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Tampa Bay Rowdies postmatch celebration wasn鈥檛 overly raucous.

A few claps. A few handshakes.

Then again, there wasn鈥檛 a need for anything too over the top. And while it certainly isn鈥檛 getting old, Wednesday was business as usual for Rowdies. Show up for a match and leave without a loss.

Once again. For the ninth straight time this season.

The victory was all thanks to Louis Perez鈥檚 fifth-minute goal in Tampa Bay鈥檚 1-0 over New Mexico United.

鈥淥verall, disappointed,鈥� United manager Dennis Sanchez said. 鈥�... We鈥檝e got to find ways to create more, to dictate, to be braver and find a rhythm, even in difficult moments.鈥�

鈥淒isappointed鈥� is a good way to put it. It means another club will have the task of trying to knock Rowdies (6-0-3) from the ranks of the unbeaten and atop its perch of not only the Eastern Conference standings, but the USL Championship as a whole.

Birmingham Legion FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds FC, Loudoun United FC, Sporting Jax, Oakland Roots SC, Charleston Battery, Indy Eleven, Rhode Island FC and finally New Mexico all tried. They all failed 鈥� Oakland, Charleston and Rhode Island managed draws.

Tampa Bay now has 21 points on the table, five ahead of Detroit City FC and Louisville City FC in the East. San Antonio鈥檚 17 points lead the West, seven ahead of 10-place United (3-4-1).

鈥淚 think we just (let) one (slip),鈥� defender Maliek Howell said. 鈥淲e could have even came up with a point. But we have to learn from it.鈥�

Perhaps. New Mexico had a number of chances to tie the score. 

There was the look midfielder Zico Bailey had in the 26th minute inside the penalty box, only for the shot to dribble to Rowdies keeper Jahmali Waite.

There was the chance forward Niall Reid-Stephen had in the 52nd minute 鈥� again inside the penalty box 鈥� only for him to be called offside.

There was forward Dayonn Harris鈥� look in the 71st minute from inside the box that was deflected once a foot touched the ball.

It might not have mattered, anyway.

Sure, Rowdies came into the match having conceded a league-low five goals. But the club had also only scored multiple goals three times this season: a 3-0 win against Pittsburgh on March 21, a 3-1 victory against Loudoun United a week later and a 2-2 tie against Oakland on April 11.  

Even allowing one goal to Tampa Bay is dangerous.

It was a tough ask. Certainly, once the ball found Perez after United keeper Raiko Arozarena came out of the net to challenge Mattheus Oliveira on a different shot attempt.

He was left wide open.

鈥淚t was just an error,鈥� Arozarena said through a translator. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not really anybody to point a finger to. Just a defensive error that could cost you the game and that鈥檚 what happened.鈥�

And it meant Rowdies were left celebrating like they had done eight times before.

This time, at the expense of United.

鈥淭he group has a much higher level than we showed tonight,鈥� said Sanchez, whose club hosts Charleston on Saturday. 鈥�... We have to have more ambition to approach the game in a manner that we are always the protagonist.鈥�

David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X .