Match Date: November 20, 2021
Competition: USL Championship Playoffs
Location: Al Lang Stadium
Match Story:
Tampa Bay’s history in American professional soccer stretches well back into the 70’s — they even hoisted the original NASL’s “Soccer Bowl”. And while the latest incarnation of the club won a league championship since the 2012, they’ve been unlucky to see a dry spell ever since. After having been robbed of a 2020 final due to the pandemic, Tampa Bay battled back to a second straight final in 2021 in a wild Eastern Conference final rematch. Things started poorly for the hosts, as Louisville scored early in the 10th minute and then Tampa Bay conceded an own goal 13 minutes later. And all appeared lost with 10 minutes left to play in the second half as they still trailed 0-2. But then Lucky Mkosana turned the match on its head straight off the bench. Two minutes after coming on, he pulled one back with a strike from outside the box. And in the 5th minute of added time, the Zimbabwean substitute headed home an equalizer with the last touch of regulation setting the stage for Steevan Dos Santos to bag the winner in overtime.
Design Story:
The match side features a design inspired by the awning of St. Petersburg’s waterfront Al Lang Stadium. On the reverse, the iconic green and gold hoops take on a shape inspired by the rungs of a railings of a pirate ship.