The Basics
IMG Academy Bradenton vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies U23
Wednesday, May 31, 10:00 a.m. ET.
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Follow us for live updates on Twitter @RowdiesU23
Records
IMG Academy: 1-1-1 (W-T-L), 4 points, 4th place
Rowdies U23: 1-0-0 (W-T-L), 3 points, 5th place
Rowdies Notes
This Wednesday’s game at Al Lang will be the first home PDL game of the season for the Rowdies U23 squad.
Coming off a strong 2-1 victory in their season opener Saturday against Weston FC, the Rowdies will try carry that momentum into their home opener against IMG.
A mix of possession domination, aggressive attacks, and stout defensive play factored heavily into the season opening win for the Rowdies and much of that will be a focus in Wednesday’s match.
U23 Head Coach Keith Fulk emphasized that the squad will look to “play more attacking soccer while controlling the pace of play.”
In addition, it was clear that the focus of practice this week was based heavily around the cohesion of the backline. Assistant coach Kevin Clinton stressed that in last year’s Rowdies 2 squad “it was difficult initially to create understanding along the backline due to the different places that all players came from. That led to many [late game] losses early in the season. It is important that we do not let that become a problem again this season.”
Beyond style of play, Fulk also emphasized getting new faces and fresh legs onto the field at Al Lang. “We’ve been happy with a lot of the guys so we’re going to give a whole new group a chance to perform at Al Lang which will be a great opportunity for the squad.”
Clearly Fulk intends to shake up the starting lineup heading into the season opener so stick around for updates on Wednesday’s starting XI at our official Twitter page.
Scouting IMG
Thus far this season, IMG has already had their fair share of ups and downs. Currently the squad sits in fourth place with a one point lead on the Rowdies U23’s although having played two more games than Tampa Bay has.
IMG began the season with a three game home stretch in which they picked up points in their first two games. A 1-1 draw against Weston FC and a 3-1 victory over The Villages SC gave IMG strong momentum heading into this past weekend’s matchup against the division leading SIMA Aguilas. Although IMG had strung together consecutive strong performances, they fell 3-0 in that match.
This match marks the beginning of a five game road trip for IMG which spans nearly an entire month of the season. After Tampa Bay, IMG will prepare for this weekend’s road match against Miami City FC and later a rematch against SIMA Aguilas. With regards to the Rowdies, IMG will meet them once more at the close of the season on July 11th in Bradenton.
In speaking about this week’s preparation Fulk stressed that the focus was on “creating more chances than they create [and] dealing with their aggressiveness.” Furthermore Coach Fulk hoped to use this match to prepare effectively for the rematch at the end of the year.
Notable IMG players to watch for Wednesday include Danny Avila from Appalachian State University, Ian McCauley of Stetson University, and Michael Cormack from West Virginia University.
Coming Up Next
Rowdies U23 will take on the Lakeland Tropics at Bryant Stadium in Lakeland on Saturday at 7:35 p.m. ET. Follow along with match commentary at twitter.com/rowdiesu23.
