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The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ historic shutout streak came to an end at 891 minutes on Saturday night at Hartford Athletic’s Dillon Stadium, with the hosts finally getting one past Rowdies keeper Evan Louro deep into second-half stoppage time. Even though that historic streak ended, the Rowdies did enough to extend their unbeaten run to 10 and their winning streak to 7 with a 2-1 result as Sebastian Guenzatti recorded a brace for the third straight match.

“We knew the second half was going to be tough and they certainly put us under pressure, especially on set pieces,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “What a result. I can’t speak highly enough of these boys. Going into that situation, with teams obviously wanting to score against and for the boys to raise the level of their performance again in a really tough environment was excellent.”

Saturday’s match played out similarly to last weekend’s win at Atlanta United 2. Besides the fact that Guenzatti was the goal scorer that night as well, the Rowdies jumped ahead early and then bagged an insurance goal with seconds to go before the halftime whistle.

Yann Ekra was nearly the one to grab the go-ahead goal in Hartford, blasting a rocket toward the top corner just 30 seconds in that was barely tipped away by keeper Jeff Caldwell.

Guenzatti did eventually find the opening goal in the 12th minute, as Ekra and Leo Fernandes combined in the box to spring Fernandes into a dangerous area before he sent a pass in for Guenzatti. Caldwell was in the area to scoop it up, but Guenzatti just barely beat him to the ball and tapped it across the line.

The Rowdies and Guenzatti were given a chance to double the lead just past the half hour mark when Steevan Dos Santos was dragged down in the box. Guenzatti stepped up to the spot and drove his attempt down the middle of frame and Caldwell dove to his right, but the keeper was still able to kick the ball away and deny Guenzatti.

Caldwell could only keepr Guenzatti from his second for so long, though. With just seconds remaining in the half, Louro lofted a long free kick from inside Tampa Bay’s end of the field up to the left wing, where Fernandes then headed it forward into the box. Guenzatti timed his run and strike perfectly to volley the ball off the bounce over Caldwell and into the net.

Hartford came out of the break with a purpose and drive to break the shutout streak and find a way into the match. Thomas Janjigian came close in the 56th minute, receiving a pass in front of Tampa Bay’s goal at the top of the six yard box only to send it straight into the crossbar. Just a minute later, the Rowdies got another assist from the woodwork when a Nicholas Cardona header off a corner kick delivery from Danny Barrera ricocheted off the far post.

Guenzatti had one more look at a third goal when he took a chance from 25 yards with a dipping strike that would have snuck under the bar if not for a stellar swipe from Caldwell.

Hartford’s tally came in the third minute of four added minutes. Forrest Lasso produced an initial sliding block at the near post on a Derek Dodson cross, but Dodson was able to regain possession and center the ball for Barrera, who buried the last-ditch effort for the hosts.

“Those guys in there are disappointed about losing that goal because they know they could have prevented it,” said Collins. “It’s the standard they’ve set. Hartford really asked a lot of questions and were unfortunate not to get a goal earlier. When you get that close, you really want that clean sheet. I think they’re already thinking let’s go on the next streak. It’s great we were able to achieve that record and know we’re on to what they next record might be.”

The Rowdies were unable to clinch a postseason spot on Saturday, but they will be more than happy for the reason why. Second-place Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC gave up a two-goal lead to finish 3-3 with the Charleston Battery, increasing the Rowdies’ lead in the Atlantic Division. Had Pittsburgh finished ahead in that contest, the Rowdies would have locked up a postseason spot. Any points dropped by Pittsburgh at the point, though, are beneficial to the Rowdies, who are eying the larger goal of home field advantage in the USL Championship postseason. The Rowdies now sit 7 points ahead of Pittsburgh and still have two matches in hand on them as well.

Tampa Bay remains on the road next Saturday to face the Battery.

Scoring Summary
TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti (Leo Fernandes) 12’
TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti (Leo Fernandes) 45+2’
HFD – Danny Barrera (Derek Dodson) 90+4

Lineups:
Rowdies: Louro; Scarlett, Lasso, Guillen; Dalgaard, Hilton, Ekra (Lachowecki 87’), Wyke, Fernandes; Dos Santos (Doherty 87’), Guenzatti (Adebayo-Smith 90 +3’)

Hartford: Caldwell; Cardona, Yacoubou, Janjiggian, Boudadi (Elney 78’); McGlynn (Rogers 66’), Haak, Barrera; Lom (Dodson 66’), Obregon, Etaka

Gameday Info
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Hartford Athletic
Saturday, September 25, 7:00pm ET
Hartford, CT, Dillion Stadium

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

Follow Along: Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies return to Dillon Stadium this Saturday night for their fourth and final meeting of the regular season versus Hartford Athletic. In their last trip to Hartford in June, the Rowdies claimed a 1-0 victory off a Sebastian Guenzatti winner. Guenzatti enters the weekend on a scoring tear, bagging a brace in each of his last two outings. The Rowdies captain was named USL Championship Player of the Week for his stellar showing against Atlanta United 2 last week.

“I think in Atlanta (Guenzatti) had an excellent performance,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “His goals were great, but his all-around performance was really excellent. He held the ball up well and he really holds the ball up well for us often. Consistency doesn’t sound as exciting as anything else, but when you’re a very, very good player and you do that consistently, that’s pretty impressive.”

Tampa Bay’s other two matchups with Hartford have also ended in 1-0 scorelines, with Hartford claiming the win in one and the Rowdies taking the 3 points in the last meeting in August. Despite the low scoring from both sides in the prior three matches, Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins believes there were still plenty of scoring chances for both the Rowdies and Hartford.

“I think the scorelines have been similar, but the games have been far from that,” said Collins. 

“Our first trip there was an excellent performance from the team. We’d suffered quite a few injuries, two the day prior. We’d lost Yann Ekra and Laurence Wyke, so I thought the players that day adapted fantastically well. While we got one good goal, we had two disallowed and Hartford funny enough missed a penalty. That could have very easily been a different scoreline, but it was still a very professional performance. I think we’ll all remember the following game at Al Lang, where we lost 1-nil and we created chance after chance and just couldn’t get the ball in the goal. Our last performance against  them was a very good performance against them where we did everything but score. I don’t know if it will be 1-nil again this weekend, but it will be exciting and they’ve all had their fair share of goal scoring opportunities.”

The Rowdies have been one of the few USL Championship sides that has consistently had success at limiting Hartford’s potent attack. Center back Aaron Guillen was key to the Rowdies securing a shutout in their last match at Hartford when he produced a vital goal line clearance to deny the club’s leading scorer Juan Carlos Obregon Jr after he lobbed a volley over keeper Evan Louro.

“Our communication on the field throughout all the games has helped us a lot against them,” said Guillen. “Watching video helps us.The coaching staff prepares us for every game and gives us some tips on what they could be doing, but I think communication is a big part of our success.”

Closer to Clinching
After the Charleston Battery’s loss to New York Red Bulls II on Wednesday, the Rowdies have a chance at locking up their postseason berth this Saturday. All they need to do so is have Charleston fall to Pittsburgh and while also knocking off Hartford themselves.

There is an air of inevitability to the Rowdies securing a postseason spot at this point, with the club having a 99 percent chance at doing so. With that in mind, the focus remains on the larger picture of a championship and achieving that with home field advantage. To do that, the Rowdies will need to maintain their terrific run of through a busy final month of the regular season in October.

“We take this Hartford match first,” said Collins. “The fact that we follow this one up with another road game is irrelevant right now. The good thing is it’s Saturday to Saturday. So we’ll prepare for Hartford away and then travel home and we’ve got another full week to prepare and to recover. While we’re always looking in advance to be best prepared, right now the fact that the next one is away is not an issue. Right now everyone is very much focused on Hartford, but we’re very mindful of the fact that we have a big October coming up with 7 games.”

Communication is Key
The Rowdies are riding high on a 9-match unbeaten run and an even more impressive 8-match shutout streak. After the shutout last Saturday in Atlanta, the Rowdies record-setting shutout streak now stands at 801 minutes.

“Every game we go in thinking that we should not get scored on, because that gives us the opportunity at one point,” said Guillen. “Especially on the road, when games are hard. If you take a point away from the home team, that’s great. But I think the back three, Evan, and starting from the forwards as well, defensively we’ve been amazing these past few games and even throughout the season. I just think it’s amazing and hopefully we can continue doing that for more games.”

Hartford’s Urgency
While the Rowdies are eying a playoff spot in the near future, Hartford is nearing must-win scenarios as they sit 5th in the Atlantic Division, 10 pts our of the final playoff spot.

“Hartford have always tried to play a positive, front-foot type of game,” said Collins.  “When you get to this stage, they’re going to be going all out to keep their playoff hopes alive. That’s what the end of the season brings. Every game is difficult, but they’re more difficult because it’s the mentality of every point is a prisoner for pretty much every team in the league. Going to Hartford is always a difficult game. These are the type of games you want to be involved in. Going to play in front of a good crowd, playing when it means something. I’m excited, but we’ll definitely need to have the right mentality and be prepared for what they’re going to bring. While we’re ahead of them in the standings, in a one-off situation there’s not much in it. We’ll need to be at our best to give ourselves the best chance to win.” 

Injury Report:
OUT: Luiz Fernando

ST PETERSBURG, Fla (September, 21 2021) – For the second straight week, a Tampa Bay Rowdies player has claimed the title of USL Championship Player of the Week. Rowdies captain Sebastian Guenzatti earned the honor on the league’s Team of the Week for Week 22 of the season after notching two goals for the second match in a row as the Rowdies recorded their sixth straight victory with a 2-0 result at Atlanta United 2 this past weekend.

This is Guenzati’s first time picking up Player of the Week this year, but it is the fourth time he has been included on the USL Championship Team of the Week. He is the third Rowdies player on to be voted Player of the Week this season, following midfielder Yann Ekra in Week 21 and keeper Evan Louro in Week 19. Louro also earned a spot on the bench of the Team of the Week this week with his 8th clean sheet in a row and league-leading 13th shutout of the year. WIth Louro in net, the Rowdies set a new record for the longest stretch of minutes with conceding a goal, stretching their streak to 801 minutes without a concession.

Guenzatti set the tone for the Rowdies in the second minute against Atlanta, pouncing on a loose ball after the host’s keeper could not contain a cross sent in by Laurence Wyke. The striker then added an insurance goal for the Rowdies in first half stoppage time, connecting with a Steevan Dos Santos pass from  the right edge of the box.

With those two tallies in Atlanta, Guenzatti furthered his status as a Rowdies legend. He now stands at 50 total goals scored for the Green and Gold. Only Derek Smethurst (57) and Georgi Hristov (60) have notched more goals for the Rowdies. Guenzatti’s total on the season now stands at 14, putting him a few shy of the Rowdies’ single-season scoring record of 19, which Guenzatti set himself in 2019.

The Championship’s Player of the Week is selected by the USL National Media Panel, which is made up of representatives from each media market in the Championship.

View the full USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 22 below:

GK – Cody Cropper, Memphis 901 FC: Cody Cropper recorded a four-save shutout and notched one punched clearance as 901 FC recorded a 3-0 victory against the New York Red Bulls II on Sunday to boost their playoff prospects in the Central Division.

D – Josh Yaro, San Diego Loyal SC: Josh Yaro scored his first goal in San Diego’s colors to provide the only goal of the game in the club’s 1-0 victory against Tacoma Defiance on Sunday afternoon and was stellar defensively winning 3 of 3 tackles and 5 of 7 duels while making seven clearances and completing 87 of 92 passes.

D – Skylar Thomas, Memphis 901 FC: The Canadian center back scored the second goal in Memphis 901 FC’s 3-0 victory against the New York Red Bulls II and defensively won 4 of 6 duels and made five clearances and three interceptions while completing 27 of 29 passes.

D – Fabien Garcia, Austin Bold FC: The French center back scored the only goal with an outstanding free kick in his side’s 1-0 win away to FC Tulsa and defensively recorded six interceptions and won 3 of 4 tackles and 6 of 8 duels to keep the hosts at bay.

M – Aodhan Quinn, Phoenix Rising FC: Aodhan Quinn recorded one goal and two assists across two appearances and provided the assist on both of the side’s game-winning goals, including Darren Mattocks’ late tally while the side was down to 10 men in a 2-1 victory against Orange County SC on Saturday night.

M – Robbie Crawford, Charleston Battery: Robbie Crawford scored a second-half equalizer for the Battery in a 1-1 draw against Atlanta United last Wednesday night to cap a stellar performance that also saw him record two shots, three key passes, four interceptions and 11 recoveries while completing 51 of 59 passes.

M – Jonathan Perez, LA Galaxy II: The 18-year-old was a key attacking force in Los Dos’ 1-0 victory against Oakland Roots SC on Saturday night, recording three shots and three key passes while completing 5 of 5 dribbles before winning the penalty kick that allowed the visitors to earn a key three points to boost their playoff chances.

M – Chris Wehan, New Mexico United: Chris Wehan scored the decisive goal with 10 minutes to go as New Mexico took a 2-1 win against Real Monarchs SLC on Saturday night while also recording four shots, seven key passes and completing 24 of 28 passes overall in a dynamic display at Isotopes Park.

F – Lindo Mfeka, Oakland Roots SC: The South African playmaker recorded two goals and one assist to lead Oakland to a key 3-1 victory against the Tacoma Defiance on Wednesday night to continue the club’s drive toward a potential playoff berth.

F – Sebastian Guenzatti, Tampa Bay Rowdies: The Rowdies’ captain bagged his second consecutive two-goal game to move into a tie for second in goals in the league this season and had five shots overall while winning 7 of 10 duels and completing 24 of 32 passes in a 2-0 win against Atlanta United 2 on Saturday.

F – Hadji Barry, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: The Championship’s leading scorer notched his 22nd and 23rd goals of the season as the Switchbacks rallied for a 2-1 victory against Rio Grande Valley FC, and also won 3 of 3 tackles and made six recoveries in the performance.

Bench: Evan Louro (TBR), Joel Johnson (CLT), Jose Gallegos (SA), Wal Fall (OAK), Kyle Murphy (MEM), Santi Moar (PHX), Antoine Hoppenot (LOU)

No matter how the 2021 season ultimately ends, this year’s Tampa Bay Rowdies have already achieved something truly special. 

On Saturday night, the Rowdies posted their 8th straight shutout to extend their streak without conceding a goal to a record-breaking 801 minutes, besting the previous USL Championship record of 759 minutes posted by Rio Grande Valley FC in 2016.

Rowdies keeper Evan Louro was asked to make two saves on Saturday at Atlanta United 2 and he did just that. But the usual collective effort across the entire team was also on display in order for the Rowdies to protect the clean sheet and etch their place in history. The collective defense played by the Rowdies is best evidenced by the fact that the club has allowed just 15 shots on goal during their current shutout streak for an average of 1.87 shots on goal per match.

There wasn’t much time to celebrate the moment as the Rowdies pushed past the shutout record in the 50th minute. The focus for Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins and his players, as always, remained on the final result and ensuring they came away with all 3 points.

“(The record) wasn’t too much of a thought, really,” said Collins. “I think Evan made a great save in the first half, which was obviously very important, but the team this week, I never got the sense that the record was something that was important or talked about. Everything was just about us doing what we’ve done all along. That’s what we’ve been like all season. Of course we enjoy clean sheets, but we’re really focused on the things we do to get them. The boys did a fantastic job of that all week and then took it out there tonight. They deserve the plaudits for achieving that record.”

The Rowdies have now matched the club’s single-season shutout record of 13 clean sheets during the 2017 season. Louro’s clean sheet total through a season and a half in Tampa Bay now stands at 21, second only to Matt Pickens 28 shutouts. Louro would need 3 more to beat the current single-season shutout record set by Ottawa Fury FC’s Maxime Crepeau in 2018 and the Rowdies would require 5 more clean sheets as a team to beat the USL single-season clean sheet record of 17.

By virtue of their remarkable run over the last two months, the Rowdies sit 5 points clear at the top of the Atlantic Division standings. With a little over a month left in the regular season, maintaining their amazing run of form will be key to setting the Rowdies up for success in a potential postseason run.

“The players continue to impress me every week,” said Collins. “Human beings have ups and downs. Every week you come in trying to guard against complacency, but I’ve not had one real thought that complacency has been setting in. “These guys have managed that well themselves. It’s been a great run. A lot of great performances as well, I think that’s the main thing. Some really good performances. Keep maintaining those performances. The results might not always be there, but if we focus on the performances I know they’ll always come back around.”

Seba’s Legend
The legend of Sebastian Guenzatti in the Green & Gold continued to grow on Saturday, with the Rowdies captain netting his 49th and 50th goals for the club.

Guenzatti entered the match even at 48 goals with another Rowdies legend Rodndey Marsh. That tie did not last long, as Guenzatti pounced on a loose ball in the box in the 2nd minute and swiftly slotted the ball past the keeper. Then, as time winded down in the first half, Guenzatti capitalized on a breakdown in Atlanta’s defense to bag his 50th Rowdies goal.

With two braces in his last two appearances, Guenzatti has brought his season total up to 14. He still has a bit to go to match his own Rowdies single-season scoring record of 19 goals, but at his current pace it is well within reach.

“I thought Seba was back to his best tonight,” said Collins. “Two braces back to back, just fantastic from Seba. His goals were definitely as you would describe Seba type goals. I thought his performance as well was an all-around captain’s performance tonight.”

Making the Most of What You Have
The Rowdies came into Saturday’s match knowing Atlanta likes to dominate possession. Atlanta managed to do just that against the Rowdies, holding a 64 to 36 percent advantage in possession. Yet the Rowdies came out on top with all 3 points by making the most with what they were given. 

On their very first chance of the night in the 2nd minute, the Rowdies buried the opportunity with conviction. By the end of the night, the Rowdies outshot their hosts 18 to 11 and also edged them out with 5 shots on goal compared to Atlanta’s 2. The Rowdies have turned into a more lethal side when it comes to converting chances in the last few weeks, which bodes well for the rest of the year, especially if they can also maintain their strong defensive form.

“Atlanta are a very, very difficult team to play against, the way they possess the ball,” said Collins. “It was good to get the goal early, but it probably makes the game even more difficult,” said Collins. “I thought the boys managed it well and used their experience. The consistency of having this group together now for a while is starting to show in these moments. Give me a goal after two minutes of every game and I’ll be happy, but it does change the context of the game and it challenges you. I thought especially after the first 35 minutes we started creating some good chances again. Good experience and good maturity showed from the boys.”

The Tampa Bay Rowdies made history on Saturday night, establishing a new USL Championship shutout streak record as Rowdies captain Sebastian Guenzatti recorded two notable goals in his career as well to lift Tampa Bay to a 2-0 victory at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.

After Saturday’s sturdy defensive shift on the field, the Rowdies’ shutout streak now stands at 801 minutes and the club has notched 13 total clean sheets on the year. The Rowdies have also now recorded 6 straight wins, 8 straight clean sheets, and are unbeaten in their last 9 outings.

“Every week you come in trying to guard against complacency, but I’ve not had one real thought that complacency has been setting in,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “These guys have managed that well themselves. It’s been a great run. A lot of great performances as well, I think that’s the main things. Some really good performances.”

The night started off on the right note for the Rowdies, who jumped ahead of the hosts in the 2nd minute. Moving in from the left wing, midfielder Laurence Wye drove a cross toward the near post that keeper Rocco Rios Novo was unable to control. As a couple of defenders meandered around the ball waiting for Rios Novos to collect, Guenzatti swooped in and slotted the ball into the back of the net with the outside of his right foot.

Guenzatti’s opening goal was his 49th for Tampa Bay, moving him ahead of Rowdies legend Rodney Marsh’s 48 tallies.

With the Rowdies grabbing an early go-ahead goal, Atlanta began to string together long spells of possession and eventually earned their first shot on target of the night just past the half hour mark. Darwin Matheus played a pass for an unmarked Erik Lopez at the top of Tampa Bay’s box. Lopex fired a low strike and Evan Louro stretched out to his right to parry the effort out of danger.

“It’s good to get the goal early, but it probably made the game more difficult,” said Collins. “I thought the boys managed it well and used their experience. The consistency of having these players together is starting to show in these moments. Give me a goal after two minutes of every game and I’ll be happy, but it does change the context of the game… Good experience and good maturity showed from the boys.”

Atlanta appeared content to head into the locker room down just a goal as the match entered added time, but Guenzatti and the Rowdies had other ideas. Pouncing an opportunity in Atlanta’s half in the 46th minute, Hilton played Steevan Dos Santos into space on the right edge of the box and the forward then crossed the ball in for Guenzatti in front of the net to tap home.

With his second goal of the night, Guenzatti joined the company of past strikers Derek Smethurst (56) and Gerogi Hristov (60) as those who have reached 50 goals for the Green and Gold. Guenzatti was also following up on a two-goal performance from last week.

“I thought Seba was back to his best tonight,” said Collins. “Two braces back to back, just fantastic from Seba. His goals were definitely as you would describe Seba type goals. I thought his performance as well was an all-around captain’s performance tonight.”

Tampa Bay’s shutout streak became an historic one four minutes into the second half, as they surpassed Rio Grande Valley FC’s previous record of 759 minutes set in 2016. Louro, however, wasn’t ready to let the streak die late in the match as he produced another outstanding save. Substitute Jackson Conway blasted a strike from inside the box but Louro was there with another diving stop and then regrouped quickly to make Phillip Goodrum hesitate with his rebound attempt that went wide.

Saturday’s win coupled with second-place Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s 1-0 loss to Charlotte also puts the Rowdies 5 points up atop the Atlantic Division standings.

Tampa Bay remains on the road next Saturday to face Hartford Athletic for the fourth time this season.

Scoring Summary
TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti 2’
TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti (Steevan Dos Santos) 45+1’

Lineups
Rowdies: Louro; Scarlett, Lasso, Guillen; Dalgaard, Hilton, Ekra (Tejada 88′), Wyke (Antley 81′), Fernandes; Dos Santos (Mkosana 75′), Guenzatti (Doherty 81′)

Atlanta: Rios Novo; Washington, Bauer, Kamden Fewo, Ambrose (McFadden 79′); Mertz, Diop, Fortune (Goodrum 75′); Lopez (Stanley 67′), Diop (Conway 68′), Matheus (Benitez 79′)

Gameday Info
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Atlanta United 2
Saturday, September 18, 7:30pm ET
Fifth Third Bank Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia

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

Following Along: Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies (16-6-1, 46 pts) are set to kick off a three-match road trip this Saturday at Atlanta United 2 (7-9-8, 29 pts). It will be Tampa Bay’s first meeting of the year with Atlanta, who sit 5th in the USL Championship’s Central Division and eager to pick up as many points as possible as they look to move into a postseason spot with time running out in the regular season.

Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins and his staff do have some familiarity with Atlanta United. The two sides faced off four times during the 2020 season when they competed in the same group, with the Rowdies winning all four of those contests. 

Tampa Bay is seeking to extend their 8 match unbeaten run and 5 match winning streak. Atlanta will be entering the weekend on short rest, having picked up a point at home against Tampa Bay’s Atlantic Division foe, the Charleston Battery. 

“I’m sure Atlanta will be desperate to get the points to get in the playoffs,” said Collins. “They’re definitely a slightly improved proposition compared to last year. They’ve improved again,so we’re gonna need to be at our best no question. You’ve seen that with teams that have went there with Indy XI and Charleston and it’s been tough.” 

Atlanta’s best results this year have come at home at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Unlike the majority of Tampa Bay’s opponents in the Atlantic Division who play on turf, Atlanta plays on a large grass field similar to the environment at Al Lang. The Rowdies will hope that translates into another quality performance. 

“All the players will tell you (Atlanta) are really difficult, tactical games against some top young players, but also some experienced players that they bring down,” said Collins. “I think Atlanta has a style of play that makes it difficult, but by the same token we have a style of play that can make it difficult for them. It’s just a really difficult road game against a team that enjoys playing at home on a good field. Hopefully it’s a field we enjoy as well. Another tough game with a team that’s got a lot to play for. We give them the utmost respect, but hopefully not too much respect when it comes to playing them on Saturday.” 

Minutes Away From History
The Rowdies are 49 minutes away from making USL Championship history by establishing a new record for longest run without conceding a goal. Heading into Atlanta, the Rowdies have held opponents scoreless for 711 straight minutes. The league’s current record on 759 minutes was set 5 years ago by Rio Grande Valley FC.

If the Rowdies are able to finish Saturday’s match without conceding, they will also have matched Rio Grande Valley’s record of 8 consecutive full sheets. 

Navigating the Highs and Lows
The Rowdies are coming off their most commanding victory of the year after a 6-0 drubbing of New York Red Bulls II. Collins is not too worried about his squad letting that result go to their heads.

“One thing I’m quite fortunate with is this group,” said Collins. “This group doesn’t have too many big egos. If they do, they get brought down to the earth pretty quickly. I guess we always find out in the next one. I have had that in the past, where I felt we needed to temper the players’ emotions. I don’t feel that in this case, I feel it’s just confidence and positivity, but I think equally on to the next one. The proof will be in the pudding on Saturday, but everything this week’s been good. It’s been, as you can imagine, a feel good place to be, but not any different to any other week.”

With just 9 matches left in their regular season campaign, the Rowdies are in a good position to finish on a solid platform for a potential postseason run. The only way to ensure that, though, is by continuing to focus on the one matchday ahead of them.

“Playoffs are an exciting thing to look ahead to and people always want to talk about possibilities, but when it’s your profession to perform, you learn pretty quickly that as high as you can be up, you can be knocked back down and as low as you can be, you can come back from that,” said Collins. “So players and coaches are always very aware of the highs and lows and you just go on to the next one. You know as soon as you start looking ahead is where you start falling down.”

Contributions From The Wings
The Rowdies didn’t seem to miss a beat last week while missing the suspended Conner Antley who has played the most minutes of all of Tampa Bay’s wing backs. Sebastian Dalgaard picked up his second assist of the year playing out on the right wing, while Leo Fernandes added two goals from out on the left. 

“It feels great to get in a good run of form here and get some assists and a goal,” said Dalgaard. “I’m just happy to help the team out in any way that I can at the moment. There’s other great wing backs on the team. We just keep making each other better and better. I think it’s some tough choices for Neill and the coaches every once in a while. We’ve just gotta keep making it like that and keep pushing each other and we’ll get more great results.”

Right wing back Dayonn Harris also put in a positive shift off the bench in his first minutes since going down with an injury in late July.

“I think it’s just great to have the wing backs at our disposal because they all know you if you play the first 60 or 70 minutes, it might be the guy that then comes on that gets the opportunity to convert all your hard work into goals and assists,” said Collins. “Honestly the way Sebastian Dalgaard’s played the last few weeks has been fantastic. Leo’s come back and I think Leo would admit it’s Seb and Conner that have made him come back and play so well because he’s seen the levels they set and he wants to get back in the team.” 

Injury Report
OUT: Luiz Fernando
QUESTIONABLE: Max Lachowecki

ST PETERSBURG, Fla (September 14, 2021) – The Tampa Bay Rowdies are once again well-represented on the USL Championship Team of the Week. For Week 21 of the 2021 season, both Rowdies midfielder Yann Ekra and club captain Sebastian Guenzatti earned spots on the Team of the Week after each notched two goals and two assists in Tampa Bay’s 6-0 victory over New York Red Bulls II.

Midfielder Leo Ferandes also earned a spot on the Team of the Week’s bench for his two goals in the win against New York as well.

This is the first Team of the Week selection this year for Ekra, who recently became the 10th player in USL history to surpass 200 matches played in the league. Guenzatti, meanwhile, is making an appearance on the squad for the third time this year and now leads the Rowdies with 12 goals.

Ekra, 31, tallied both of his goals in the second half of Saturday’s match, adding the final two blows to the visiting Red Bulls II. In the 58th minute, he connected with a pass back from Guenzatti on his first touch to blast the ball into the back of the net. He then bagged his second in the 69th minute, collecting his own rebound after having an initial shot blocked and calmly slotting a shot from the top of the six-yard box past the keeper.

Ekra also assisted on both of Guenzatti’s goals. For the first, Ekra laid off a pass for the captain to take in stride past several defenders before slipping a shot into the goal in the 38th minute. Then, just four minutes into the second half, Ekra picked Guenzatti out at the top of the box with ample space to strike the ball into the net. Guenzatti’s goals bring his overall tally in Tampa Bay up to 48. Guenzatti’s night got off to a rocky start with a headed goal waived off for offside and then having an attempt from the penalty spot thwarted, but he more than made up for it by the final whistle.

With two wins and two shutouts at the Charleston Battery and New York last week, the Rowdies established new club records for consecutive wins with their 5th straight victory and clean sheets with their 7th consecutive shutout, while also extending their unbeaten run to 8 matches.

View the full USL Championship Team of the Week from Week 21 below:

GK – Connor Sparrow, Miami FC: Connor Sparrow recorded a nine-save shutout, including eight saves coming on shots from inside the penalty area, and also notched three punched clearances as Miami FC took a 2-0 victory on the road against Memphis 901 FC.

D – Hugh Roberts, Charlotte Independence: Hugh Roberts helped lead the Independence to a pair of shutout victories over the week, recording a goal and assist in the side’s win against Loudoun United FC while winning 3 of 3 aerials and 2 of 2 tackles and making eight clearances over two games.

D – Fabien Garcia, Austin Bold FC: The French defender scored the decisive goal in Austin’s 2-1 win against San Antonio FC and over two victories won 4 of 5 tackles while making 14 recoveries and four interceptions as Austin moved into the playoff positions in the Mountain Division.

D – Elijah Martin, San Diego Loyal SC: Elijah Martin had a good two-way performance as San Diego earned a shutout on the road in Oakland, recording two key passes and winning 9 of 12 duels while making six recoveries and three interceptions.

M – Yann Ekra, Tampa Bay Rowdies: The Côte d’Ivoire native recorded two goals and two assists, recorded six key passes and completed 29 of 34 passes overall to lead the Tampa Bay Rowdies in a 6-0 victory against the New York Red Bulls II.

M – Kenardo Forbes, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Kenardo Forbes had a standout two-way performance with two goals and two key passes while also winning 5 of 5 tackles, recording 12 recoveries and winning 7 of 8 duels in Pittsburgh’s 5-0 win against Loudoun United FC.

M – Sylvain Marveaux, Charlotte Independence: Sylvain Marveaux scored both goals as the Independence took a 2-0 victory against Hartford Athletic on Saturday night while completing 29 of 32 passes and winning 3 of 3 duels in midfield.

M – Aodhan Quinn, Phoenix Rising FC: Aodhan Quinn recorded a goal and assist and seven key passes overall in Phoenix’s 4-3 victory against the LA Galaxy II on Saturday night, and in turn became only the third player in Championship history to reach both 35 regular-season goals and assists in the league’s history.

F – Irvin Parra, Charlotte Independence: Irvin Parra led the Independence to a pair of victories over the week, including defeating playoff rival Hartford Athletic on Saturday night, scoring twice and recording one assist while notching four key passes.

F – Sebastian Guenzatti, Tampa Bay Rowdies: The Rowdies’ captain joined teammate Yann Ekra in recording two goals and two assists in the side’s 6-0 victory against the New York Red Bulls II and also had three key passes while completing 15 of 20 passes overall.

F – Christiano Francois, Miami FC: The Haiti international scored both goals as Miami took victory against Memphis 901 FC at AutoZone Park and completed 2 of 2 dribbles and 14 of 22 passes as the side kept pace with its rivals at the top of the Atlantic Division.

Bench: Austin Pack (CLT), Rob Kiernan (OC), Matt Mahoney (COS), Brian Ownby (LOU), Leo Fernandes (TBR), Jose Francisco Torres (COS), Johnny Rodriguez (OAK)

ST PETERSBURG, Fla (September 11, 2021) – The Tampa Bay Rowdies attack came alive on Saturday night against New York Red Bulls II, posting six goals to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches. They also continued their impressive shutout streak to seven straight matches. 

Rowdies Captain Sebastian Guenzatti, Yann Ekra, and Leo Fernandes each recorded two goals, while Guenzatti also notched an assist and Ekra picked up two assists.

“(The players) created the opportunities. They were relentless in the way they went about the game,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “…New York’s not had many defeats like that. It’s been one goal losses, the majority of their games. But when the boys like that, it’s a joy to watch. The players got what they deserved for their effort and their quality.”

The Rowdies were on top of New York’s defense from the start, with Guenzatti burying a head four minutes only to be denied by an offside flag. Guenzatti then had a chance from the penalty spot after Steevan Dos Santos was shoved down in the box, but he saw his penalty attempt to the bottom left corner thwarted by Luca Lewis.

In the 12th minute, the floodgates finally opened. Sebastian Dalgaard whipped in a curling cross from the right edge of the box and Fernandes powered the ball past Lewis despite the keeper getting a touch on it.

When it looked as if the Rowdies were going to settle for just one goal in the first half, they added two more right before the break to pull out to a more comfortable lead. Guenzatti got the goal he was seeking in the 35th minute, receiving a pass from Ekra 35 yards out and driving through several defenders before slotting a shot past Lewis.

“After I missed my penalty, I just thought I have to make up for it, the team needs me” said Guenzatti. “Leo scoring two minutes after my penalty and then me scoring left a good platform for us to go on and keep scoring.”

Guenzatti played setup man for longtime teammate Fernandes by chesting the ball down for Fernandes to take in stride into New York’s defensive third. Fernandes then clinically deposited the ball into the back of the net.

It did not take long for the Rowdies to add a fourth in the second half. Four minutes into the half, Ekra found Guenzatti at the top of the box with acres of space and Guenzatti did not waste the opportunity to notch his 12th goal of the season.

Ekra and Guenzatti swapped roles in the 58th minute, as Guenzatti penetrated New York’s box from the left wing and laid a pass back for Ekra at the top of the box to one-time across the line. Ekra matched Fernandes and Guenzatti in goals in the 69th minutes, collecting his own rebound from an initial strike in the six yard box and slipping it past Lewis.

“The one thing I don’t worry about is complacency,” said Collins. “It’s just a really good performance. The boys have come off the back of a few good performances. They’ll enjoy a couple of days off and they’ll get ready to go again.”

With the win, the Rowdies keep atop the Atlantic Division standings and also retain their title as the club with the most points across the USL Championship. They now hit the road for three straight away matches, starting with a trip to Atlanta United II next Saturday. The Rowdies return to Al Lang stadium on Thursday, October 7 to face the Charleston Battery.

Scoring Summary
TBR – Leo Fernandes (Sebastian Dalgaard) 13’
TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti (Yann Ekra) 36’
TBR – Leo Fernandes (Sebastian Guenzatti) 39’
TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti (Yann Ekra) 49’
TBR – Yann Ekra (Sebastian Guenzatti) 58’
TBR – Yann Ekra 69’

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

New York: Lewis; Knapp, Tombul, Monzon, Castillo; Harper, Edelman, Zajec, LaCava; Jorgense, Ngoma

Gameday Info:
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs New York Red Bulls II
Saturday, September 11, 7:30pm ET
Al Lang Stadium, St Petersburg, FL

Tickets: Fans can purchase tickets here or by visiting the Al Lang box office starting at 2pm on gameday.

Pre-game Show: Tune in to the pre-game show at 7pm ET hosted by The Unused Substitutes Podcast live on the Rowdies Gaming Twitch Channel here. 

Watch: Stream the match here on ESPN+.

Follow Along : Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday

The Tampa Bay Rowdies (15-6-1, 43 pts.) return from a quick trip to South Carolina on Tuesday after a 1-0 win over the Charleston Battery, which gave them sole possession of the top spot in the Atlantic Division standings and the highest points total in the USL Championship. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC sits just two points back in second place, though, so there is no time to rest for the Rowdies.

This Saturday, the Rowdies host New York Red Bulls II (4-13-4, 16 pts), who the Rowdies have beaten in two away matches so far this season. New York has struggled to find consistency all year, but the club is coming in Al Lang on the back of a 2-0 win at Hartford Athletic to snap a seven-match losing streak. The Rowdies will look to ensure New York does not make it two straight for the first time this seaosn.

Saturday will be the first time the Rowdies host New York since May of the 2019 season. The Rowdies won that night 2-0, with current Rowdies center back Jordan Scarleet and keeper Evan Louro both in the starting lineup for New York. Both have since become mainstays for Tampa Bay, appearing in 41 matches over the last two seasons.

“We respect the way New York plays and we know what we have to do to be successful against them,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “I think us playing at home always give us a confidence in what we can do. But what I would say about New York is they stick to their principles no matter who they play. Some teams come to Al Lang and are fearful and change. I think that’s what experience does, whereas the younger players come and they don’t care whether they’re playing in Tampa Bay or New York. They’re gonna go for it, so we need to be mindful of that. By the same point, we know what we need to do at home to get our fans behind us and to do well. It’s definitely a balance , but we know what we need to do against New York and that doesn’t change too much.”

Tejada’s Return
Fan-favorite Juan Tejada made his long-awaited return from injury last month and now finally has his first start of the season under his belt after Tuesday’s shift at Charleston. Tejada played 73 minutes before being taken off, providing plenty of energy up top to set Tampa Bay’s defensive press and also would have scored if not for a stellar save by the keeper.

“The first games I came in, I felt I struggled a little bit,” said Tejada. “It’s been a long time, but I was happy with how the game Charleston went. We started the game so well and really I think I needed that kind of game to get my confidence back and kind of get my feeling again of being a player. I felt very good against Charleston and hopefully I can build up from there and get a goal soon.”

Right Wing Options
Right wingback Conner Antley will be unavailable the first time this year after receiving a red car late against Charleston. Antley has played the majority of the minutes out on the right wing for the Rowdies this year, but Collins is confident is other will be able to pick up the slack in Antley’s absence. Dayonn Harris, who had several positive appearances out on the right wing before going out, is finally fit and available after missing over a month of action due to a hamstring injury and then an illness. Sebastian Dalgaard is another option on the right wing. The Danish midfielder is riding high after several weeks of strong performances and his outstanding goal into the top corner last week at Al Lang. Dalgaard has been playing on the left wing recently, but he has plenty of experience on the right wing as well.

Keeping Al Lang a Fortress
Picking up all 3 points this weekend will be a priority for the Rowdies this weekends. A win is always the goal, but a win before you head out for a three-match road swing is always nice. The Rowdies have only dropped points at home twice this year. 

“We know this place has been a fortress and that’s what we call it,” said Rowdies Assistant Coach Stuart Dobson. “We are definitely looking at a great performance, and we know that 3 points will come if we’re dialed in and we have the mentality that we’ve had over the last few weeks, it’ll be a good outcome for us.”

A Chance at Another Record
On Tuesday, the Rowdies established a new club record consecutive clean sheets with their 6th straight shutouts. This Saturday, they have a chance at another record if they can pull off another victory. A win this weekend would be the Rowdies’ fifth straight, their longest winning streak of the modern era. They have already come close this year, when they started out the season with four straight wins. This time they will look get the job done with a fifth victory.

Injury Report
OUT: Luiz Fernando
QUESTIONABLE: Max Lachowecki