USL Tampa Bay Rowdies

Preview: Rowdies at Pittsburgh

Published on April 4, 2024 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release


Matchday 4

Tampa Bay Rowdies (5 pts, 5th East) at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (0 pts, 12th East)

Saturday, April 6, 7 p.m. ET

HighMark Stadium, Pittsburgh, FL

Watch Party: Join the official Rowdies Watch Party at Colony Grill in Downtown St. Petersburg. Fans wearing Rowdies gear will receive 25% off pizza.

Tune In: Fans can watch Saturday's match on CBS Sports Golazo.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies travel to the Steel City this weekend for a matchup with last year's Players' Shield winner, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Tampa Bay finished third in the Players' Shield race last year, narrowly missing out on catching Pittsburgh in a head-to-head loss at Al Lang Stadium in the penultimate match of the regular season.

The two sides have started the 2024 campaign on opposite sides of the spectrum. Tampa Bay are unbeaten in their first three and picked up their first win of the year last Saturday in a convincing 4-1 result over Rhode Island FC. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh have been on the losing end of their first matches, netting just one goal and conceding six during that stretch. Louisville dealt Pittsburgh their worst defeat of the young season in a 5-1 rout last week.

"Pittsburgh's had a big turnover on their roster, much like we have," said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. "So a little like ourselves, they're still adapting and finding the way they want to play. But I think for us it's more about when we go away, trying to implement the way we want to play. We're not worrying too much about the opposition."

Historically, the Rowdies have struggled to capture all three points in their trips to Pittsburgh. In seven regular-season away days at HighMark Stadium, the Rowdies have only recorded one victory. The Rowdies also lost out to Pittsburgh on the road in the 2015 U.S. Open Cup.

"Pittsburgh is a team that always plays one hundred percent," said Rowdies captain Aaron Guillen. "It's a hard environment to go and play. They always have a team that challenges you throughout the 90 minutes. They don't give you anything. It's a hard pitch to go play on. It's going to be a tough task but I think we're ready for it."

Neilson vs Lilley

Saturday's matchup between Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh will see first-year Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson face off against Pittsburgh's Bob Lilley, who is currently the longest tenured coach in the USL Championship. Since taking over in 2018, Lilley has led Pittsburgh to six straight playoff appearances. Neilson is aiming to maintain that same level of consistency for the Rowdies, who have qualified for the playoffs in five straight seasons.

Doherty Team of the Week

Rowdies veteran Jordan Doherty was recognized for his outstanding shift in last week's win with a spot on the USL Championship Team of the Week. The 23-year-old defender netted Tampa Bay's third goal of the night with a header off of a free kick delivery from Joshua Perez. It's the fourth goal Doherty has tallied in his time with the Rowdies and his first since 2020.

"Goals don't come by too often for me, so I was excited and just happy to get on the score sheet and help the team," said Doherty. "Hopefully I can get a few more this season."

Injury Report

OUT: Zane Bubb, Charlie Dennis, Zach Herivaux, Nick Moon

QUESTIONABLE: Leo Fernandes, Freddy Kleemann

Check out the Tampa Bay Rowdies Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 4, 2024


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