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Preview: Nashville SC Faces Another Tough Test in Second-Place Tampa Bay Rowdies

August 29, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Nashville SC News Release


NASHVILLE - One week after securing a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Charleston Battery, Nashville Soccer Club heads south to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. The matchup will pit two of the top sides in the Eastern Conference against each other with the second spot in the Eastern Conference on the line.

How to Follow

Local Television: MyTV30 with John Freeman and Ronnie Woodard

Digital Stream: ESPN+

Social Media: @NashvilleSC on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

Last Time Out

Nashville SC took home a dramatic 2-1 win over the Charleston Battery on Saturday night at First Tennessee Park. After giving up a goal just before halftime, the Boys in Gold rallied to tie the match on a Ropapa Mensah header in the first few minutes after halftime. Nashville continued to push for a winner and appeared to have found one from Lebo Moloto in the 90' minute, but the goal was waved off due to an offside call. Moments later in stoppage time, Bolu Akinyode turned with a shot that deflected off of a defender and flew into the far side of the net, sending First Tennessee Park into a frenzy. The win kept Nashville SC in the top three in the standings and kept the club within striking distance of the top spot.

Scouting Tampa Bay Rowdies

The Tampa Bay Rowdies sit in second place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference and are just a few points behind first-place New York Red Bulls II. The Rowdies are one of the strongest offensive teams in the league, sitting just one goal behind Nashville SC with the sixth-best goal total in the USL Championship. The club's leading scorer this season has been Sebastian Guenzatti, who has 13 goals in 25 matches. The Rowdies are also strong defensively, as it is one of three teams (joining Nashville SC and Phoenix Rising FC) to have 11 clean sheets on the season.

Storylines to Watch

Lancaster's Latest Hits

Nashville forward Cameron Lancaster got 70 minutes of action on Saturday night after making his first start since July 6. While he didn't score in the match, he was still an offensive force. Lancaster took seven total shots, tied for a team high, and took two shots on target. He also made a pair of key passes in the win. A healthy and dynamic Lancaster could help bolster a strong Nashville SC offense that is already the second-highest scoring offense in the Eastern Conference.

Runs of Form

While both sides are sitting near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, Tampa Bay has stumbled in recent weeks. In its last five matches, the Rowdies have won twice and lost the other three matches, including a home loss to the red-hot Birmingham Legion FC. Meanwhile, Nashville SC has lost one, drawn one and won three matches in its last five matches. Dating back to July 17, Nashville SC has gone unbeaten in all but one match.

Weathering a Storm

As of Thursday afternoon, Saturday's match will be played with Hurricane Dorian approaching Florida. While the Hurricane itself might not hit the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area on Saturday night, there could still be storms that could create some rainy conditions for the match. Nashville is no stranger to bad weather this season, as four of its matches so far this season have included delays or postponements due to severe weather.

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