Rowdies beat Orange County SC 3-0, extend USL lead to seven points

Karsen Henderlong scored his first USL Championship goal and Tampa Bay Rowdies beat Orange County SC 3-0 at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, Calif., with three unanswered goals carrying the visitors to another statement win.

MD Myers supplied the other headlining production, finishing with a goal and an assist as Tampa Bay controlled the match and extended its league lead to seven points. The result added another clean sheet to a stretch that has made the Rowdies more difficult to plan for because the danger is no longer limited to one or two familiar finishers.

Henderlong’s breakthrough carried extra weight because it came in league play after he joined Tampa Bay via transfer from FC Naples ahead of the 2026 USL Championship season. He had already shown he could change a game in front of goal, scoring both Tampa Bay goals in a 2-0 Prinx Tires USL Cup win over Sarasota Paradise earlier this year. Against Orange County, his first league strike gave the Rowdies another scorer opponents must account for in the title race.

That depth has become a real edge for Tampa Bay. Myers provided one goal and one assist in Irvine, Henderlong added his first league goal, and the Rowdies have also shown they can recover from pressure, as their 5-4 comeback over Louisville City FC after trailing by three at halftime underscored earlier in the season. Under Dominic Casciato, Tampa Bay is winning with more than star power now, and the added scoring options make the Rowdies look even more dangerous as the playoff push tightens.