USL Championship Matchday 2
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Saturday, March 21, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
League Records
Rowdies: 1-0-0, 3 pts (5th, East)
Pittsburgh: 1-1-0, 3 pts (6th, East)
Gate Giveaways: 2026 schedules and magnets, Orlando Health folding fans (while supplies last)
Michelob Ultra Fan Zone: Stop by the Michelob Ultra Fan Zone outside Gate 2 to enjoy games and activities for all ages and $3 Michelob Ultras while supplies last. The Fan Zone is open from 5:30 p.m. until kickoff.
Broadcast: Tampa Bay 44, ESPN+
Rowdies soccer returns to Al Lang Stadium this Saturday with a marquee matchup against the defending league champions. The Rowdies face off against Pittsburgh following a 1-0 victory over Birmingham in the season opener two weeks ago, marking the club’s first win to start a campaign since the 2021 season. Starting off with a shutout is also notable for a Rowdies side that failed to secure a clean sheet in league play until July 16 last year.
Another impressive aspect of the Rowdies win in Birmingham is the fact that they did so with a significant number of players unavailable. MD Myers, Evan Conway, Leland Archer, Yanis Leerman, and Gennaro Nirgo all missed out on the season opener due to injury. While last week’s break in league action gave the Rowdies two valuable weeks to prepare for their Home Opener showdown against Pittsburgh, it’s also afforded those players more time to move closer to full fitness.
A New Era
The 2026 season is the beginning of a whole new era for the Rowdies. With the addition of midfielder Mattheus Oliveira this week, the Rowdies have brought in a total of 20 new players to get the club back on track after a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Midfielder Lewis Hilton was the only returning player to feature in the starting lineup of the season opener. Altogether, 12 newcomers made their Rowdies debut in the match—the most debuts the club has seen in a single match since the inaugural match of the Rowdies Modern Era back in 2010.
Club Connections
A handful of the Rowdies offseason recruits suited up for Pittsburgh earlier in their careers. Goalkeeper Jahmali Waite and defender Nate Dossantos both played pivotal parts in helping Pittsburgh claim their first USL Championship Players’ Shield in 2023. Forward Russell Cicerone, midfielder Louis Perez, and goalkeeper Austin Pack are also among the former Riverhounds on this year’s Rowdies squad.
Milestone Watch
Rowdies Forward Russell Cicerone, who made his way to Tampa Bay in the offseason following three stellar seasons at Sacramento Republic FC, is just one goal away from reaching 70 career regular season goals. Meanwhile, defender Laurence Wyke is two appearances away from joining the Rowdies 100 appearances club. Wyke would be the 11th player from the Rowdies 2021 Players’ Shield winning squad to reach 100 appearances for the club.
Scouting Pittsburgh
The defending champions have split results in their first two outings of the new campaign, falling 2-1 to Charleston in the season opener and knocking off Loudoun United 3-2 this past weekend. Former Hounds player Rob Vincent is in his first full season as head coach after leading the club to a title as interim head coach last year. While last year’s USL Championship MVP Eric Dick and All-League First Team Defender Sean Suber have departed the Hounds, the club has retained the services of a strong group of returning players, including midfielders Danny Griffin and Robbie Mertz. Last week, Griffin became just the fourth player in league history to surpass 15,000 regular season minutes played for a single club. One key offseason acquisition for Pittsburgh is forward Albert Dikwa. After two seasons in Rhode Island, Dikwa makes his way back to Pittsburgh, where he won the USL Championship Golden Boot in 2023.
Rowdies Availability Report
OUT: Archer
QUESTIONABLE: Conway, Leerman, Myers, Nigro, Vivi
