Late winner against Dallas Trinity FC showed resilience, fight from defending Super League title-holders in challenging campaign
Crowned the inaugural champions of the Gainbridge Super League in the 2024/25 season after a remarkable run through the second half of the season and playoffs, life for Tampa Bay Sun FC had proven more challenging in Season 2.
The Sun had struggled to string together a sequence of results since the start of the campaign, putting the side off the pace in the race for the postseason, but after a victory on the road against DC Power FC on March 26 there was still a glimmer of hope.
All Tampa Bay had to do was go to fourth-placed Dallas Trinity FC and win at the Cotton Bowl for the first time in club history. Thanks to second-half substitute Carlee Giammona’s opportunism, the visitors accomplished just that, taking a 2-1 victory for the side’s first consecutive wins of the 2025/26 season.
“It’s definitely been a tough year for us, just trying to gain momentum, and I think we’re gaining it at the right time now,” said Giammona after the game. “So, it’s looking up for us, and we’re excited for our next game. It’s a squad that never gives up. We’re gonna keep fighting till the end, and we showed that in both of these games.”
For her performance, Giammona has been selected as March’s Prinx Impact Sub of the Month, a new series highlighting key substitutions that have changed the course of a game this season.
Part of the Sun’s title-winning side, Giammona grabbed all three points for Tampa Bay after Trinity had leveled the game with 15 minutes to go. As Dallas attempted to build out of its own end, the 25-year-old jumped the passing lane to the goalkeeper and turned a first-time from the edge of the box into the left corner of the net for her fourth goal of the season.
While the hill remains steep for the Sun to return to the postseason, the drive the side displayed to earn its first win at the Cotton Bowl showed it won’t stop battling until the end.
“Tonight was about resilience and belief,” said Sun Head Coach Denis Schilte-Brown. “You could see from the first whistle that this group was locked in – not just tactically, but emotionally. Every defensive recovery run had intent, and there was a real edge to how we competed. What stood out most was that we didn’t wait for the game to come to us. We went after it. That hunger, that refusal to let moments pass us by, is something we’ve been building toward, and tonight it showed in a big way.”
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