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The defending NASL Champions returned to practice on Monday morning focused on this Wednesday’s match against the Montreal Impact. The squad practiced for just over two hours, where they addressed tactical issues that arose in last Saturday’s match.

“We were glad to see that most of the guys came to practice today without any injuries,” said Rowdies head coach Ricky Hill. “Our main focus in the upcoming weeks is to make sure our players regain their fitness level. Saturday’s defeat was not what we were expecting, but every player came in today with a focused mentality, eager to get back on the pitch on Wednesday.”

Goalkeeper Andrew Fontein had a stellar first half against D.C. United, making crucial saves to keep the match draw at the half.

“I was fortunate to come up with some big saves mainly in the first half,” stated Fontein. “We started the second half strong, but our fitness wore out and they capitalized on it. Having seen Jeff (Attinella) play for a season really helped me have a smooth transition into the goalkeeping position. It is important to come back to practice today and regroup as we have another match just three days away.”

Tampa Bay will play their second group match in the Disney Pro Soccer Classic against the Montreal Impact on Wednesday, February 13 at 3:00 p.m. The Rowdies will play their last group match against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, February 16 at 8:00 p.m. All games will be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World. For ticket information for the 2013 Disney Pro Soccer Classic, click here.