Being on the soccer pitch brings defender Forrest Lasso joy. Since 2020, he has expressed his delight in the game, playing 95 matches for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. "[Tampa] is a special place to be. We have guys from all over the world...we want to come here," Lasso said. However, Lasso was unsure if he'd get to stay here after a torn ACL brought his 2024 season to an end. At the time of the injury, the Raleigh, North Carolina, native was having the best game of his season, scoring two goals in a 5-0 victory against FC Tulsa. "I lost doing what I've been doing since I was three years old, so that joy got taken away," he said. "It was definitely the deepest depths I've ever gone in, personally." While he was down, the 31-year-old discovered joy away from the pitch by spending time with family and welcoming the birth of his second son, Teos. "I absolutely love being a dad. Going home, I almost forgot I was hurt half the time," he said. Six months after his injury, the Rowdies signed Lasso to a new contract. "We are delighted to have agreed on an extension to Forrest’s time with the Rowdies," Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson said in a statement. "Even during his injury last year, we saw him bring valuable leadership and experience to our locker room." A three-time USL Championship Defender of the Year, Lasso enters his fifth season with Tampa Bay with a fully healed knee and a full heart. "We're more than just soccer players at the end of the day. Having that perspective has allowed me, in a crazy way, to become a better soccer player," he said. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/sports/soccer/forrest-lasso-rowdies-tampa-bay-soccer/67-6d2e297d-b004-473b-a991-c81755cb490e