USL Championship Matchday 17
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Miami FC
Saturday, July 25, 7:00 p.m. ET
Pitbull Stadium, Miami, FL
2026 League Records:
Rowdies: 9W-2L-5D (5-0-3 on the road), 32 pts, 1st in the East
Miami: 5W-6L-6D (4-2-2 at home), 21 pts, 6th in the East
Watch Party: Join the Official Rowdies Watch Party at Colony Grill in Downtown St. Pete.
Broadcast: Tampa Bay 44, ESPN+
The Tampa Bay Rowdies head south this Saturday to close out the month of July with their first regular season meeting of the year against Miami FC. The two sides already met once this year in Round 2 of the Prinx Tires USL Cup back in May, with the Rowdies claiming victory in a 4-1 result on their way to securing the top spot in Group 7. Miami, who ended up finishing second in the group to clinch the Wild Card spot in the Quarterfinals of the USL Cup, will be eager to avenge the defeat at the hands of the Rowdies on home turf.
Tampa Bay has dominated the rivalry with Miami over recent seasons. The Rowdies are unbeaten in their last seven regular season contests in the series. Including this year’s USL Cup matchup, the Rowdies have won five straight road matches against Miami. The last time the Rowdies lost in Miami was in July of 2021.
Record Breakers
This year’s Rowdies are setting a new standard on the road. The Rowdies remain undefeated on the road through their first eight away fixtures of the regular season with five wins and three draws, establishing a new club record for the longest undefeated road streak in a single season. The squad has also posted two road wins in the group stage of the Prinx Tires USL Cup.
Dobson’s Milestone
Rowdies Goalkeeper Coach Stuart Dobson is nearing his 400th match for the club. Dobson, who joined the Rowdies ahead of the 2015 season, will hit his major milestone at the Rowdies next home match against Louisville City FC on August 1. Dobson joined Jeff Attinella on this week’s episode of the Tampa Bay Rowdies Podcast to chat about his time with the club. Click here to listen.
Scouting Miami
Miami striker Jurgen Locadia could potentially make his debut in the Tampa Bay-Miami rivalry this Saturday after missing the USL Cup matchup in May due to suspension. Locadia leads Miami with five goals in the regular season despite being away from the club while representing Curaçao in the FIFA World Cup. He and Miami Goalkeeper Eloy Room were a part of Curaçao’s roster at this summer’s World Cup tournament.
Miami heads into this weekend’s match on the back off a 2-0 loss at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Wednesday night. The defeat leaves Miami 6th in the Eastern Conference standings with 21 points earned through 17 matches played.
Upcoming Milestones
- Rowdies Goalkeeper Coach Stuart Dobson will hit 400 matches for the Rowdies at the club’s next home match on Saturday, August 1 versus Louisville City FC.
- Rowdies Midfielder Lewis Hilton (170 appearances) is closing in on Rowdies legend Georgi Hirstov (173) on the club’s Modern Era appearances list. Hristov currently has the second most appearances in the Rowdies Modern Era.
- Rowdies Goalkeeper Jahmali Waite (244 saves) is nearing 250 USL Championship regular season saves.
Rowdies Availability Report
OUT: Archer, Rodriguez, Schaefer
QUESTIONABLE: Wyke
