ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies overturned an early deficit to defeat Rhode Island 5-0 in a USA-USL fixture at Al Lang Stadium on Friday, April 17, 2026. Rhode Island’s Albert Dikwa Lega opened the scoring in the 16th minute, but the Rowdies responded with five unanswered goals. Manuel Arteaga, Cal Jennings, Jordan Doherty and Damian Rivera all found the net for the home side, with Rivera’s strike coming in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time. The result gave the Rowdies a winning start to their AFC Champions League campaign, while Rhode Island began with a loss. The match featured eight yellow cards. The outcome defied a pregame projection favoring a narrow Rhode Island victory.