By Canadian Press

Canadian Malik Johnson looks to help Tampa Bay Rowdies win USL Championship final

Oct 31, 2020 | 8:49 AM

Malik Johnson bet on himself when he signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies after five seasons in the Toronto FC system.

He left family and friends back in Canada, coming to Florida by himself.

“It was a bit difficult but at the same time I felt like it was the right decision to make, just to explore new opportunity and just a change,” said the 22-year-old from Toronto.

The Rowdies reached out to Johnson after the Toronto FC 2 player caught Tampa coach Neill Collins’ eye while scouting the opposition.

The move could pay off with a trophy. Johnson and the Rowdies play for the USL Championship title on Sunday when they host Phoenix Rising FC at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla.

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Some 1,500 fans will be allowed into the 7,500-capacity stadium.

“That makes it 10 times sweeter the fact it’s at home. We’re all exited,” said Johnson.

The Canadian youth international, an attacking midfielder who shifted to right wingback with the Rowdies to take advantage of his speed, has enjoyed his two seasons in Florida.

“It’s very nice. The city, the fan base … The beaches around here, the weather, it’s amazing,” he said. “Hard not to like.”

High COVID-19 numbers in the Sunshine State have been frightening, however. Johnson said he marvelled at the fact that the masks and physical distancing so prevalent back home were largely missing in Florida.

“There weren’t enough restrictions, I felt like, to help fight COVID,” he said. “Personally I was really diligent with everything. I never really left the house unless I had to, to go grocery shopping.”

The Rowdies announced Friday that Collins and two others, who were not identified, have tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the final. The three have been isolated at home and are “recovering in good spirits,” according to the club.

The Tampa Bay Times reported that assistant coach Kevin Foley was one of the three in isolation. There were no other positive tests among Rowdies players and staff.

There is no shortage of other storylines to the finale of a pandemic-reshaped season of the USL Championship, the second-tier league in the U.S.

After going into lockdown in March, the league started a modified schedule in July with teams divided into eight regionalized groups and playing a 16-game schedule.

Tampa Bay (10-3-3) won Group H, which also featured the Charleston Battery, Miami FC and Atlanta United 2. Phoenix (11-3-2) topped Group B, which also included L.A. Galaxy 2, Orange County SC, San Diego Loyal and Las Vegas Lights.

Phoenix got to the final the hard way, needing extra time in all three playoff games, including penalty shootout wins over Reno 1868 FC in the Western Conference semifinal and El Paso Locomotive FC in the final after opening the playoffs with a win over the Sacramento Republic.

Tampa downed the Birmingham Legion, Charleston Battery and Louisville City en route to the championship game. Johnson, who has been nursing a knee injury, came off the bench in all three games.

Sunday’s final pits Tampa Bay’s stingy defence against Phoenix’s high-flying offence.

The Rowdies, who lost only once on home turf this season, conceded just 14 goals in 19 games with eight shutouts. Phoenix scored 47 goals in 19 games.

Both teams have all-stars with Tampa’s Forrest Lasso, a finalist for Defender of the Year, named to the USL Championship all-league first team for the fourth straight season. Tampa defender Jordan Scarlett was a second-team all star but left the Eastern Conference final with an injury.

Phoenix captain Solomon Asante, the league’s reigning MVP and a finalist for the award again this year, was named a first-team all-star for the second year in a row. Phoenix forward Rufat Dadashov, an Azerbaijani international, was named to the second all-star team.

The Phoenix roster also includes Jamaican internationals Kevon Lambert, Damion Lowe and Junior Flemmings, who is serving a six-game suspension for abusive language against San Diego Loyal SC in a Sept. 30 game. 

That match made headlines when San Diego coach Landon Donovan and his players refused to return to the field, alleging Flemmings had used a homophobic slur against Collin Martin, an openly gay player.

Flemmings denied the accusation.

Phoenix head coach Rick Schantz was placed on a three-week administrative leave, which is now over, for insensitive comments related to the Flemmings incident. He later issued an apology to Martin and others. Phoenix also relinquished its championship game hosting rights “out of respect for the LGBTQ community.”

The Phoenix ownership group includes former Ivory Coast star striker Didier Drogba, star DJ Diplo and Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz. Its lineup includes former Toronto FC ,midfielder Jon Bakero. 

Johnson signed with Tampa in December 2018 but his season was delayed until late May because of a shoulder injury. In 23 games (19 starts), he had three goals and eight assists. 

He had had two goals and three assists in 13 games, including four starts, this season.

PHOENIX RISING FC (11-3-2) AT TAMPA BAY ROWDIES (10-3-3)

Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla.

HISTORY: It’s Tampa’s first trip to final since joining the league in 2017. Phoenix lost to Louisville City in the 2018 championship game. The last three USL Championship finals were held in Louisville, with Louisville City winning in 2017 and 2018 before falling to Real Monarchs SLC last season

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2020

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press