Matchday 24 Preview: Rowdies at Louisville
August 12, 2022 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Louisville City FC
Saturday, August 13, 7:30 p.m. ET
Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville, KY
Watch: Fans can stream the match on ESPN+.
Follow Along: Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday
The Tampa Bay Rowdies have their sights set on two goals this Saturday at Louisville City FC's Lynn Family Stadium. First, the Rowdies are aiming to leap Louisville City FC for the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings with a second. A win or a draw in Louisville would also extend the club's unbeaten streak to 14 matches, which would be a new Rowdies record.
This weekend's match will be the Rowdies' first trip to Louisville since the 2022 Eastern Conference final in which the Rowdies claimed a 2-1 victory. Tampa Bay and Louisville City have only met twice since then, with the former edging out the other in the 2021 conference final and also a regular-season matchup back on June 5 of this year.
Adding to the anticipation of Saturday's match is the expectation of a capacity crowd at Lynn Family Stadium.
"When you go on the road anywhere you've got to deal with the environment," said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. "I'm sure Louisville are always highly motivated to win. They've won a lot of games. The players have been just fantastic in training. That is, for me, always the most important thing. If you're doing it in training right, you give yourself the best chance for Saturday."
Collins Claims Coach of the Month
For the fourth time in his career, Neill Collins has been voted USL Championship Coach of the Month. Collins earned the honor this time after leading the Rowdies to five wins in five outings in July. Collins is also the reigning USL Coach of the Year, but the ultimate prize of a league title still awaits.
"I've gained so much experience," said Collins. "Every game, every training session, every up and down, hopefully it all makes you better if you reflect on it. That's what we've tried to do as an organization, improve every year on the field. We look at every part of how we prepare to be on the field. There's a lot of learning still to be done."
Battle at the Top
Tampa Bay and Louisville have arguably been the top two teams in the league over the last two months. While the Rowdies have gone unbeaten in 13 straight, Louisville has not lost since its 1-0 defeat to the Rowdies on June 5
A key to Tampa Bay's win over Louisville was the ability to significantly impact the quality of chances in the attacking third. Louisville left Al Lang with no shots on target. That is an impressive feat considering Louisville is one of the most consistent scoring teams in the USL, sitting third in the league with 47 goals. Tampa Bay rank second with 48 goals tallied. The Rowdies will likely need to replicate a similar type of defensive performance in order to come away with a positive result in Louisville this week.
Wyke Suspended
The Rowdies will take on Louisville without one of this season's stalwarts. Laurence Wyke is suspended for Saturday's match due to yellow card accumulation. He's the first Rowdies player this year to miss a match due to yellow card accumulation. Wyke has appeared in 22 of 23 matches for the Rowdies this season, including 20 starts. The Rowdies have implemented Wyke in a few roles this year but he has primarily played on the back line. With the return of Robert Castellanos and the extension of Ian Antley through the remainder of the season, though, the Rowdies have a few more defensive options down the final stretch.
Upcoming Milestones
Sebastian Guenzatti is 2 goals away from breaking the Rowdies all-time scoring record of 60 goals held by Georgi Hristov.
Leo Fernandes is set to make his 150th regular season USL Championship appearance on Saturday. He currently has 142 appearances for the Rowdies in all competitions, making him 3rd in appearances in the modern era.
Lucky Mkosana is 3 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.
Forward Kyle Greig is nearing 15,000 minutes played in the USL Championship regular season. He currently sits at 14,716 minutes played heading into the weekend.
Injury Report
OUT: Jake Areman, Thomas Vancaeyezeele
QUESTIONABLE: Yann Ekra
SUSPENDED: Laurence Wyke (yellow card accumulation)
United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 12, 2022
- Inside the 18: Hassan Ndam Returns to Starting XI against the Charleston Battery - New York Red Bulls II
- El Paso Locomotive Rallies in a 4-4 Draw Against Colorado Springs Switchbacks - El Paso Locomotive FC
- Apodaca Brace, Williams Goal Lead Battery to Victory over New York - Charleston Battery
- Oakland Roots Renew NISA Rivalry Away in Detroit - Oakland Roots
- NYRB II Concludes Homestand with Match against Charleston Battery - New York Red Bulls II
- Notes and Quotes: "It's Going to be a Really Difficult Game in a Really Difficult Atmosphere" - Sacramento Republic FC
- Run It Back: Detroit City FC to Host the Oakland Roots - Detroit City FC
- Game Information and Match Notes - SAFC vs. LV - San Antonio FC
- Monterey Bay F.C. Welcomes Republic FC to Seaside for Second Time this Season - Monterey Bay FC
- Captain Michael Orozco Adding to His Orange County Legacy - Orange County SC
- New Mexico United and Fabletics Welcome Fans to "Yoga on the Pitch" on August 20 - New Mexico United
- SD Loyal Signs Defender Jackson Kasanzu - San Diego Loyal
- Oakland Roots Transfer Ariel Mbumba to Columbus Crew 2 - Oakland Roots
- "Police vs. Fire" Soccer Doubleheader at Lights FC's September 10th Match - Las Vegas Lights FC
- Hartford Look to Right the Ship at Home vs. Indy - Hartford Athletic
- New Mexico United Academy Tops Atlanta United Academy, 4-1, in Day One of the Somos Unidos Cup - New Mexico United
- Match Preview: ATL UTD 2 vs. Miami FC - Atlanta United 2
- Loudoun United FC 2023 Season Tickets on Sale - Loudoun United FC
- Battery Add Defender Avionne Flanagan to Roster - Charleston Battery
- Atlanta United 2 Announces Broadcast Changes for Miami FC Match - Atlanta United 2
- Matchday 24 Preview: Rowdies at Louisville - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- What to Watch for with LouCity vs. Tampa Bay - Louisville City FC
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.
