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USL Tampa Bay Rowdies

Match Preview: Rowdies, Phoenix Finally Set to Play at Al Lang

May 14, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release


Saturday, May 15 at 8 p..m ET

Al Lang Stadium, St Petersburg, FL

Watch: The match will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2

Follow Along: Live updates for the match will be posted on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday. Score Updates will also be posted on the Rowdies' Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Inside Al Lang: Al Lang Stadium is now completely cash-free, including all retail and concession stands. Credit and debit cards as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay will be accepted throughout the stadium. Roaming vendors will also not accept cash.

This Saturday, Al Lang Stadium will host a highly anticipated match when the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Rowdies and defending Western Conference champion Phoenix Rising FC finally meet on the field. The match will be broadcast on ESPN2, with kickoff set for 8 pm ET.

Outside observers and the fans may be looking at this match with extra anticipation due to the circumstances that led to the cancelation of the USL Championship Final last year, but none of that is a factor for the Rowdies.

"To be honest, last year's in the past," Said Rowdies midfielder Zach Steinberger. "It really is just the third game of the season for us. We're looking to carry the momentum that we've carried in the first couple games. The culture in our locker room is to try and put in as many good performances as we can over the course of the season and get better every day. That's something that comes from the top and everyone buys into it. That's where our focus is every day, and where the focus is on the weekend."

So, what does get Steinberger and his teammates amped up about this match? The rare chance to test themselves against one of the best teams from the Western Conference and one of the most highly rated teams across the whole league. Like the Rowdies, Phoenix has started the year with two commanding victories and +6 goal differential.

"I'm excited to play a really good team," said Steinberger. "It's a team we never get to play and they're a team that's really well-respected in the west. For that reason I'm really excited to test ourselves as a team against the best in the west and see where we stack up."

Through two matches this year the Rowdies have had three players already earn spots on the USL Team of the Week. Club captain Sebastian Guenzatti earned the honor after the first match for his two goals and assist against Charlotte. Guenzatti added another goal in the win over Pittsburgh last week, but it was his partner up top Steevan Dos Santos and center back Forrest Lasso who earned spots on the league's team of the week.

Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins only made two changes for last week's starting XI, swapping midfielders Lewis Hilton and Leo Fernandes into the starting lineup. The changes worked, as the Rowdies put in a performance that showed improvement from the previous week. Collins has tough decisions to make with this week's lineup, especially with midfielder Yann Ekra pushing for playing time after returning from injury.

Injury Report:

Out: Lucky Mkosana, Juan Tejada, Luiz Fernando

Opposition Notes:

Phoenix travels to Tampa Bay on the back of a 3-0 win over the Oakland Roots and a 4-1 win against San Diego Loyal the week before that. As a result of the positive start, Phoenix leads the Western Conference's Pacific Division. The Rowdies' other two cross-conference matchups later in the season are against Phoenix's Pacific Division rivals Oakland and Las Vegas Lights FC.

Similar to Collins, Phoenix Head Coach Rick Schantz has been able to retain a solid core of players from last year's successful squad. Attackers Solomon Asante and Santi Moar are both off to productive starts, with two goals each after two matches.

Injuries to Phoenix's two top keepers Zac Lubin and Andre Rawls forced the club to find a replacement on short notics. Schantz and his staff did pretty well, pulling in 2020 USL Championship Goalkeeper of the Year Ben Lundt on loan from MLS' FC Cincinnati. The Rowdies last faced Lundt in the 2020 Eastern Conference final, when started in net for Louisville City FC. Lundt was in net for Phoenix's clean sheet against Oakland.

Phoenix has been beat in possession in both of their first matches, though it hasn't seemed to hurt them much. Meanwhile, the Rowdies have held a considerable possession advantage through their first two matches.

"Phoenix being able to counter on any mistakes is something we'll need to be very aware of," said Collins. To give their games a bit of context, they scored early in both of those games, which changes the opposition's willingness to risk. Phoenix were more than happy to let them have the ball knowing they'd already gotten the lead. We had to be a little more patient, certainly in our first game. We want to be at home and we want to have the ball, but I think we're always willing to do what it takes to win the game. For any reason, if we're not having the ball we'll adapt. But the plan will be to play our way, implement our style. Make the adjustments for their strengths without changing too much, because if you change to much it can become a bit fractured performance."

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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