USL Championship Matchday 24
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Hartford Athletic
Saturday, September 12, 7:00 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
2026 League Records:
Rowdies: 14W-3L-6D (7-1-4 on the road), 48 pts, 1st in the East
Hartford: 7W-5L-10D (3-1-5 at home), 31 pts, 6th in the East
Broadcast: Tampa Bay 44, ESPN+
After becoming the first team to clinch a spot in this year’s USL Championship playoffs last week, the Tampa Bay Rowdies hit the road for a meeting with Hartford Athletic at Trinity Health Stadium this Saturday.
With seven matches left to play in their regular season campaign, the Rowdies remain in control of the race to claim the top spot in the Eastern Conference and the hunt for this year’s USL Championship Players’ Shield. Tampa Bay holds a nine-point edge over the Charleston Battery in the Eastern Conference standings and an eight-point advantage over the current top teams in the Western Conference, El Paso Locomotive FC and New Mexico United.
The Rowdies will aim to exact a little revenge over Hartford in their second regular season meeting. Hartford was the first side to hand the Rowdies a loss in 2026, snapping the Green and Gold’s 15-match undefeated start to the season across all competitions with a 1-0 result at Al Lang Stadium on June 13.
Series History
Hartford’s win over the Rowdies back in June was just the third time the Rowdies have been on the losing end of a result in the series between the two sides. The Rowdies hold a considerable edge over Hartford in their series with a record of 10W-3L-2D. Six of Tampa Bay’s victories in the series have been recorded on the road. The Rowdies have won five straight contests in Hartford, with their last road loss in the series coming back in October of 2019.
Adding Firepower
On Wednesday, the Rowdies announced an attacking reinforcement for the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs with the addition of former Eredivisie and Premier League striker Jürgen Locadia via transfer from Miami FC. Locadia, who has recorded 10 goals and two assists for Miami in 2026, joins the Rowdies after making his World Cup debut with the Curacao Men’s National Team over the summer. The 32-year-old striker started in all three of the island country’s group stage matches. Born in the Netherlands, Locadia began his professional career with Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven, where he netted 62 goals over eight seasons. In 2018, Locadia transferred from PSV to Brighton & Hove Albion and signed a four-year contract with the Premier League side. His career has included loan stints in the Bundesliga and Major League Soccer.
Green and Gold Playmaker
Rowdies Defender Charlie Ostrem is making waves in his first USL Championship season. The Washington native currently leads the race for this year’s Golden Playmaker award after recording his league-leading 8th assist of the season in Tampa Bay’s playoff-clinching win over Brooklyn FC. Ostrem is now only two assists shy of matching his total from last season when he led all of USL League One in that category with Union Omaha. Should Ostrem reaching 10 assists in 2026, he would become the first player to record double-digit seasons of assists in both the USL Championship and USL League One
Waite Hits Double Digits
For the second time in his career, Rowdies Goalkeeper Jahmali Waite has recorded double digit shutouts in a single season. Last week’s victory over Brooklyn marked Waite’s 10th shutout of the regular season, matching his career-best record from the 2023 season when he helped Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC claim the USL Championship Players’ Shield. The Rowdies currently lead the league with 12 shutouts on the season, with goalkeeper Austin Pack accounting for two of those shutout efforts.
150 in the USL
The Rowdies playoff-clinching win over Brooklyn FC last Saturday also marked a significant milestone for the club. With the win, the Rowdies became the seventh team to reach 150 regular season victories in the USL Championship history. The Rowdies reached the mark in their 303rd regular season contest. Since joining the USL Championship in 2017, the Rowdies rank second in the league in regular season wins with a record of 150W-85L-68D.
Milestone Watch
- Rowdies Forward MD Myers (38 goals) is nearing 40 USL Championship regular season goals
- Rowdies Midfielder Lewis Hilton (37) is nearing 40 USL Championship regular season assists
- Rowdies Goalkeeper Jahmali Waite needs one more shutout to break his personal record of 10 clean sheets in a single season
- Rowdies Defender Nate Dossantos (9,840 minutes) is nearing 10,000 USL Championship regular season minutes played
Rowdies Availability Report
OUT: Archer, Schaefer
