Match Preview: Rowdies vs Rhode Island
March 29, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
Matchday Info:
Tampa Bay Rowdies (0-0-2, 2 pts) vs Rhode Island FC (0-0-2, 2 pts)
Saturday, March 30, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
Tickets: Fans can purchase tickets for the match or at the stadium box office starting at 4 p.m. on matchday.
Grand Central Brewhouse: Stop by the Grand Central Brewhouse table in the Midfield Courtyard to sample some brews, including their exclusive Rowdies beer Leg Day IPA.
Parking: Visit rowdiessoccer.com/parking/ for information on parking
Tune In: If you can't make it to Al Lang, tune in on Tampa Bay44 or stream on ESPN+.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies return to Al Lang Stadium this Saturday for a showdown with USL Championship newcomer Rhode Island FC. It will be the first ever meeting between the Rowdies and Rhode Island, with both clubs seeking their first wins of the season after drawing twice to start the year.
For the Rowdies, the focus this Saturday will be on game management, particularly in the final stages of the match. In both of their outings so far in 2024, the Rowdies have given up the lead in the final 20 minutes
"We've been in winning positions in both games but ended up dropping points, which is obviously disappointing," said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. "It's about game management, particularly the game up in North Carolina last week. We didn't play great but we were in control after taking the lead and then we started to get slack a little bit. It's about managing the game better. It's something you hopefully learn from and move forward from."
Scouting Rhode Island
Rhode Island comes to Al Lang this weekend as still a relatively unknown quantity. Having only played two matches in their entire club history, much remains to be seen of what identity the expansion club will establish under first-time head coach Khano Smith.
The one thing for sure to know about Rhode Island is they have a serious scoring threat in forward Albert Dikwa, who edged out Rowdies forward Cal Jennings for the league's Golden Boot award last year with 20 regular-season tallies. After failing to get on the score sheet in Rhode Island's inaugural match, Dikwa made up for it with a brace versus Monterey last week.
"Obviously, they've got Albert Dikwa up top," said Neilson. "He was a top striker in the league last season so he's a real threat. They've also got some quality players in the midfield and wingback area. It's always difficult with a new team because they're still jelling and you can't get much video on them because they've only had two games so far. It'll be interesting to see how they play but to be honest, we're at home so we're concentrating on ourselves.
Rivera's Rhode Island Connection
For the first time in his young career, Rowdies midfielder Damian Rivera will square off with a club from his home state. The 21-year-old, who is on loan to the Rowdies for the year from MLS' New England Revoltuion, hails from Cranston, Rhode Island.
Pacifique Returns
Tampa Bay will have another player back in the mix this Saturday against Rhode Island. Midfielder Pacifique Niyongabire has returned from international duty with Burundi after missing out on last week's trip to North Carolina. Niyongabire impressed in his Rowdies debut in the season opener, recording an assist to earn a spot on the bench of the USL Championship Team of the Week.
Rowdies Injury Report
OUT: Zane Bubb, Charlie Dennis, Zach Herivaux, Nick Moon
QUESTIONABLE: Freddy Kleemann
United Soccer League Championship Stories from March 29, 2024
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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.
