FC Tampa Bay Adds Goalkeeper Newton from Houston Dynamo

Evan Newton on loan to Tampa Bay from the Houston Dynamo will be looking to win a starting position with the team.

FC Tampa Bay was looking for a backup goalkeeper to Daryl Sattler last year as the team prepared for the first D2 season playing in the USSF Pro League. Sattler ended up seeing 23 games in the nets for the Rowdies. As a backup for Sattler, the team picked up MLS Goalkeeper Josh Lambo in the preseason on loan from FC Dallas. That loan lasted through the season and allowed Lambo to start in 6 games for Tampa Bay.

Daryl Sattler, who was was again their number one this year and was looking sharp in his first 3 games, tore his ACL just 1o minutes into last Saturday’s contest against the Atlanta Silverbacks. It was his 4th start of the season. Jeff Attinella, a Clearwater, Florida, native who played for the University of South Florida from 2007-2010, came in for Sattler and saw out the game. Attinella is young and the team was without a third string keeper.

Forced to make a move quickly, the Rowdies have gone back to Texas. This time to the Lone Star State’s other MLS team, the Houston Dynamo. FC Tampa Bay announced today that they have picked up Dynamo goalkeeper Evan Newton as a backup to their backup keeper, Jeff Attinella. Newton could realistically work his way into the starting goalkeeper role.

Newton (6’2″, 185) was Houston’s first round pick in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft (seventh overall). He played for Old Dominion University and finished as the Monarchs’ all-time leader in saves and shutouts. He was named first-team all-Colonial Athletic Association in 2010 after posting a 1.07 goals against average and is a former member of the U.S. U-17 National Team. In 2007, Newton was named the Premier Development League Goalkeeper of the Year and was named NSCAA Adidas Youth All-American three times, in 2002, 2003, and 2005.

Attinella is expected to make his first career start this Saturday at home against the RailHawks. After that, coach Ricky Hill will have some tough decisions to make. Either way, the Rowdies have no professional experience in either keeper and will need to rely heavily upon veteran central defenders Andres Arango and Frankie Sanfilippo to help guide the team from the back. Defense had been the strength so far for the Rowdies who have only allowed 3 goals this season. But the team has only scored 2 goals in 4 games and will surely need to step up their offensive prowess if they are to remain competitive. Especially with two greenhorns between the pipes.