The Tampa Bay Rowdies make their return to the USL Championship Playoffs at Al Lang Stadium this Friday, October 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET as they host in-state rivals Miami FC. Rowdies Head Coach Dominic Casciato, Defender Charlie Ostrem, and Forward MD Myers preview what to expect from the Rowdies in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals clash against Miami.
Rowdies Head Coach Dominic Cassciato
On getting the Rowdies back into the USL Championship playoffs…
“For us it’s obviously great to be back in the playoffs. I think for us, qualifying for the playoffs should be the bare minimum here in Tampa Bay. We’re obviously delighted to be back here and I think it’s a good measure of our progress since last year. We’re looking forward to the game against Miami.”
His message to the players as they head into the playoffs…
“Really it’s about continuing to do what we’ve been doing, to keep being brave with and without the ball. I think sometimes playoff football arrives or cup finals arrive, and you can feel the games get a little tense now and that the pressure’s building. Pressure’s really something you build in your own head, right? For us, what has got us to the number one seed, what’s got us to lift the Players’ Shield is being the best version of ourselves and trying to fight against that fear all the time and trying to control that fear and be brave. That’s going to be the message going into the game on Friday night.”
On staying true to the club’s principles despite the increased stakes in the playoffs…
“A lot of our football is built around winning games. It’s about how we win games, how we control games with and without the ball. So if our football is built around that, I don’t think that needs to change going into the playoffs. Now, do we need to be more aware of our playoff game certain things the opponent presents and the stakes? Yeah, of course we do. Will our training reflect that? Yeah, of course it will. But for us, we’re not suddenly going to become a new team going into the playoffs because it’s playoff football. We trust in our football, we trust in our players, we trust in the way we do things. That’ll be the message going into the game.”
On expectations from Miami on Friday…
“We know they’ve got good players and we know they’re well-coached by Gaston (Maddoni). So we’re expecting a tough game, but we’re going to be the best version of ourselves and we think that’s a tough matchup for anybody in this league.”
Defender Charlie Ostrem
On a new challenge ahead for the team in the playoffs…
“We’re excited as players to be in the playoffs. Dom’s been talking all week about how this is a new mountain to climb for us. We accomplished climbing one mountain with the Players’ Shield. Now we have this whole new mountain ahead. In our eyes, everyone’s even and everyone starts fresh. So yeah, we’re just got to take it one game at a time.”
On the mindset of the team shifting from the regular season to the playoffs…
“I think it’s not necessarily a new season in the playoffs, but it’s a new competition for sure. We can build on what we’ve already done in the regular season, but we have to have the mindset that we have to earn it all again.”
On how the team’s league-best defense (16 shutouts) can be key in the playoffs…
“That all comes down to a mindset. It’s top to bottom. It starts with the strikers with the press, and then with the back line just being safe and smart. It’s definitely important to just stay organized and communicate well in these kind of games.”
On facing an in-state rival in the first round of the playoffs…
“It’s definitely fun. It’s always fun to play an in-state rival in any game. (Miami) are a good team. They have a lot of talent. We’ve just got to keep our heads, stay cool and calm.”
On lessons learned from the recent loss to Miami…
“I just think we need to be smart at the back, stay focused, and keep our heads. I think if we keep it close and play our game, we’ll win. Playing our game is what’s most important.”
On the importance of home-field advantage throughout the playoffs…
“Having home field advantage is incredible. I mean, Al Lang Stadium is the best. I think we have the best fans in the league. When we play at home, there’s just a different energy that I think gives us a little extra boost. So we love it.”
Foward MD Myers
On how the experience from the Players’ Shield race can help the team in the playoffs…
“It’s super exciting that the playoffs are here. It’s been a long season. It’s been kind of nice to have that challenge, because we were playing for the Players’ Shield for a while. It’s felt like we had some playoff games already leading up to this when we were fighting for the shield. So I feel like we have some experience in these knockout-like, high-stakes games. I’m excited to get in the playoffs and have some fun.”
On if the team’s mindset is changing at all for the playoffs…
“I think (our mindset) is not changing much. I think you can get a little overwhelmed when it comes to playoff time, but we’ve been in tough situations this season and I think we’re ready for it. We’re just going to trust in what we’ve been doing and stick to our principles and just keep working every day.”
On matching up with Miami in the playoffs…
“We’ve battled against them three times already this season, so we know them well. They came in and beat us on home turf last time, but we want to get our get back.We have our fans behind us, and we’re looking forward to a good game. I think we don’t want to concede early. I think that was something that really hurt us last time. We’re going to get after them. We’re going to show them our style, play with confidence, and hopefully score a lot of goals.”
