Preview: Rowdies vs Birmingham

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USL Tampa Bay Rowdies

Preview: Rowdies vs Birmingham

May 2, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release


The Rowdies return to USL Championship action at Al Lang Stadium this Saturday to face off with Eastern Conference foe Birmingham Legion FC. Both the Rowdies and Birmingham find themselves in similar situations through the first two months of the USL Championship season. Birmingham parted ways with the first head coach in the club's history Tommy Soehn on April 9, and the Rowdies followed suit with the dismissal of head coach Robbie Neilson a few days later.

Birmingham has played three matches since making the change, recording a win over El Paso Locomotive FC and loss to Hartford Athletic in league play and a victory against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC in Round 1 of the USL Jägermeister Cup this past weekend. The club made a major announcement this week with the appointment of Mark Briggs as its new head coach. Briggs, who spent the past five seasons leading Sacramento Republic FC, ranks third all-time in victories across the USL Championship regular season and playoffs.

"Birmingham are a tough opponent to play," said Rowdies Interim Head Coach Steve Coleman. "They have some dangerous players going forward...We have to manage the threats the opponents give us and try to impose ourselves on the game. It'll be an interesting game with two teams trying to build a bit of momentum as they go on through the season."

Arteaga Nets His First

After a longer than expected wait, Rowdies forward Manuel Arteaga made his way onto the scoresheet for the first time this year with his goal in last week's USL Jägermeister Cup match against Miami FC. The Venezuelan striker led the Rowdies with 17 goals in the regular season last year but has had an uncharacteristic dry spell to start the year so far. Arteaga has proven to be a consistent scoring threat in the league, with double-digit goals in three of the last four seasons. With his first of 2025 now under his belt, Arteaga will head into this weekend's match with a boost in confidence.

"It was a case of not if but when," Coleman said of Arteaga's scoring drought. "Now it will be a question of how many he will get. I think it's fantastic for the team that he's got that monkey off his back a little bit, but he offers so much to the team in terms of what he does in defensive moments, and he helps us build. The goals are a byproduct of his hard work."

Lasso One Away from 100

Saturday is likely to be a memorable night for longtime Rowdies defender Forrest Lasso, who is set to make his 100th appearance for the club the next time he steps onto the field. Lasso was on pace to hit the milestone around this same time last year before an ACL injury sidelined him through the rest of the season. After starting 2025 as an unused substitute through the first four matches, the three-time USL Championship Defender of the Year has now made four consecutive starts and played every minute for the Rowdies in league play, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and USL Jägermeister Cup over the last three weeks. When Lasso hits 100 appearances, he will become the 24th Rowdies player in club history and the 15th of the Modern Era to do so.

Turning Al Lang into a Fortress Again

April has come and gone, and the Rowdies are still seeking their first win at Al Lang Stadium since September 14. The good news is they will have plenty of chances to secure that win over the next month, as five of their six matches slated for May will be played at home, including next Wednesday's Open Cup tilt against I-4 rivals Orlando City SC. Of course, the Rowdies would love nothing more than to utilize this lengthy home stretch before the summer months to start stringing together consecutive results. But to do that, you have to get that first one.

"One of the big positives for me [against Miami] was standing on the touchline after 40 minutes and listening to the noise in the stadium and the crowd, the smoke and the flags waving, that feeling that you have when a crowd is behind you," said Coleman. "When you feel that at Al Lang and you understand how special this place is, I think that's a positive for me. Despite whatever moment we may be in now, the crowd are still behind the team in those moments. The job for us now making sure they're behind us for the whole 90 minutes and not frustrated by how the game finishes."

Rowdies Availability Report

OUT: Hilton, MacPherson

QUESTIONABLE: Bodily, Moon, Skinner, Wyke

USL Championship Matchday 7

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Birmingham Legion FC ‚

Saturday, May 3, 7:30 p.m. ET ‚

Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL

2025 League Records: ‚

Rowdies: 1W-5L-0D, 3pts, 11th East (0-2-0 at home) ‚

Birmingham: 1W-3L-3D, 5 pts, 9th East (0-2-1 on the road) ‚

Tune In: ‚ Tampa Bay 44, ESPN+

Check out the Tampa Bay Rowdies Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 2, 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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