Úlfarsson rescues late draw for Loudoun United against Tampa Bay

Loudoun United FC turned a home loss into a point when Thorleifur Úlfarsson buried a rebound late in a 1-1 draw with the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Segra Field in Leesburg, Virginia. Pedro Dolabella had put Tampa Bay in front, but Úlfarsson’s finish kept Loudoun from leaving empty-handed and gave the result real weight in the standings.

The timing mattered as much as the score. Loudoun spent much of the night chasing the game after Dolabella’s opener, and the equalizer came only after the visitors failed to clear the danger fully in the box. Úlfarsson reacted quickest, and his second-chance finish underscored the kind of sharp, relentless attacking that can decide tight USL Championship matches when space disappears and one clean touch becomes the difference between zero points and one.

For Loudoun, the draw fit a season pattern that has leaned on Úlfarsson in pressure moments. The Icelandic forward had already scored the lone goal in Loudoun’s 1-0 win over Brooklyn FC on May 9, a result that got the club moving in the right direction early in the 2026 regular season. Against Tampa Bay, he delivered again when the game was drifting toward a narrow defeat, and that repeated reliability in front of goal is becoming one of Loudoun’s clearest offensive traits.

The point also carries more value because of the opponent. Tampa Bay has long been one of the league’s more respected sides, and the Rowdies had already beaten Loudoun 3-1 at Al Lang Stadium on March 28, with Sebastian Cruz and MD Myers both scoring in that meeting. This time, Loudoun’s late pressure prevented a repeat result and forced the Rowdies to settle for a split after Dolabella’s goal had them positioned to take all three points.

The 1-1 finish reflected an uneven performance from Loudoun, but the late response changed the emotional math of the night. Instead of a frustrating home defeat, the club walked away with a point built on persistence, a rebound finish, and one decisive late touch from Úlfarsson.