Sporting Jax saved by the storm
The Jacksonville team came back from two goals down at Hodges Stadium and scored for the second consecutive game in the USL Championship.
Sporting JAX once again showed its ability to react at home. The Jacksonville men's team tied 2-2 against Brooklyn FC this Sunday, May 31 at Hodges Stadium, in a USL Championship match that was stopped in the final stretch due to weather conditions and later ended by decision of the league.
The match ended around the 74th minute, after a thunderstorm reached the Hodges Stadium area. Until that moment, Sporting JAX had managed to equalize a match that had been uphill for them early on, after Brooklyn FC took a 2-0 lead in the first 25 minutes.
The visiting team struck first in the 8th minute, when Peter Mangione took advantage of a rebound inside the area after an intervention by goalkeeper Christian Olivares. Brooklyn increased the difference in the 23rd minute with a header from Stefan Stojanovic, after an offensive transition that left Sporting JAX on the ropes in the first part of the game.
However, Jacksonville did not fall. Little by little, the team began to find spaces and push the game towards the rival goal. The reaction came in the 37th minute, when Tyshawn Rose took a powerful shot from outside the area to beat goalkeeper Jackson Lee and score a goal before the break.
The goal had special value for Rose, as it was the first of his career in the USL Championship. In addition, it came at a key moment, because it allowed Sporting JAX to go to halftime alive after a difficult start.
In the second half, the Jacksonville team came out with another energy and found the tie at minute 55. The play was born with a recovery by Edgardo Rito, continued with the driving of Kieran Sadlier from the left and ended with Rafferty Pedder pushing the ball for 2-2.
Pedder appeared again at a decisive moment. The midfielder had already scored the tying goal in the 4-4 draw against San Antonio FC the previous Wednesday, and against Brooklyn he responded again with another important goal to rescue a point.
Christian Olivares was also one of the figures of the match. Although he conceded two goals at the start, the goalkeeper kept Sporting JAX in the game with important interventions, including a double save in the second half when Brooklyn was trying to regain the lead.
When the game seemed to be entering its most open stretch, rain and lightning forced the action to stop. After the delay, the USL decided to end the match with the score 2-2.
For Sporting JAX, the tie leaves mixed feelings. On the one hand, the team was once again forced to row from behind; On the other hand, they showed character to react and avoid defeat for the second consecutive game. After the 4-4 draw against San Antonio FC, Jacksonville scored again at home, this time against another debuting club in the USL Championship.
The result keeps Sporting JAX in search of its first league victory of the season, but also leaves positive signs in attack. In its last two USL Championship games, the team scored six goals, a figure that contrasts with the offensive problems it had had in previous days.
Sporting JAX will play again at Hodges Stadium next Saturday, June 6, when it hosts Tampa Bay Rowdies in a new edition of the state rivalry. It will be another opportunity for the Jacksonville team to transform their reactions into a complete victory in front of their fans.
Quick summary
Match: Sporting JAX 2-2 Brooklyn FC
Competition: USL Championship
Date: Sunday, May 31, 2026
Venue: Hodges Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Sporting JAX goals: Tyshawn Rose 37', Rafferty Pedder 55'
Brooklyn FC goals: Peter Mangione 8', Stefan Stojanovic 23'
Incident: Match ended in minute 74/75 due to weather conditions
Sporting caution JAX: Tyshawn Rose 45+1'
Next game: Sporting JAX vs Tampa Bay Rowdies, Saturday, June 6, Hodges Stadium
Lineups
Sporting JAX: Christian Olivares; Antonio Gómez, Ryan Edwards, Harvey Neville, Edgardo Rito, Tyshawn Rose, Wan Kuzain, Rafferty Pedder, Jordan Rossiter, Kieran Sadlier and Emil Jääskeläinen.
Sporting JAX change: Luc Granitur for Edgardo Rito, 64'.
Unused substitutes: Jake McGuire, Wahab Ackwei, Ethan Dudley, Piero Elías, Jacob Evans and Adonijah Reid.
Brooklyn FC: Jackson Lee; Gabriel Alves, Vuk Latinovich, Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Ryan McLaughlin, CJ Olney Jr., Malik Pinto, Tommy McNamara, Peter Mangione, Stefan Stojanovic and Juan Carlos Obregón Jr.
Brooklyn FC changes: John Klein for Tommy McNamara, 64'; Jaden Servania for Peter Mangione, 64'; Abdoulaye Kanté by Stefan Stojanovic, 64’.
