Preview: Rowdies at Charleston

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USL Tampa Bay Rowdies

Preview: Rowdies at Charleston

April 4, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release


The Rowdies head to the Palmetto State to resume their rivalry with the Charleston Battery this Saturday. The two sides split their regular season series last year, with each team claiming victory at home. However, Charleston got the better of the Rowdies in the playoffs, knocking them out with a 2-1 result in the Conference Quarterfinals round.

"We're looking forward to Saturday," said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. "All three games last year had great crowds and great atmosphere. Charleston is a tough place to go, but I felt we performed pretty well the last time. We just lost a couple of late goals to lose the game."

Woobens Bags His First

The first goal for a striker after joining a new team can sometimes be the hardest one to tally. Woobens Pacius finally found his in his third start of the season in tremendous fashion, holding off a defender to blast a one-time effort into the back of the net. Now that the 23-year-old has opened his Rowdies scoring account, he'll aim to start scoring with consistency, as he has proven capable of through his young career.

"For a striker, the most important thing is to score goals," said Pacius. "For me individually and for the team, it was for us to score in the first couple of games. We had a lot of possession of the ball, but not really the chance to score. But in Miami we did well, and that's great for our confidence."

Familiar Foe

Along with the familiar faces from recent seasons, Charleston's squad features one name Rowdies fans know very well. Former Rowdies striker Cal Jennings, who netted 38 goals in all competitions over two seasons with the team, signed with Charleston in the offseason. Jennings is off to a hot start for his new club, bagging three goals through the first three matches.

Once More on the Road

Saturday's matchup in Charleston will close out Tampa Bay's four-match road trip to start out the season. After over 200 days without a home game, the Rowdies will have plenty of opportunities to take the field at Al Lang Stadium again with seven straight home regular season matches on the docket in April and May. It all starts next Saturday, April 12 when the Rowdies return to their home turf to take on Loudoun United FC.

"It's super important to get a good result in this last road game," said Neilson. "It's obviously a tough start when you have to go on the road for four straight weeks. We've managed to pick up three points. I felt we should have at least taken a point in the other two games, but we didn't. This Charleston game is a chance to pick up some more points and head into this seven-match stretch at home with some momentum so we can start picking up points consistently."

Moon Team of the Week

Nick Moon made the most of his first start of the year in Miami on Matchday 3 of the season. The Wisconsin native, who has dealt with nagging injuries since joining the Rowdies last year, helped snap the team's scoreless skid with a perfect through ball to set up teammate Woobens Pacius for a strike inside the box. Moon also registered one shot on goal and completed 28 of his 31 pass attempts against Miami to help him earn USL Championship Team of the Week honors. Moon became the first Rowdies player to be named to the Team of the Week this season.

Rowdies Availability Report

OUT: Leo Fernandes, Endri Mustali

USL Championship Matchday 04

Tampa Bay Rowdies at Charleston Battery

Saturday, April 5, 5:30 p.m. ET

Patriots Point Soccer Complex, Charleston, SC

2025 League Records:

Rowdies: 1W-2L-0D, 3pts, 8th East (1-2-0 on the road)

Charleston: 1W-2L-0D, 3 pts, 7th West (0-2-0 at home)

Watch Party: Join the official Rowdies watch party at Colony Grill in Downtown St. Petersburg. Fans wearing Rowdies gear receive discounts on food and drinks.

Tune In: Tampa Bay 44, ESPN+

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 4, 2025


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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