The Basics
FC Miami City vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies U23
Tuesday, June 26, 7:30 p.m. ET.
Waters Avenue Complex, Tampa, Fla.
Follow us for live updates on Twitter @RowdiesU23
Records
FC Miami City: 8-1-0 (W-L-T), 24 points, 2nd place
Rowdies U23: 3-4-0 (W-L-T), 9 points, 6th place
Rowdies Notes
After stringing together a few wins in a row, the Rowdies U23’s suffered another heart wrenching defeat on the road against SIMA Aguilas.
The loss was the fourth in seven PDL matches for the Rowdies and marked the third time that the U23’s lost on an opposing goal in stoppage time.
In practice this week, the emphasis was clearly based around finishing opportunities on net as Tampa Bay had their fair share of chances, some of them one-on-one, against SIMA yet could not put any away when it mattered most.
From a personnel standpoint, there was a solid amount of shifting around at the training grounds. Midfielder Kamar Marriott was finally able to suit up again and practice in limited fashion as he recovers from injury while defender Preston Kilwien was sidelined for practice over the weekend. Heading into Tuesday’s match against FC Miami City, the U23’s will continue to be without a number of key players including Noah Franke, Andrew Samuels, and Ricky Lopez-Espin.
Look for updates on Tuesday’s starting XI and substitutes at our official Twitter page.
Scouting Miami
On the season, FC Miami City has been just one step behind SIMA Aguilas.
This is meant quite literally as the team is undefeated aside from a 2-1 home loss to SIMA back in May. The team now stands just a single point behind their Montverde-based rivals and remain poised to take back the lead in the division table.
While Miami has been dominant all season, they have been especially strong in the five matches since their loss to SIMA. In these games they have outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 17-0. No match was closer than a 2-0 Miami victory which exemplifies just how dominant this team can be.
In preparing for the incredibly formidable challenge, head coach Keith Fulk stood behind the emphasis from the weekend’s practice. He stated how important it was for the team to “finish any chances afforded to them” as a team such as Miami would limit any opportunities.
This match marks the second game of a five game road trip for Miami which ends with the season finale at home against the Rowdies on Saturday, July 15th.
Coming Up Next
Your U23’s will travel to Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach to take on Palm Beach Suns FC on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. ET. Follow along with match commentary at twitter.com/rowdiesu23!
