Matchday 12 Info:
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Saturday, May 21, 7:30pm ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
Tickets: Fans can purchase tickets for the match by clicking here or by stopping by the Al Lang box office starting at 4pm on matchday.
Theme Night: The Rowdies will be celebrating veterans and active duty members of the armed forces this Saturday with Military Appreciation Night and -re-game, in-game, and halftime recognitions.
Pre-Game Show: Tune in for the pre-game show hosted by The Unused Substitutes, airing live on Twitch.TV/RowdiesGG. at 6:30pm ET.
Watch: Stream the match here on ESPN+.
Follow Along: Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday.
Nearly four years to the date, Tampa Bay Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins will meet the same team he met the night he first took charge of the club. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC comes to town this Saturday at Al Lang Stadium once again as one of the top teams in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference.
The Rowdies needed a second-half goal from Joe Cole to come away with a point against Pittsburgh in Collins’ first match. Every matchup with Pittsburgh has been just as hard-fought, with the Rowdies posting two wins, two losses, and three draws over the years.
“When you’re playing Pittsburgh, you really know it’s going to be a tough game, “said Collins. “I’d like to think people have felt that over the last three or four years, but I think Bob’s teams were part of the inspiration I got when I thought how can we compete with these teams and that’s what we’re still aiming to do. That’s why Saturday’s going to a tough game. You’ve got a top team that can well on both sides of the game.”
With Pittsburgh in town on the anniversary of his first match as head coach in 2018, Collins reflected on the progress the Rowdies have made and the work still to be done.
“If I’m being honest, when I took this job, my aim was to keep this job,” said Collins. “My short term aim was to just keep the job, to show that I could make the team better. I think that was the big thing. Can I make the team better on the field and can I make the club better as a whole? That’s still the aim and I’m glad I’ve had four years to keep progressing. While I’ve been here I’ve constantly strove to do that. It’s great that we’ve had some success in those four years, but I’m still as committed as ever to try and bring more success. There’s a lot of things on the horizon for this club that I think are going to be exciting that I’m glad to be part of. The four years have flown by in the best possible sense.”
Slow and Steady Progress
The Rowdies are coming off their best result of the season after routing Phoenix 5-1 on the road. It came at a much needed time after the Rowdies dropped of four matches in a congested April. The much needed victory gives the Rowdies a confidence boost heading into the grueling days of summer, although Collins and his staff are aware there’s still a long road ahead to building this Rowdies squad into a championship contender.
“I think what the result against Phoenix did was show us what we’re capable of and what I thought we were capable of, but there’s still a couple things we need to iron out,” said Collins. “We’ve still got a couple of important guys nursing injuries and a couple things in the squad we need to sort out but, although the results have not always shown it, I do believe we’re on the right track to where we can hopefully consistently do what we did in Phoenix.”
Fernandes the Creator
The moment everyone was talking about after the Phoenix may not have been any of the goals but the pass from Leo Fernandes to set up the first goal. Fernandes threaded a heeled pass through the leg of a defender to set LaCava up beautifully. The assist was Fernandes’ tclub-leading third of the year and his 24th overall, which is the second most in the Rowdies modern era.
LaCava’s Fit in Tampa Bay
Jake LaCava’s transition in to the Rowdies has been a seamless one. After Sunday’s tally to kick off the scoring explosion in Phoenix, the young attacker now leads the club with five goals on the season. While the supporters and everyone watching can see his impact on the field, Collins notes that LaCava is as equally meaningful to the Rowdies in every facet.
“The best compliment I can give Jake is he’s a Rowdies player, and by that I mean he exhibits all the traits I’d expect a Rowdies player to,” said Collins. “He works hard, he’s coach-able, he’s honest, he’s a good teammate, and most of all he’s a good player. I think Jake over the past month has lifted his game again and I actually think once a couple of our top players find their top form, it’s going to be really exciting to watch. We’ve had moments and Sunday night was another step in the right direction but once we really get it going he’s going to go from strength to strength. We’re delighted to have him and he’s done a fantastic job.”
Injury Report:
OUT: Robert Castellanos
QUESTIONABLE: Conner Antley, Dayonn Harris, Jake Areman
