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One strike from Steevan Dos Santos was all the Tampa Bay Rowdies needed to down Loudoun United FC on Saturday night at Segra Field. The 1-0 victory completed the Rowdies’ season sweep of Loudoun and kept the club in control of the race of the USL Championship’s top overall seed in the postseason.

Loudoun looked the more potent threat in the early stages and nearly snuck one by the Rowdies four minutes in as Jackson Hopkins curled a shot from the the top of the box that missed at the far post but not by much. As the half wore on, though, the Rowdies began to take hold of things, with midfielder Jordan Doherty coming close on two efforts in the 11th and 14th minutes.

“A really, really difficult game to come into on the back of a rivalry game at home on Wednesday night where we put on a great performance,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “Coming here where you’re expected to win against what we know can be a really difficult side. I thought the effort and the attitude were good. I just thought we were a step off in the first 15 minutes. We weren’t playing with the same energy and intensity. But once the boys raised that, we got a goal and should have had a couple more.”

When it looked as if the Rowdies would have to settle for a scoreless half, Dos Santos found the back of the net on an opportunistic chance in front of goal. After Houssou Landry fouled Laurence Wyke on the left wing, Lewis Hilton dropped a dangerous cross into the box that bounced in front of goal and toward the far post. Trying to stop Hilton’s free kick from finding Forrest Lasso on the back post, a Loudoun defender inadvertently played the ball right into the path of Dos Santos, who buried the chance to put the Rowdies up.

Rowdies captain Sebastian Guenzatti had his first chance of the night to score in the 56th minute. After a Doherty strike was blocked into the air, Guenzatti timed an overhead kick from 5 yards out well enough to get it on frame but not past Fordah.

Loudoun held most of the ball for the second half, yet the hosts could never find a way to break through and truly test Evan Louro, who was able to record his 14th clean sheet of the season and Tampa Bay’s 15th. 

Wanting to ensure the Rowdies came away with a win to keep pace in the race for the top seed in the postseason, Collins held back on making many changes until late into the match. Guenzatti ended up playing the entire match and Dos Santos didn’t come off until the 90th minute.

Both Guenzatti and Dos Santos and Guenzatti came inches away from a goal on a hectic sequence in Loudoun’s box in the 89th minute. As the match reached the final whistle, the Rowdies came close to doubling the lead several times in one sequence. Wyke initiated the sequence by driving into the left side of the penalty area before crossing the ball across goal. Harris collected the pass and sent another back across goal that was deflected out into the path of Guenzatti, who fired the ball on frame only to be denied by an outstanding save by Fordah. The rebound fell for Wyke on the endline and he rocketed a shot on frame but the effort deflected off the face of a defender on the line to stay out. A follow up attempt by Harris was blocked, as was another by Hilton. On the final attempt of the chaotic sequence, Dos Santos struck the ball from close range and had Fordah beat but the attempt clanged off the post.

Tampa Bay managed to pick up Saturday’s result with two key contributors hanging back home to receive some well deserved rest. Center back Aaron Guillen and midfielder Leo Fernandes were both given the night off as the Rowdies came in on just two days rest.

“There’s obviously parts of the performance that I’d like to be better, but putting everything into context, we’ve had a busy schedule and we’ve made a lot of changes to give guys rest,” said Collins. “Having come through two games making those changes and to still pick up a couple wins is big.”

The Rowdies will now get a full week’s rest for the first time in five matches before next Saturday’s regular season finale at Las Vegas Lights FC. A win in Las Vegas guarantees the Rowdies home field advantage throughout the playoffs. A loss by Phoenix Rising FC either this week or next week would do the same.  

Scoring Summary
TBR – Steevan Dos Santos 40’

Lineups
Rowdies: Louro; Scarlett, Lasso, Lachowecki (Harris, 55’); Antley, Wyke, Hilton, Doherty (Tejada, 69’), Dalgaard, Dos Santos (Adebayo-Smith, 90’), Guenzatti

Loudoun: Fordah; Clark, Downs, Dambrot; Greene (Montesdoca 79’), Landry, Garay, Samake; Hopkins (Paz, 60’), Gamble (O’Neil, 61’), Ku-DiPietro

Gameday Info:
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Loudoun United FC
October 23, Saturday, 7:00pm ET
Segra Field, Leesburg, VA

Watch: Stream the match on ESPN+ here.

Follow Along: Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday.

After beating Miami FC at Al Lang Stadium on Wednesday night to lock up the top seed in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference, the Tampa Bay Rowdies are quickly on to a Saturday matchup at Loudoun United FC. Loudoun sit last in the Atlantic Division standings and have been eliminated from the playoff race for weeks already, but that doesn’t mean they be a pushover. Playoff-bound Miami went to Loudoun expecting 3 points and came away with nothing in a shocking loss. 

So far this season the Rowdies have posted 3 wins in the season series with Loudoun, outscoring them 7 to 2. As last week’s 1-1 draw at home against 7th place New York Red Bulls II showed, though, completing a season sweep and beating any team 4 times in a season is a tall task.

Hristov and History within Seba’s Reach

Sebastian Guenzatti impressive run of form in front of goal continued against Miami, as he recorded a two-goal night for the 5th time this season and eclipsed his own Rowdies single-season scoring record by bringing his total up to 21 on the year.

After beating his own record, the next milestone in Guenzatti’s sight is Georgi Hristov’s all-time Rowdies scoring record of 60 goals. Wednesday’s performance puts Guenzatti at 57 total goals for Tampa Bay. With his current pace, it feels more a matter of when rather than if Guenzatti will catch and surpass Hristov. On paper, Tampa Bay’s next two matchups seem to be promising opportunities for Guenzatti to add to his total. Loudoun is second in goals conceded this year at 72 goals against, while next week’s regular season finale opponent Las Vegas Lights FC has allowed the most at 73.

Top Seed Still in Mind

Thanks to the win over Miami, the Rowdies remain in control of the race to claim the league’s top overall seed in the postseason. Should they win their final two matches and Phoenix Rising do the same, the Rowdies would edge Phoenix out based on the head-to-head tiebreaker from their win when the two sides met in May.

On paper, Miami was the Rowdies’ toughest opponent left when the week started. Even with that in mind, Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins made several key changes to the starting lineup and still came away with a win. Max Lachowecki and Dayonn Harris got starting nods out on the left and right wing respectively. Conner Antley filled in for Jordan Scarlett on the back line, giving Jamaican defender a well-deserved rest. Midfielder Lewis Hilton also got a reprieve, as Jordan Doherty slotted into the center of the field next to Laurence Wyke. Even keeper Evan Louro got his first night of since he joined the team last year, as Raiko Arozarena stepped in for his first minutes of the season.

Collins will likely continue to rotate the squad over the next two games and he tries to ensure players are fresh and ready to go come November 6 when the Rowdies host the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal at Al Lang Stadium. Fans may even be in store to see attacking midfielder Luiz Fernando for the first time in 2021. Fernando has finally been cleared to play after missing all year due to injury.

“The short-term goal was to beat Miami, but we didn’t want to do it at the expense of the long term goal,” said Collins. That’s why we had to give some of those players a rest. It’s not uncommon. A lot of teams have done it through certain points. We just had a rythym where I didn’t feel it was necessary to make changes, but after the last couple of games I felt it was the right time to make a couple of changes. That’s what we have a squad for and that’s why we believe in those guys.” 

As it stands, center back Aaron Guillen is the only player on the roster to have played every possible minute so far. However, even Guillen could be in line for rest in the next couple matches.
“Like everything, we’ll assess the last match, see how everyone is, assess the opposition and then make decisions,” said Collins. “We need to look at guys like Aaron Guillen, Forrest Lasso, Sebastian Guenzatti, all these guys that have played a lot and do what’s best for the team.”

Raiko’s Gets His Shot

Wednesday’s match was the first time since the end of 2019 that the Rowdies had someone in net other Evan Louro. The fact that Collins felt comfortable enough to give Raiko Arozarena a start against a Miami attack that has caused the Rowdies and other teams fits in the past shows how much confidence the Rowdies coach has in the keeper. It ended up being a comfortable night for him as the Rowdies prevented Miami from getting a single shot on goal.

“Raiko will be the first to admit the guys in front of him gave him a pretty comfortable debut,” said Collins. “He’s definitely got some attributes we feel good about. It’s a credit to Evan, he’s done just so well, that we’ve not felt it was the right time to make a change. Tonight it came for Raiko and I’m pleased the team helped him and he helped the team as well. He’s got a lot of talent and I think he’ll be pleased he had a relatively comfortable night. What he had to do he did well. Evan’s had some of those nights as well and it’s just important you keep your concentration when you’re called upon and that your distribution’s good and you sweep up well. Raiko did that.”

Injury Report
OUT: Yann Ekra

QUESTIONABLE:  Lucky Mkosana

ST PETERSBURG, FLa (October 20, 2021) – Sebastian Guenzatti recorded his fifth brace of the season and raised his season goal tally to 21 as the Tampa Bay Rowdies knocked off Miami FC 3-0 at Al Lang Stadium on Wednesday night. With the win, the Rowdies clinched the top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, guaranteeing a home match in the conference final should they advance that far.

Last week against New York Red Bulls II, the Rowdies rued several missed chances early in the match. Against Miami, though, the Rowdies came out full throttle to grab a lead in the 2nd minute. Leo Fernandes initiated the scoring sequence by stripping the ball off a Miami defender and then charging forward into the box. He then slipped a pass to an unmarked Guenzatti in the center of the box to open up the scoring.

Fernandes had his own chance to double the lead in the 12th minute when he broke through Miam’s back line again. He drove down into the final third with just keeper Connor Sparrow to beat but then lifted his shot over the goal.

Guenzatti’s early strike was all the Rowdies could produce in the first half. Miami was able to gain more possession but struggle dot break through Tampa Bay’s back line.

“Miami probably had their best spell five minutes before the first half ended,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “I thought if we didn’t go into the break ahead after this first half performance it’ll be disappointing. But we did. Credit to the players for taking it home. Lots to be pleased with and the fans should be proud of the players, which I’m sure they are.”

Tampa Bay stood strong defensively throughout the match. Rowdies keeper Raiko Arozarena went without facing a single shot on goal in his first start of the season.

Arozarena getting the start over regular Evan Louro was one of several changes to the usual Rowdies lineup. Midfielder Lewis Hilton got the night off, with Jordan Doherty filling in central midfield. Max Lachowecki got a starting nod on the left wing and Dayonn Harris started out on the right. Regular center back Jordan Scarlett also got a reprieve, as Connery Antley filled in on the back line until Scarlett was brought off the bench in the 56th minute.

The Rowdies did not look any lesser with all the changes. As the match wore on, the hosts continued to hold Miami at bay and eventually seal the result in the later stages.

“The team played well collectively and then you look individually  at the players that came in did,  supported by guys that have maybe played more minutes.  Total team performance. You’ve gotta be happy with so many aspects of the game.”

Guenzatti’s second goal of the night came in the 71st minute, with Antley feeding the Rowdies captain with a perfect cross to head home into the bottom right corner. With two goals tonight, Guenzatti has now set a new club single-season scoring record of 21 goals, surpassing his own record of 19 goals.

Just five minutes later, Guenzatti became the set-up man for substitute Steevan Dos Santos. Midfielder Laurence Wyke penetrated the final third to start the sequence, eventually lifting a cross in for Guenzatti to head down into the path of Dos Santos, who blasted his first touch into the back of the net.

The Rowdies will hit the field again soon as the travel to face Loudoun United FC on Saturday.  If the Rowdies can win their last two regular season fixtures, they will lock up the top overall seed in the USL Championship postseason.

Scoring Summary
TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti (Leo Fernandes) 3’
TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti (Conner Antley) 71’
TBR – Steevan Dos Santos (Sebastian Guenzatti) 76’

Gameday Info
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Miami FC
Wednesday, October 20, 7:30pm ET
Al Lang Stadium, St Petersburg, FL

Tickets: Tickets for the match can be purchased here.

Pre-Game Show: Catch the pre-game show from 6:45 to 7:15 hosted by The Unused Substitutes Podcast live on Rowdies Gaming Twitch channel here. 

Watch: The match can be viewed on ESPN+ here.

Follow Along: Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday 

The Tampa Bay Rowdies are back in action at Al Lang Stadium this Wednesday as they host Miami FC. It will be the fourth regular season meeting between the two sides but perhaps not the last of the year as Miami has clinched its first USL Championship postseason berth since joining the league last year. Miami claimed victory in the last two matchups in July after the Rowdies took the first back in May. All three contests have ended 2-1.

“There’s definitely been talk,” Rowdies midfielder Dayonn Harris of Wednesday’s matchup. “I think there’s that little bit of a rivalry with Miami. We’ve kind of butted heads with them. We didn’t get the result last game, so we’re definitely looking to come out and get the result this game.”

While the Atlantic Division playoff field is set with Miami as the fourth and final team to lock up a spot, there is still plenty to for among the three teams below the Rowdies. The Charlotte Independence, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, and Miami are all still vying for the division’s second seed and the guaranteed home match in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal round of the postseason that comes with it.

“I think (Miami) are probably gonna come after us,” said Collins. “They’ll want to take the initiative because they need to, but I always think that’s a bit dangerous at times for teams. We’re very mindful of what a difficult game it will be. It’s a big, challenging game for us, but I think it’s the kind of game players need and want. We’ll try and focus on our side of things and try and be prepared for whatever Miami might do. Whether they sit back, they come at us, they’re a very good footballing side so we’re going to need to do our things very well.”

Taking the Long View

Despite clinching the Atlantic Division so far out, the Rowdies still have some goals to aim for in their final three home matches. With a point on Wednesday against Miami, the Rowdies will clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference, guaranteeing hosting rights through the Eastern Conference championship final if they make it that far. 

The much tougher goal to accomplish will be securing the league’s top overall seed. To do that, the Rowdies will need to win their final three to guarantee they finish ahead of Phoenix Rising FC based on the head-to-head tiebreaker. As much as the Rowdies will want to go for the top seed, they will need to ensure players are fresh enough for a deep postseason run.

“One thing I think we’ve got is a group of players that are all capable of coming in and playing their role,” said Collins. “We’ve been on a great run and those guys that have played a majority of the games have done really well. There’s guys ready and able to come in and I have to get the balance right between we want to win on Wednesday, but we want to win the next 7 or 8 games. How do we do that? That’s the challenge for me. I’ll make a decision accordingly. This a great opportunity for guys that maybe feel they would have wanted more and have waited patiently to get an opportunity and just as a team again to go out and test ourselves against a good opponent.”

Harris’ Growth

One player who may be in line for more playing time over the next three games is Dayonn Harris, who has come off the bench as a serious threat in the right wingback role. The second-year professional was progressing well in the first half of the season until a hamstring injury and then an illness sidelined him for nearly two months. 

“The cohesion that this team has is just unmatched,” said Harris. “I think that helped us on and off the field. In training, we’re willing to help each other. No matter what it is we’re not getting on each others backs.”

Collins has liked what he has seen out of the Harris, and believes the young players still has a higher level of form within his reach in the near future.

“Dayonn’s attitutde is fantastic,” said Collins. “He’s really willing to listen to his teammates, willing to listen to the coaches. So he has a fantastic attitude. Everyone knows this is the first and most important value that we have. On top of that, he’s super talented and full of potential. I’m excited to see what Dayonn can achieve in the games we’ve got this season and then building on to next year, because I do think we’ve gotta remember coming here in only your second year as a professional is a big jump. The obstacles he’s have to overcome will stand him in good stead for next year and he’l know what to expect. Still a lot for him to achieve this year and I’m sure he’s in a great position to do that.”

History in Seba’s Sights

Sebastian Guenzatti remains one goal away from surpassing the Rowdies single-season scoring record of 19 goals, which he set himself in 2019. At 55 total goals for Tampa Bay, Guenzatti is also 5 goals behind Georgi’s Hristov’s all-time Rowdies scoring record of 60 goals.

A draw was not what the Tampa Bay Rowdies set out for in their match against New York Red Bulls II, but that is what they ended up with on Friday night as they finished even at 1-1. While failing to claim all three points is undoubtedly disappointing, coming away with a point does keep the Rowdies in control of the race for the top overall seed in the postseason.

The margin of error, though, is now razor thin for the Rowdies, who are even with Phoenix Rising FC at 62 points. If both the Rowdies and Phoenix were to win out in their three remaining matches and finish even on points, the Rowdies would come out on top based on the head-to-head tiebreaker from their victory over Phoenix back in May. El Paso Locomotive is also still hanging on with a chance at the top seed, though El Paso would need Tampa Bay and Phoenix to both drop points as they are four points back with four matches left to play

“I think we’re a little disappointed, a little unsatisfied,” said center back Forrest Lasso. “That kind of just shows the standard that we’ve set amongst ourselves. Obviously we wanted three points. Every time we go out there we want three points. Fortunately we did not lose. We got a point out of it. We were talking about it at the end, situations or experiences like this are great learning experiences going into the postseason.”

Next up for the Rowdies is their fourth regular season meeting with Miami, who knocked the Rowdies off twice in July in South Florida. This time the Rowdies will play hosts, and they will aim to get back in the win column in order to lock up the top seed in the Eastern Conference and keep up in the race for the overall seed. 

Miami will be coming into Al Lang this Wednesday on a quick turnaround, having just played Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Meanwhile, the Rowdies will be playing their fifth straight match without a full week’s rest.

“Every team across the league has had difficult turnarounds like we had in Pittsburgh last week,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “It’s part of a 32-game season. That’s why to have won the Atlantic with 5 games to go was such an impressive achievement because there’s just so many different challenges along the way. Just because we’ve done that doesn’t mean the last three games are going to be easy. They’re going to be even more difficult. A good game for us on Wednesday and one we’ll be looking forward to.”

Packing Al Lang

Friday’s crowd of 6,882 fans is the largest crowd the Rowdies have had out to Al Lang Stadium since the end of the 2019 season. For players like Forrest Lasso, who signed ahead of the 2020 season and the start of the pandemic, this was the first chance to represent the Green and Gold in front of a packed Al Lang.

“It was electric,” said Lasso. “It was incredible, especially in the second half playing towards the home stands. They were wild out there. You could feel the energy, you could hear the songs, you could hear the chants, you could see the green and gold. It really is something. A little disappointing we couldn’t give them three points and the result that they deserved, but we know we’ll see them for many more games in the future.”

The large turnout on Friday could be a preview of what the postseason atmosphere will be like at Al Lang. Due to restrictions last year, the Rowdies haven’t hosted a playoff game with unlimited capacity since the 2017 season. That will all change come Saturday, November 6 when the Rowdies open up the postseason at home with a chance to host another the next Saturday, and even more in the following weeks if the Rowdies can lock up home field advantage.

“This team, more than any other team in my time here, deserves the biggest crowds possible,” said Collins. “I think they’re the most exciting, the most entertaining, and also hardest working. It was great for the players to have such support. They deserve it. I hope everyone enjoyed it. I hope they come back and support us. Hopefully they can see these are a bunch of guys willing to give everything for the shirt. If we’ve that in the stands, then it’ll make it really difficult for others to come here and win.”

Breaking Down the Draw

Friday’s match started off on a foreboding note when Rowdies midfielder Yann Ekra had to make an early exit in the 16th minute due to a knock. To replace Ekra, Collins brought on Conner Antley, who slotted in at right wing back while Sebastian Dalgaard moved over to the left wing back and Leo Fernandes shifted to the center of the field.

“Yann was more precautionary,” said Collins. “He felt something very small. Hopefully we keep it very small. It’s not ideal, but we stay positive on that and that we caught it early. He didn’t feel anything too bad, but we obviously don’t want to risk Yann at this point with that type of injury.”

The Rowdies were able to create their chances, but the midfield never quite clicked or found a rhythm the rest of the night. Yeoman midfielder Lewis Hilton was finally given a rest at halftime as Jordan Doherty entered to take on a central midfield role. At 2,455 minutes played, Hilton has played more minutes than any other Rowdies outfield player apart from the back three defenders.

“Lewis has been unbelievable,” said Collins. “He’s been one of our best players all season, one of our most consistent players all season. He’s carrying a heavy load in there and it maybe showed a little in the first half. He’s set such high standards and I thought I’d give him a hand, give him a little rest and have Jordan Doherty come on.”

New York had yet to threaten Tampa Bay’s goal in the early stages but managed to exploit its first chance to find the back of the net and ride that to a point. Had the Rowdies been able to convert any of their early chances, the match might have played out differently. So far this season, the Rowdies have a record of 3W-7L-1D when they allow the opposition to score first. Whereas the Rowdies have yet to drop any points in matches in which they notch the first goal.

“I think them getting the first goal gave them something to believe in and gave them real faith in what they were doing,” said Collins. “If we’d gotten the first goal, it would have been interesting to see how they responded… Our response was good. If anything, we raised ourselves a little bit after the goal. If we’d just gotten that second goal in the second half it would have been interesting to then see how the game opened up. We know we’ve shown how good we are when we score the first goal.”

ST PETERSBURG, Fla (October 15, 2021) – The Tampa Bay Rowdies finished deadlocked at 1-1 with the visiting New York Red Bulls II on Friday night in front of 6,882 fans at Al Lang Stadium. New York capitalized on one of very few chances to take a lead in the first half and then stumbled under pressure from the Rowdies to give up an equalizing own goal.

The draw leaves the Rowdies even with the Western Conference’s Phoenix Rising FC at 62 points with three matches remaining for both sides. Meanwhile, El Paso Locomotive FC sits four points back but with a match in hand on both Tampa Bay and Phoenix.

“I thought we created some great chances, in both halves, but we became a little disjointed, no doubt about it,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “…We’ll look at some of the chances we missed and think we should have won it, but it’s hard to complain when it’s only our second tie of the season. We usually find a way to win those. We weren’t quite at our best but it’s been a real tough stretch and I think it showed a little bit tonight.”

Friday’s match opened evenly, with neither side able to create many true chances. New York managed to take advantage of its first of the night in the 23rd minute as Luther Archimeded sprinted down the left wing on a counter attack before slipping a shot past Evan Louro as the Rowdies keeper rushed to the top of the box in an attempt to close down the angle.

The Rowdies came close to leveling the match six minutes after New York’s go-ahead strike. Forward Steevan Dos Santos guided a header off a Leo Fernandes corner kick delivery on target, but New York’s Emir Tombul was in position to head the ball out of danger.

Tampa Bay continued to apply pressure on the visitors through the rest of the half and it paid off as the half entered added time. Fernandes played a ball into the left edge of the box for Sebastian Dalgaard, who then fired a cross that deflected off defender Juan Castillo and went into the back of the net.

Fernandes was the impetus for another Rowdies chance in the 51st minute, threading a ball through for Dos Santos. The veteran forward took a couple touch before letting a low strike goal that was saved by keeper Aj Marcucci. Four minutes later, Marcucci produced another stop as Dos Santos fed Guenzatti in front of the goal for a golden chance. Guenzatti’s shot was on target but clipped the inside of Marcucci’s left leg and somehow deflected away from goal.

In the 81st minute, substitute Jordan Adebay-Smith rushed into New York’s final third only with a crowd of defenders in his wake. His first touch let him down, though, and Marcucci was able to come out to shut down the attack.

New York then found a couple good chances of their own in the final stages. A powered strike from Jeremy Rafanello clipped defender Aaron Guillen’s foot and redirected into Tampa Bay’s crossbar thankfully. Manuel Egbo gave Louro his toughest test of the night the next minute, firing a shot from long range that was dipping down into Tampa Bay’s goal until Louro stretched out to tip it over the bar.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men when Rafanello was sent off after a foul on Guillen off the ball. Even with the man advantage, the Rowdies could not find a way into the back of the net. Both Guenzatti and Fernandes each had shots stymied by Marcucci as time ran out.

“We’ve got three more difficult games to come,” said Collins. “We’ve put ourselves in a great position and the boys will just rest, recover and get ready for Wednesday. It was a shame we had such a good crowd here and we couldn’t put on a better performance for them. But one thing they saw was guys giving everything right until the last second and nearly snatching it at the end. So still lots to be proud of.”

Scoring Summary
NY – Luther Archimede (Omar Sowe) 23’
TBR – Juan Castillo (Own Goal) 45’

Lineups
Rowdies: Louro; Scarlett, Lasso, Guillen; Dalgaard, Hilton, Ekra, Wyke, Fernandes; Dos Santos, Guenzatti

New York: Marcucci; Egbo, Tombul, Castillo, Pendant; Sowe, Zajec, Edelman, Rafanello; Archimede, LaCava

Gameday Info:
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs New York Red Bulls II
Friday, October 15, 7:30pm ET
Al Lang Stadium, St Petersburg, FL

Tickets: Tickets for the match can be purchased here or by visiting the box office at Al Lang Stadium starting at 2pm ET on gameday.

Watch: The match can be viewed on ESPN+ here.

Pre-Game Show: Starting at 6:45 pm ET, catch the pre-game show hosted by The Unused Substitutes podcasts, with guests, giveaways, and fan-driven discussions live on the Rowdies Gaming Twitch channel here.

Following Along: Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday

The Tampa Bay Rowdies return to Al Lang Stadium this Friday to face New York Red Bulls II for the fourth and final time this year. They come home having clinched the Atlantic Division crown over the weekend despite a 2-0 loss at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

Favorable midweek results around the USL mean the Rowdies are getting closer to locking up the top seed in the Eastern Conference and are now back in the driver’s seat in the race of the top overall seed throughout the postseason. The need just 5 points in their final four matches to clinch home field over the rest of the Eastern Conference and they also hold a slim advantage over Phoenix Rising FC and El Paso Locomotive FC in maximum points available in the hunt for the overall top spot.

“All we can control is winning as many points, starting with Red Bull II on Friday,” said Collins. “By the end, if we keep taking it one game at a time, winning as many games as we can, then we’ll give ourselves the best chance. We found out last year that wherever you play, you have to win the playoff games.”

The Rowdies are coming into this matchup with New York having suffered their first loss in over a month. A few factors were going against the Rowdies in their trip to Pittsburgh on short rest, but Collins isn’t interested in making any excuses.

“I’m not one of those people who think, ‘Oh ,we’ve won x amount of games, it’s ok to have a loss.’ Every game is in isolation for me.,” said Collins. “Whatever’s gone on in the past, this is the next one….  We never just write a game off. We always try to learn a lesson from it and move on as well.”

Recent results in the USL have shown that no team, no matter how high up in the standings, is invulnerable. Miami FC’s loss at last-place Loudoun United FC and Phoenix Rising defeat to Orange County United FC demonstrates that even the smallest of slip ups can leave you exposed and allow other teams to take advantage.

“I’ve been really guarded against (letdowns) happening before and the players have been so good because our leaders have been so good. Forrest, Leo, Aaron, Seba, just to name a few — they’re at it everyday. They’re on it no matter how they’re playing,” said Collins. “So to this point it’s not been an issue, but I’m always mindful of it being an issue. One thing Evan Louro said is it doesn’t matter who we play. It isn’t about who we play. It’s about what we try to do. It’s about what we’re trying to achieve and I think the mindset has been a good one. There’s no big or small games for this group. They’re all about trying to get 3 points and trying to achieve something.”

Firing on All Cylinders

While the record-setting defensive performances in August and September have taken up much of the spotlight, the Rowdies attack has steadily developed into one of the best in the league. A perfect example of that is the last time they met New York at Al Lang and dropped six goals on the visitors. 

“This attack is definitely at the top, we showed it in the games, beating New York 6-0 and all these unbelievable scores we’ve had,” said forward Sebastian Guenzatti. “I think it’s due to the hard work and dedication the guys are putting in. Obviously that comes over a few years. This didn’t just happen out of nowhere. It was a lot of years working for this project with Neill. Neill stepped up and brought that fire that we needed. A lot of it has to do with coaching, players mentality, and getting players to do the right jobs and be willing to do it. A lot of forwards wouldn’t do what our forwards are willing to do. The running and the pressure we bring is just unbelievable.”

History in Seba’s Sights

An incredible run of form in September that saw him bag 7 goals has Sebastian Guenzatti within reach of a couple of Rowdies milestones. First, his season total of 19 goals matches the club’s single-season record, which he set himself in 2019. On top of that, Guenzatti’s overall goal tally of 55 for the Rowdies is just 5 shy of Georgi Hristov’s 60 goals. 

With four regular season matches left and hopefully a deep postseason run ahead, Guenzati has some runway to potentially catch Hristov before the end of the year.

“I’ll try to do everything to get the historical record and all that, but right now it’s all about the team and the Rowdies,” said Guenzatti. “ At first, I never thought getting the record was possible Obviously I dreamed of it when I first came and saw all the pictures on the wall, Georgi, there’s so many people on the wall, I someday wish to be there. It was a lot of hard work and dedication that brought me here.”

ST PETERSBURG, Fla (October 14, 2021) – Tampa Bay Rowdies forward Sebastian Guenzatti’s standout performance in the month of the September has earned the veteran the USL Championship Player of the Month award. In five appearances in September, Guenzatti notched seven goals and two assists, including braces in three straight matches. On the back of Guenzatti’s consistency, the Rowdies were able to secure a postseason berth for the third consecutive season and clinch the Atlantic Division crown.

In the midst of Guenzatti’s red-hot month, the Rowdies captain also recorded his 50th goal for the club. At the close of the month, Guenzatti stands at 55 goals for the Green and Gold, five shy of matching Georgi Hristov’s all-time Rowdies scoring record. At 19 goals on the season, Guenzatti has also matched the club’s single-season scoring record, which he set himself in 2019.

Guenzatti’s consistency in front of goal has made him a fan-favorite in Tampa Bay over the last several season. When he went without a single goal in August, the experienced attacker never lost faith that his finishing touch would come back.

“Getting that first goal was definitely a weight off my shoulders, but I was calm,” said Guenzatti. “I knew it was going to come. It happens to forwards that you go a little while without scoring, but I knew once I get the first one in, the rest were going to start coming in.”

Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins was the one to name Guenzatti club captain in 2019, and ever since that season his estimation of the strikers has only continued to grow.

“Among us he’s held in such high regard, but maybe outside sometimes he’s a little bit underrated,” said Collins. “When you look at his goal record, it speaks for himself. For me, the previous month when he didn’t score wasn’t cause for concern because I know Seba will keep doing the things he does, and the goals will come. I think on top of his goals, his performances have just been fantastic, as has the team’s. He’s raised his level from the last couple months and it’s great to see him get the recognition.”

Guenzatti and the Rowdies need just five more points to lock up the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The club is also now in the driver’s seat in the race for the top overall seed in the postseason. With four matches left to play on their schedule, Tampa Bay holds a slim edge over the Western Conference’s Phoenix Rising FC and El Paso Locomotive FC in the maximum available points.

“That top seed is very important,” said Guenzatti. “We really want to play the whole playoffs and even the final at Al Lang. It will be a dream for us, the fans, and the whole organization. They’ve been working very hard. Last year, due to COVID, we didn’t have the chance to play at home, but now I know if we put in all the effort and everybody works together and we play at home, we’re going to have an amazing time.”

Guenzatti received 62 percent of a weighted poll that included the USL Championship Technical Committee, a national panel of independent media representing every USL market and an online fan vote on USLChampionship.com. Miami FC’s Christiano Francois finished second on 16 percent after recording five goals in five games, while Phoenix Rising FC’s Santi Moar finished in third place following his five goals in six games, including a pair of game-winners for the Pacific Division title-winner.

ST PETERSBURG, Fla (October 13, 2021) – The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Neill Collins has been named the USL Championship’s Coach of the Month for the second time this season. Collins took home the honor for the month of September after leading the Rowdies to five wins in five matches as the club also established a new league record of 891 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal.

Seeing his side string together such an historic stretch without allowing a goal on top of completing a perfect month of results was a joy for Collins, a former center back.

“You take pride in taking clean sheets,” said Collins. “It’s just a byproduct of good performances from top of the field to the back of the field. It all came together. You know you need a break here or there when you go on a run like that, but I thought the players earned the breaks in terms of throwing their bodies in front of things, as they always do, and the strikers working hard to press teams.

“Everything came together well for that period. It was all the hard work the players put in, not just for the season, but over the last 18 months and that consistency in coming together.”

The Rowdies locked up their third straight postseason berth under Collins last week and then clinched the Atlantic Division this past Sunday. They now need seven points in their final four matches in order to lock up the top seed in the Eastern Conference, having already set a new club single-season record of 61 points with a league-high 20 victories. They also remain in the hunt for the overall seed across the league, battling Phoenix Rising FC and El Paso Locomotive FC out of the Western Conference. 

After going on the road in last year’s Eastern Conference championship match against Louisville City FC, Collins and the Rowdies are eager to take the maximum point in their final matches to get as many postseason games at Al Lang Stadium as possible.

“First you need to qualify for the playoffs and then you need to finish as high as you possibly can,” said Collins. “Then you’re looking at getting as many points. That’s our aim now is to try and have as many home games as we can. We know that when the playoffs start, you need to win the first one. It’s fine having home advantage, but then you’ve got to win to have home advantage. All we can control is winning as many points, starting with Red Bull II on Friday.

“By the end, if we keep taking it one game at a time, winning as many games as we can, then we’ll give ourselves the best chance. We found out last year that wherever you play, you have to win the playoff games.”

The Rowdies’ next match is this Friday at Al Lang Stadium against New York Red Bulls II. Tickets for the match can be purchased here. 

Collins received 60 percent of the vote to take the Coach of the Month award for September. The award is voted upon by the USL Championship National Media Panel and the USL Championship Technical Committee, with each group responsible for 50 percent of the overall vote.