FC Tampa Bay opens with shutout victory over Impact

When midfielder Tsuyoshi Yoshitake sent a penalty kick wide with just six minutes remaining in the FC Tampa Bay season opener against the Montreal Impact, it seemed like the game was destined to finish as a scoreless draw.

The home team had a litany of chances but couldn't score. The Impact had fewer scoring opportunities but they were of better quality. FC Tampa Bay goalkeeper Daryl Sattler came up with eight saves to keep Montreal off the board.

But then it happened.

FC Tampa Bay's Takuya Yamada suddenly found himself in open space 35 yards from goal as the ball ricocheted toward him. Yamada scored what he considers a "lucky goal," blasting the ball to the lower left side of experienced Impact goalkeeper Bill Gaudette, earning FC Tampa Bay a 1-0 victory on opening night at Al Lang Stadium in front of 3,693.

"Unfortunately for (Yoshitake), he missed (the penalty kick), but that's just life," FC Tampa Bay coach Ricky Hill said. "It just shows the mentality of the side, whereby they weren't deflated by that, they still kept going, trying to press for a goal. It's a fantastic shot by (Yamada) to win the match."

FC Tampa Bay, dressed in sleeves and socks with the familiar green and gold hoops made famous by the original Tampa Bay Rowdies, got off to a quick start. Forwards Aaron King and Pascal Millien worked well together, with Millien often streaking down the left side of the field.

After the halftime break, Montreal - which will move up to Major League Soccer next season - started to gain momentum. The Impact outshot FC Tampa Bay 8-5 in the second half, but Sattler was there to record the shutout.

"We're all smiles right now," Sattler said. "It's a good opponent we played and I think we dominated, especially in the first half. In the second half, we kind of came out a little flat. We came out buzzing, we were ready."

Attendance was down from last year's season opener at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, which was watched by 8,082, but Sattler insist the smaller venue enhanced the game's atmosphere.

"(The fans) were great last year, but now they're a little bit closer, so it feels a little bit louder" Sattler said. "It was a better atmosphere I think for them and for us. It's more of a home and we want this to be a fortress. People come in here and they're not going to beat us."

FC Tampa Bay's next game is at home against the Puerto Rico Islanders at 6 p.m. next Sunday.