passing to an interception. The work to create chances has been stellar, creating 20 shot creating actions at 3.77/game.

While Emslie hadn’t led the line at Exploria Stadium she will be a miss for an Orlando side determined to rebuild in 2021 and creates a whole for recruitment.

PHOTO: Scotland FA

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez Rumored to Join Inter Miami CF

BARCELONA – Two Barcelona legends, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez could be set to reunite in Miami if a story by Catalunya Radio is to be believed.

The pair previously played for the iconic Spanish club for six years from 2014-2020 before Suarez made the move to the capital to play for Atletico Madrid, while Messi is still at Barcelona.

Messi famously nearly left Barcelona this year, after being dissatisfied and seeking a move ahead of the 2020-21 season, that has left many suitors for him, most notably Manchester City but Inter Miami CF has become the most recent link. The Argentine only signed a one-year extension so could be available this year as his deal runs out at the end of the current season.

Despite that being the end of his current deal that rumor saw him coming in 2022, however since that rumor Daily Star has suggested that Messi intends to stay until after the 2022 World Cup and moving for the 2023 MLS season.

This wouldn’t be Messi’s first visit to Miami, he already owns a luxury condo in the city so the transition could be very easy for him, with no need to go house hunting.

Catalunya Radio’s report comes hot on the heels of Messi’s interview with La Sexta where he claimed that playing in the United States was “always… one of my dreams”. While the idea that one of the greatest players of all time has “always” dreamed of playing in Major League Soccer is laughable it got hopes up that the move could happen, it’s certainly one he’s appearing interested in.

For Suarez, his contract runs until 2022 so Miami could pick him up on a free a few months before Messi’s reported move. That would allow the Herrons to give Suarez top billing for a while before Messi shows up.

The two would be in their mid-30s by 2022/23 but would still be a big boost to MLS, it would be a significant financial outlay and MLS contract structures may make it difficult. At least one of Blaise Matuidi and Gonzalo Higuain would definitely need to move on to make such a dream possible.

This isn’t the first major rumor to hit Miami, with rumors before the inaugural season that fellow all-time great Cristiano Ronaldo would join the club and with him at Juventus it’s not a stretch to think these rumors will end up the same way.

Photo: Real Valladolid under Creative Commons License

Rowdies Snag two more for 2021

ST. PETERSBURG – The Tampa Bay Rowdies have ended 2020 with two new signings picking up midfielders Luiz Fernando and Dayonn Harris on the last two days of the year.

Fernando comes in from Atlanta United 2, he has signed a one year contract with a club option for a second year.

“Luiz will get the fans off their seats with his direct attacking style and ability to create opportunities. While he is most at home on the left wing, expect to see Luiz anywhere on the line this year with his versatility.”

Rowdies Head Coach Neil Collins

In 2019 the Brazilian midfielder played 27 matches for Atlanta United 2, scoring twice and laying off four assists. He played three years with the Richmond Kickers before heading down to Georgia.

He has had a discipline problem, having earned 5 yellows and a red in 2019 which definitely hurt the Atlanta reserves. 2020 saw his career stall a little so he’ll be looking forward to a restart at Al Lang Stadium.

Harris joins the team after playing 2020 for Real Monarchs following being selected in the MLS SuperDraft by Real Salt Lake.

“I first saw Dayonn play for UConn against the University of South Florida and have followed his progress since then,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “I believe Dayonn is a perfect fit for our club. First off, he has all the physical and technical attributes to play wide in our side, but even more importantly, he has the appetite to improve and succeed. As we have shown with players like Jordan Doherty and Juan Tejada, we are committed to finding young talent and giving them the platform to perform.”

2020 was Harris’ first professional season and he managed 14 appearances and 11 starts. The young Canadian could be a good outlet for the Rowdies, managing 45 crosses this season.

Photo: Richmond Kickers

Rowdies see two on USL Championship Teams of the Year

TAMPA – The USL Championship announced the 2020 teams of the season with two Tampa Bay Rowdies players earning honors. Defender Forrest Lasso was named to the first-team and fellow defender Jordan Scarlett was named to the second-team.

Fellow USL Championship finalists, Phoenix Rising also received two honorees but Louisville City led the way with four players added to the first-team.

Lasso was rewarded for the fourth season in a row, leading the way for the league with only two other members of the 22 honorees receiving honors for the second time in a row. He managed a league-leading 86 clearances along with 25 interceptions. He was able to comfortably take on his opponents, managing to win 61.6 percent of duels and fared even better in the air, winning 66.3 percent of aerial duels.

READ MORE: Five Rowdies Return for 2021

The Rowdies back-line was phenomenal this season and that was backed up with a second player as Scarlett earned his place in the second team. He closely followed Lasso with 63 clearances and 34 interceptions. His contribution wasn’t limited to defense, managing a goal and creating four big chances thanks to his runs into the box on set-pieces. Scarlett also led the way in minutes played, managing 1440 in this shortened season to top the lead.

Both players showed how well the Rowdies recruited for their back-line this season with both players in their first season at Saint Petersburg.

Earning two places on the all-league teams matches Tampa Bay’s effort from last year. But this is an improvement on 2019, when both selections, Pape Diakite and Sebastian Guenzatti were named to the second team.

Photo: Forrest Lasso

Orlando Pride Picks up Meggie Dougherty Howard

ORLANDO – Meggie Dougherty Howard will be wearing Orlando Pride’s purple in the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League season following a trade with between Pride and Washington Spirit.

To obtain Dougherty Howard the Pride have parted with Emily Sonnett. The team also receives the ninth pick in the 2021 NWSL College Draft and a future natural first-round pick in 2022 or 2023 depending on future trades made by the Spirit along with $140,000 in allocation money.

“As we enter 2021 and work to elevate our roster, we are pleased to come to terms with Washington on this deal. Acquiring two first round draft picks and a substantial sum of allocation money will continue to set the Pride up for sustained success, not just now, but in future seasons. With the addition of Meggie, a player who is from Florida, we are adding a hard-working midfielder who has tremendous league experience at a young age.  We’re excited to welcome her to Orlando. While we wish we would have been able to see Emily as part of the Pride, we are pleased to find a beneficial deal for all parties and we wish her luck with the Spirit organization.”

Orlando Pride Executive Vice President Amanda Duffy

Dougherty Howard returns to her home state after four years in the Nation’s capital where she was the most capped player. She played 68 games managing 125 tackles and 63 chances created, both team highs. She controlled the Washington midfield, managing a 79% passing accuracy.

While losing Sonnett is an established US Women’s National Team player and will be a loss for Orlando the new midfielder has youth national team experience and has a longer career ahead of her.

Photo: Washington Spirit

Gignac Finally Wins “That Damn Trophy” as Tigres Claim Champions League

ORLANDO – After losing three CONCACAF Champions League finals in four seasons Mexican powerhouse Tigres has finally won North America’s biggest soccer tournament. The Liga MX side came from behind to shatter American side Los Angeles FC 2-1 at Exploria Stadium on Tuesday night.

The MLS side hit the lead on a near perfect goal when the Angels worked the ball from right back all the way up for the star of the side, Diego Rossi to snag the opening goal in the 61st minute. The opener coming that late seemed like it would be enough, especially with LAFC committing fouls to break up the Tigres defense but it wasn’t to be.

The Monterrey based side worked hard to get back in to the match, passing the ball out from the back to heap pressure on the Californians. That work allowed Hugo Ayala to head home the equalizer just 11 minutes after going behind.

Highlights: Tigres UANL v Los Angeles FC – CONCACAF Champions League Final – December 22 2020

Six minutes from time former French International Andre-Pierre Gignac capping off a great run from Luis Rodriguez. He made his run up the right and found Gignac who ran onto the ball and fired it powerfully out of the reach of the keeper.

Given Gignac was involved in all three losses it was a special moment for him and it showed in his emotional celebration. The veteran promised he wouldn’t retire until he helped Tigres win “that damn trophy” so perhaps now he can enjoy retirement after just turning 35 this month.

The win makes it 15 wins in a row for Liga MX sides with the last non-Mexican winner of the trophy being Saprissa from Costa Rica in 2005. For MLS the long wait continues having not won since the old Champion’s Cup days when LA Galaxy won the knockout tournament in 2015.

Photo: Club Tigres

LAFC Through to Champions League Final After Feisty Semi-Final

ORLANDO – A goal down and a man down, Los Angeles FC staged a phenomenal second-half comeback to defeat Club America 3-1 in the CONCACAF Champions League Semi-Final at Exploria Stadium on Saturday night.

Two Carlos Vela goals immediately after the break proved the winner for Los Angeles which reacted perfectly to Bob Bradley’s half-time team talk in the change room.

Sebastian Caceres opened the scoring for the Mexican side after just 11 minutes from a corner after some poor marking allowed him to get a simple header away, surrounded by more team-mates than opponents.

Despite not having other clear chances it seemed that the Liga MX side was destined for the final in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Eduard Atuesta was shown a straight red card in comical circumstances.

Eduard Atuesta Red Card: CONCACAF Champions League LAFC v Club America December 19 2020

The LA man was confronted by America goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa after he was seemingly fouled by Richard Sanchez. Ochoa got in Atuesta’s face, and when Atuesta got back up the goalkeeper fell to ground clutching his face despite Atuesta making no contact. The referee ran in and promptly gave Atuesta his marching orders, leaving Los Angeles incensed. A scuffle ensued, seeing CA manager Miguel Herrera sent to the stands (where he would coach the rest of the match using a walkie talkie anyway). With no Video Assistant Referee in the CONCACAF Champions League LA had no recourse and had to play a man down.

That decision made LAFC angry and that rage was maintained into the second half where it produced a goal. An errant pass from Caceres was picked up by Vela who was left one-on-one with Ochoa and poked it home past a scrambling Caceres before letting his emotion out when he celebrated.

Not even one minute later Vela was back in all alone with Ochoa and gave his side the lead. This time it was a perfect long ball from Eddie Segura that found the striker given acres of space to seal his brace with a well placed shot.

Highlights: LAFC (USA) v Club America (Mexico) – CONCACAF Champions League Semi-Final December 19 2020

In the 79th minute the player numbers were evened up as Luis Reyes, who had produced some promising chances, received his own red card, in much less controversial circumstances.

Latif Blessing put the icing on the cake in stoppage time when he poked home the third after Diego Rossi’s breakaway shot was saved.

Shortly after the match Herrera’s reign as Club America Head Coach came to an end as he was fired on Monday morning, Tom Marshall reported.

LAFC will be only the second MLS side to compete in the CONCACAF Champions League Final since the Champions Cup era, and will be the first United States side to do so. Mexico’s Tigres will be the opponent for the final, also at Exploria Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Photo: Major League Soccer

Inter Miami Makes First Signing of Academy Player to Homegrown Deal

FORT LAUDERDALE – Felipe Valencia has made Inter Miami CF history as he became the first player the club has signed to a homegrown contract from the first team.

At just 15 years old, he is one of the youngest players to sign a contract in Major League Soccer history and the youngest signing the Herons have ever had.

Making history is something that Valencia is used to, having made United Soccer Leagues history by being the youngest goal-scorer in a USL game. He will be hoping that trajectory will follow the player he took the record from, FIFA Best XI honoree Alphonso Davies, who scored for Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 at 15 years and 6 months.

Valencia played for the Miami reserves team in USL League One, Fort Lauderdale CF. The youngster played 12 matches and scored three goals this year.

 “We are very proud of Felipe for making the most of the opportunities he has earned, but most importantly, we hope his accomplishment sets an example for other youth players within our academy and USL League One team. We’ve invested in the best resources and facilities to support the Academy because we aspire to continue developing local players and producing future stars of our team in the short and long-term.”

Inter Miami CF managing owner Jorge Mas

Julius James, pro academy coach at Inter Miami CF offered his congratulations to Valencia, urging him to “stay firm, the journey is here.”

The signing is a big reward for the whole academy, coming under the auspices of Director of Player Development Darren Powell who has a proven track record of developing Floridian talent, having run Orlando’s academy from 2014-2016.

Valencia is the 17th player confirmed for the 2021 squad, the seventh midfielder.

Photo: Inter Miami CF

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