Matchday 29
Tampa Bay Rowdies at San Antonio FC
Saturday, September 16, 8:30 p.m. ET
Toyota Field, San Antonio, TX
Watch Party: Join the official Rowdies Watch Party at Colony Grill in Downtown St. Pete. Fans wearing Rowdies gear will receive 25% off all pizza.
Watch: Stream the match on ESPN+.
For the first time since 2017, the Tampa Bay Rowdies are heading to the Alamo City for a matchup against San Antonio FC. Saturday night’s meeting at Toyota Field will be just the second time the Rowdies have faced off with San Antonio in USL Championship action, although the two sides have plenty of history from their days in the North American Soccer League. Tampa Bay and San Antonio played each other 14 times in the NASL, with each club claiming seven victories in the series. The two sides battled to a 1-1 draw in their one USL Championship back in 2017 when the Rowdies first joined the league.
Saturday’s matchup in Texas could have a significant impact on the Rowdies pursuit of not only the top seed in the Eastern Conference but also their quest to claim the Players’ Shield. With a game in hand and just one point back of the league’s current frontrunner Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, the Rowdies control their own fate in both races. However, that doesn’t mean the path will be easy. The Rowdies must make the most of their six remaining regular season matches, starting this Saturday in San Antonio, against last year’s Players’ Shield and league champions.
“It’s the time of season when every team wants to get results,” said Rowdies veteran Yann Ekra. “Every team is fighting for points. Some teams are fighting for a playoff spot, some are fighting for a top seed. Every game is tight. All the games come down to the little details. No one wants to make a mistake. Saturday is going to be a good game.”
Next Man Up
Last Saturday’s match versus Louisville was the first time since Nicky Law took over as head coach at the end of July that the Rowdies had a full bench at their disposal. One of those returning players to help fill out the bench was Jake Areman, who provided the assist on Cal Jennings’ game-winning goal as a second half substitute. Areman had missed the previous two matches due to a hamstring injury.
Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, captain Aaron Guillen and Conner Antley were both forced to exit the Louisville match after picking up knocks. If the Rowdies are going to maintain their momentum in the final stretch before the playoffs, they will have to keep relying on their depth throughout the squad to do so.
“I think having that next man up mentality is very important in this league,” said Areman. “It’s a long season, almost ten months and 34 games. You’re always grinding through it and week in and week out you’re just trying to keep your body healthy, stay in shape and obviously perform at a high level. It’s not always easy but this team’s been resilient and found ways to get it done.”
Milestone Watch
A trio of Rowdies are on the verge on reaching the 100 appearances for the club. Heading into the weekend, midfielder Jordan Doherty stands at 98 total appearances, midfielder Lewis Hilton has 97 appearances, and defender Conner Antley sits with 96 appearances.
Cal’s Streak
Cal Jennings continued his remarkable scoring streak last week with three goals across two matches, earning him USL Championship Player of the Week. Jennings has now scored in five straight matches, a career-best streak for him individually and equal to the club record set by Rowdies all-time leading scorer Sebastian Guenzatti in 2021. Jennings currently has 14 goals on the year, two shy of the present USL Championship Golden Boot leader Albert Dikwa.
Injury Report
OUT: Zach Herivaux, Sebastian Dalgaard, Abel Caputo
QUESTIONABLE: Aaron Guillen, Conner Antley
