Matchday 21 Preview: Rowdies vs Atlanta
July 22, 2022 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
Matchday 21 Info:
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Atlanta United 2
Saturday, July 23, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
Tickets: Fans can purchase tickets for the match or at the Al Lang Stadium box office on gameday starting at 4 p.m. ET.
Pre-Game Show: Get ready for the game with the pre-game show hosted by The Unused Substitutes, airing live on Twitch.TV/ROWDIESGG.
Watch: Stream the match on ESPN+.
Follow Along: Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday
The Tampa Bay Rowdies return home this Saturday to face Atlanta United 2 after notching back-to-back road wins. Heading into the weekend, the Rowdies remain unbeaten in ten straight and sit four points back of Louisville City FC for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Tampa Bay came away with a victory at Hartford and Loudoun, thanks to a stellar 45 minutes in each match. This weekend, Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins hopes to see his side put it all together for the 90 minutes against Atlanta.
"We're really pleased to be back at home," said Collins. "We've had a full week of just getting ready and focusing on what we need to do to play well at home and build on many positives we had against Loudoun, and then a couple of things we want to improve. We're constantly looking at how we can sustain these patches of really good play for longer periods of the game."
Atlanta sits 12th in the Eastern Conference, yet the Rowdies know it will take a full performance to match the dominant victory they recorded in March.
"We've had some difficult games against Atlanta. You sometimes feel you're in a no-win situation because they're games you're expected to win, but you're also respectful of these teams. They've got good talent and they've got a good identity with the way they play. Because they play with that fearlessness and freedom, it can be really challenging."
Midseason Move
This week, the Rowdies pulled a player swap with fellow USL Championship side, Indy Eleven. The Rowdies acquired veteran English midfielder Nicky Law from Indy and agreed to send forward Juan Tejada to the Circle City.
Law brings a wealth of experience to the Rowdies roster, having played in over 500 matches during a 15-year career in England and Scotland before joining Indy last year. The 34-year-old midfielder bagged 76 goals and 111 assists before his stateside move, where he recorded four goals and five assists in 49 appearances for Indy.
"We were lacking something in the squad in terms of support in midfield that I think Nicky will bring," said Collins. "He's a number 8 but can also play number 10. He's got fantastic quality on the ball and has proven over the last 12 months that he's a good fit in this league. as he's gotten to know the USL and play in it."
Tejada became an immediate fan-favorite during his 10-goal debut season for the Rowdies in 2019. Injury plagued Tejada in 2021 and playing time has been hard to come by for him as other Rowdies have excelled in the first half of the season.
"Juan's been really unfortunate this season not to get more opportunities," said Collins. "Certain players in his position have done very well and I've picked them ahead of him. With his attitude and the intensity he's brought every day in training, I think he deserves a bit more. I always put the club first, but at the same time try to be fair to someone like Juan, who has given everything and deserves the opportunity to go and play."
Upcoming Milestones
Sebastian Guenzatti is two goals away from breaking the Rowdies all-time scoring record of 60 goals currently held by Georgi Hristov
Guenzatti is 3 appearances away from his 150th appearance for the Rowdies.
Lucky Mkosana is 4 appearances away from his 100th appearance for the Rowdies.
Keeper CJ Cochran is two clean sheets away from his 30th shutout in the USL Championship.
Injury Report:
OUT: Robert Castellanos, Lucky Mkosana
QUESTIONABLE: Conner Antley
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