Photo Credit: Hernando Sun
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I will have to admit that I am not the biggest soccer fan. But I checked off another professional sporting event from my bucket list. I attended a professional women’s soccer match between the Tampa Bay Sun FC vs. Fort Lauderdale United FC. There are two other professional events that I still want to attend, and those are an NBA game and a NASCAR race. I do not know a thing about the game of soccer. I had only watched it on TV during the World Cup and the Olympics. The game took place at Riverfront Stadium on the campus of Blake High School in Tampa, Florida. The match was sold out with 5,006 fans in attendance, most there to cheer on their beloved Tampa Bay Sun.
The match went to extra time, and after there were no goals scored, the game went to overtime. That meant they would have two 15-minute quarters that could also include extra time. Many fans will say that the game should not have gone to extra time because right before the first 45-minute half ended, the Sun scored a goal that was overturned after all the players were offside. They showed the replay, and the player in question was not offside, and the goal should have been allowed. The officials allowed some questionable calls for both sides and there were many yellow cards handed out to players and the coach of Fort Lauderdale.
The only goal of the match was scored in the 100th minute by Danish U-23 International Cecilie Floe off an assist from Sydny Nasello. The cool aspect is that for the first league championship, it had two Florida-based franchises. The player of the game was Nasello, who is one of the fastest players on the field. Every time she touched the ball, excitement happened whether she shot the ball, made an ankle-breaking move, or made a pass. Nasello made the best pass of the game that resulted in the winning goal. For most of the game, the Sun was the better team and kept Fort Lauderdale on their toes. The Sun controlled the pace, and even though Fort Lauderdale had their chances, there were only a few that were a threat.
Fort Lauderdale’s most threatening moments came in the final four minutes as Addie McCain’s shot went wide right of the goal. The other hero for Fort Lauderdale was Kiara Locklear, who was held in check. Locklear only had one shot and got a yellow card during the match. The game at times was chippy and both sides hit the other hard. The best part was that it did not come down to a call by the officials; it came down to a great play by the players for the Sun. The game went for 120 minutes with just one goal scored, and it ended the game with a 1-0 win for the Sun. This was the first USL Super League championship, and it went to the Tampa Bay Sun.
What are your thoughts on the Tampa Bay Sun winning the USL Super League Championship? Leave a comment below.
For all your USL Super League news log on to ngscsports.com.
For more follow me on Facebook: Bradley Walker, on X: bradwalker3083, and my weekly sports podcast: The Walker Report.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker serves as the Director of Operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a co-host on the P&W Sports Report and hosting The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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