ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rowdies' U.S. Open Cup pursuit came to an end Wednesday night at Al Lang Stadium.

Despite putting the Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas under a barrage of pressure and creating a number of scoring chances, the Rowdies ultimately fell 2-1 in the Round of 16 matchup.

What You Need To Know

  • Rowdies lose 2-1 to FC Dallas in U.S. Open Cup Round of 16

  • Rowdies making return to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 for the first time since 2013

  • TAMPA BAY ROWDIES: Tickets, Schedule, latest information

“I thought we were absolutely outstanding,” Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson said of his squad’s performance. “I thought we totally dominated the game. It’s probably the best we’ve played since I’ve been here. We took thirty shots, which is the most we’ve had all season. We just didn’t seem to convert those chances.”

Dallas keeper Maarten Paes had a big hand in Tampa Bay being unable to convert on their opportunities on goal. Paes finished the night with 8 saves. In total, the Rowdies peppered Dallas’s net with 10 shots on target, hitting the post three times and seeing four shots blocked by a defender.

Dallas opened the scoring shortly after Tampa Bay’s early flurry of chances. On Dallas’ first shot of the night, Patrickson Delgado found a window of space to blast a one-timed effort through a crowd of bodies in the box. In the 26th minute, Logan Farrington doubled the lead for the visitors with a left-footed strike to the bottom left corner.

The Rowdies found their goal from the penalty spot in the 85th minute. After wingback Pacifique Niyongabire was clipped down in the box to draw a whistle, Joshua Perez stepped to the spot and buried the chance with confidence.

Tampa Bay had one final gasp at goal deep in added time as Guillen guided a header on frame, but Paes was there again to tip the equalizer over the bar at the last second.

“That’s the nature of soccer…,” said Neilson. “It would have been easy from two-nil down to fold and crumble but they got hold of the game again. They were creating chances, hitting the bar, forcing the keeper to make saves. So attitude wise, I thought the players were outstanding.”

The Rowdies return to league action this Saturday with a home matchup against Las Vegas Lights FC.

Scoring Summary
Dallas – Delgado (Ferreira), 15’
Dallas – Farrington (Endeley), 26’
Rowdies – Perez (Penalty), 85’