Saturday, April 13, 2013
PLANT CITY, Fla. – VSI Tampa Bay FC opened their newly converted home stadium at Plant City Stadium with a resounding 3-0 victory against the Rochester Rhinos on Saturday night. Karamba Janneh, Douglas Dos Santos and Andriy Budnyy scored for VSI as they handed the Rhinos defeat in their opening game of the season.
After a neck-and-neck first 45 minutes that saw neither team mount a successful attack, Janneh was able to put home a header in stoppage time of the first half to give his side the lead. The goal was Janneh's first as a professional.
The late first-half tally swung momentum Tampa Bay's way as VSI started the second half with a relentless attack and Rochester was unable to mount any consistent attacks of its own. Tampa Bay was able to double its advantage seven minutes after the break as Dos Santos drilled a shot into the upper-left corner of the goal from the top right corner of the penalty box.
Not to be outdone, Budnyy blasted the final goal of the game past Rochester goalkeeper Kristian Nicht. The win was Tampa Bay's second of the season, moving it into a tie for first place in the USL PRO standings early in the season.
VSI will next face the Los Angeles Blues in a rematch of the contest that netted them their first ever win on Sunday, April 21st at 6:30 p.m. The Rochester Rhinos now head to Orlando to face Orlando City at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday evening. This is the Rhinos second of five away games before they return to New York for their home opener on Saturday May 4, 2013 against the Harrisburg City Islanders at 7:05 p.m. ET.