USL Championship Matchday 10
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Lexington SC
Saturday, May 24, 7 p.m. ET
Lexington SC Stadium, Lexington, KY
2025 League Records:
Rowdies: 1W-7L-1D, 4 pts, 12th East (1-3-0 on the road)
Lexington: 1W-5L-4D, 7 pts, 12th West (1-2-3 on the road)
Tune In: Tampa Bay 44, ESPN+
Watch Party: Join the official Rowdies watch party at Colony Grill in Downtown St. Petersburg. Fans wearing Rowdies gear receive discounts on food and drinks.
After a month and a half at home in the Sunshine State, the Tampa Bay Rowdies are hitting the road again for a matchup with USL Championship newcomer Lexington SC. Saturday’s meeting is the first-ever contest between the Rowdies and Lexington. The Kentucky-based club joined the league this year after competing in USL League One the past two seasons.
“We’re going to have to be resilient on the road,” said Rowdies Interim Head Coach Steve Coleman. “We’ve been resilient in moments recently, but have come up short in certain other moments… For us to win, we’re going to have to defend our goal with passion and responsibility. We’re going to have to create chances like we have for the last five or six games, but make sure the ball goes into the goal.”
The Rowdies and Lexington are seeking to turn their fortunes around after inauspicious starts to the season. Both sides sit at the bottom of the standings in their respective conferences heading into Saturday’s matchup.
“Lexington are a dangerous team,” said Coleman. “They’re in a similar position to us right now in the Western Conference. They’ve been in every game so far and they have some real dangers for us, certainly their pace in their top line and their ability to find those gaps to receive the ball. We’re expecting a tough game.”
Working for Wins
While Lexington are a team still establishing themselves in the league, Tampa Bay’s current run of form is particularly uncharacteristic. The Rowdies six-match winless streak is the club’s longest stretch without a victory since the 2018 USL Championship season.
“One of the hardest things as an athlete is you’ve gotta keep doing the work,” said veteran Rowdies defender Forrest Lasso. “Obviously, there are things that haven’t gone our way, but at the end of the day, it’s up to us to fix that. Regardless of outside variables, we’re focused on doing the best we can individually, and that will translate to the unit and collectively. As hard as it is, you’ve just gotta keep going.”
As desperate as the players, staff, and fans are to see the Rowdies start stacking consecutive results together, that will only come by putting in the work and being committed to improving every day throughout the week.
“What the fans see is what happens during 90 minutes on Saturdays,” said Lasso. “To iron out the wrinkles, it happens here, Monday through Friday at training. You’ve got to put in the work. You’ve got to be humble enough to look in the mirror and realize what we need to correct. We have the right guidance and support and structure from the staff, so it’s just about showing up each day trying to get better.”
Down a Defender
The Rowdies will be without defender Laurence Wyke this weekend in Lexington as he serves his red card suspension from last week’s match against Rhode Island. Wyke has started in seven of his eight appearances in league action so far this year, missing out on one match due to injury. Only Rowdies captain Aaron Guillen has played more minutes on the back line this season.
Full 90 for Fernandes
It may have gone under the radar considering the scoreline, but last Saturday’s shift against Rhode Island was a memorable one for Leo Fernandes. The longtime Rowdies midfielder played all 90 minutes for the first time since his Achilles injury in early 2023. Fernandes leads all Modern Era Rowdies players with 187 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Mustali’s Starting Nod
It was a memorable night for Rowdies forward Endri Mustali last Saturday at Al Lang Stadium. The 17-year-old earned his first professional start and played 58 minutes before making way for veteran Manuel Arteaga. Mustali currently leads the Rowdies with two assists on the season.
Rowdies Availability Report
OUT: MacPherson, Niyongabire
QUESTIONABLE: Hilton
SUSPENDED: Wyke
