Preview: Rowdies vs Hartford
USL Tampa Bay Rowdies

Preview: Rowdies vs Hartford

Published on October 17, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release


The Tampa Bay Rowdies make their final stand in the regular season at Al Lang Stadium starting this Saturday with a matchup against Hartford Athletic in the penultimate week of the USL Championship season.

Following last week's loss in Rhode Island, the Rowdies must take all three points this Saturday and next week's regular season finale against Detroit City FC to have a chance at securing a playoff berth for the seventh straight season. The Rowdies are chasing Detroit for the final playoff spot, with Indy Eleven also in the mix to claim the coveted playoff position.

The ideal scenario for the Rowdies this weekend is to win against Hartford and see Detroit lose in their battle with the Charleston and have Indy fall against Loudoun United FC. That would put the Rowdies back in control of their playoff fate heading into the final weekend of the season. However, a win for Detroit this weekend would mathematically eliminate the Rowdies from playoff contention.

Guillen Nears History

Rowdies Captain Aaron Guillen will make club history the next time he steps onto the pitch. Guillen is set to become the Rowdies Modern Era appearances leader with his 196th appearance for the club across all competitions. The Rowdies captain leads the Rowdies in minutes played this season with 2,388 minutes and is also one of only two players to appear in every regular season match so far.

Pacius Returns

Tampa Bay's leading scorer Woobens Pacius returns from international duty this week after making his debut for the Haitian Men's National Team on Monday. Pacius entered as a late substitute in Haiti defeat to Honduras. The 24-year-old attacker leads the Rowdies with 12 goals in the regular season and 15 tallies across all competitions.

Milestone Watch

Midfielder Danny Crisostomo and defender Forrest Lasso are both within reach of major individual milestones in the final weeks of the regular season. Crisostomo is two appearances away from hitting 150 career regular season appearances in the USL Championship, while Lasso is only two away from reaching 200 regular season appearances.

Series History

The Rowdies hold the advantage over Hartford in the all-time series between the two sides with a record of 9 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws. One of those 9 wins was the first win for Rowdies Head Coach Dominic Casciato, who led the club to a 1-0 victory over Hartford a week after taking the helm in early July. Since then, Hartford has risen to third in the Eastern Conference standings and was crowned USL Jägermeister Cup Champions.

Rowdies Availability Report

OUT: Bassett, Fernandes, Hilton, Niyongabire

QUESTIONABLE: Bodily

USL Championship Matchday 29

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Hartford Athletic

Saturday, October 18, 7:30 p.m. ET

Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL

2025 League Records:

Rowdies: 8W-14L-6D, 30 pts, 10th East (4-5-4 at home)

Hartford: 13W-10L-5D, 44 pts, 3rd East (7-4-2 at home)

Ruff & Rowdies Night: Enjoy pitch side views with your pup in the Bayshore Lounge this Saturday at Ruff & Rowdies Night. Click here to purchase your Ruff & Rowdies Night ticket.

Tune In: ‚ Tampa Bay 44, ESPN+

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 17, 2025


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