Matchday 34 Info:
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs New York Red Bulls II
Saturday, October 15, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
Tickets: Tickets for the match can be purchased by clicking here or at the stadium box office starting at 4 pm on matchday.
Specials: Fans can enjoy $5 Bud Light beer throughout Saturday’s match.
Fireworks: Be sure to stick around after the final whistle for a postmatch fireworks show.
Pre-Game Show: Get set for the match with the pre-game show hosted by The Unused Substitutes live on Twitch.TV/RowdiesGG
Watch: Stream the match on ESPN+.
Follow Along: Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies have one more chance to fine tune their form before the start of the USL Championship playoffs on October 22. This Saturday, the Rowdies host New York Red Bulls II for their regular-season finale at Al Lang Stadium.
The Rowdies currently sit third in the Eastern Conference standings but still maintain a shot at grabbing the number two seed. In order to do so, the Rowdies must win their match with New York and hope for second-place Memphis 901 FC t either lose or draw with FC Tulsa.
“Memphis have been relentless in their results this season,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “We know they have a tough one with Tulsa and we won’t be taking New York Red Bulls II for granted because we saw how difficult they made it for Memphis. That’s all we can do tonight was win to give ourselves a chance at the number two seed. If we don’t get it, hopefully it’s not because of anything we’ve done.”
As the team with the fewest points in either conference, New York may seem like a pushover. However, Red Bulls II pushed Memphis to limit on the road last weekend. Memphis managed to squeak out a 2-1 win thanks to a late goal from Philip Goodrum.
Fernandes Doesn’t Miss a Beat in Return
In his return from suspension, Leo Fernandes continued his case for USL Championship MVP with another two-goal performance in the win over El Paso. Fernandes now leads the Rowdies with 18 goals and is fourth overall in the league.
Rowdies Attack Continues to Roar
With four more goals under their belt, the Rowdies extending their lead atop the league’s scoring leaderboard. They have now bagged 72 goals on the year, the only team so far to surpasse 70 goals. The closest team to them is San Diego Loyal with 68 goals.
A Tale of Two Loanees
A familiar face returns to Al Lang with New York Red Bulls II on Saturday night. Forward Jordan Adebayo-Smith is set to make his first appearance in Tampa Bay since the Rowdies sent him on loan. While New York’s season has been a tough one, Adebayo-Smith has shown his attacking potential remains intact. He leads New York with 7 goals on the season and has also recorded three assists.
In turn, the Rowdies are happy with the value they have gotten out of attacker Jake LaCava, who is on loan from New York’s MLS side. LaCava is the second leading scorer on the Rowdies this year with 12 goals and has also recorded 5 assists.
Upcoming Milestones
• Forward Kyle Greig is nearing 15,000 minutes played in the USL Championship regular season. He currently sits at 14,843 minutes played heading into the weekend.
• Lewis Hilton are both nearing 30 regular season assists in the USL. Both are currently at 29 assists.
Injury Report
OUT: CJ Cochran, Thomas Vancaeyezeele
QUESTIONABLE: Jake Areman
SUSPENDED: Laurence Wyke
