Preview: Rowdies vs Miami FC
June 13, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
The Tampa Bay Rowdies aim to take their first home victory of the 2025 USL Championship this Saturday at Al Lang Stadium. Lining up against them will be the only team the Rowdies have defeated in league play this year, Miami FC. Another win over Miami this weekend would snap an eight-match winless for the Rowdies in the league, the longest stretch without a win for the club since it joined the USL Championship in 2017.
With 11 matches played, the Rowdies have played a third of the regular season fixtures. A good amount of matches remain left to play, but the squad will want to start stringing together some consistent results sooner rather than later before a playoff spot slips out of view entirely.
"We're competing hard each week," said Rowdies Interim Head Coach Steve Coleman. "We're chipping away trying to improve in some areas but also trying to bring the group together at the same time. Hopefully, week on week you've seen improvements. We definitely feel like we're moving in the right direction. The season is a long one. There's 19 games left to go in the league. Although it might not look like we're moving in the right direction yet, we're certainly improving the performances in areas that we've targeted."
This weekend's battle marks the third matchup between the Rowdies and their South Florida rivals of the year. Tampa Bay claimed all three points on Miami's home turf back on March 22 and looked poised to do the same at Al Lang when the two sides met in Round One of the USL Jägermeister Cup on April 26. The Rowdies jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first half of that cup match but conceded three unanswered goals before ultimately falling in a penalty shootout.
"Miami are a very well-organized team with a lot of good attributes and good culture in their group," said Coleman. "They're a team to be respectful of, for sure. We scored a good amount of goals against them, five goals in two games We have a chance to grab three points against a team that are above in the table. That's a really good challenge for us to be going into this weekend."
Hilton Returns, Alvarez Debuts
Last Saturday's matchup in Louisville saw meaningful appearances for two members of the squad. Longtime Rowdies midfielder Lewis Hilton made his first appearance in a match since going down with an injury on April 5 in Charleston. With some minutes under his belt last week, Hilton could be poised to play his first minutes at Al Lang Stadium since September 14 of last year. Saturday could also see the home debut of newcomer Luis Alvarez, who entered with Hilton off the bench in the 55th minute against Louisville. The Rowdies acquired the 2024 USL League One Young Player of the Year finalist via transfer from the Charlotte Independence last week.
Benfica Comes to Town
This week, the Rowdies welcomed SL Benfica to town as the Portuguese powerhouse prepares to kick off in the FIFA Club World Cup. Benfica will call the Rowdies training facility home throughout the tournament, making use of the world-class fields and amenities at the complex. Rowdies players and staff had the opportunity to officially welcome Benfica on Wednesday, when the teams met for a closed-door scrimmage at the facility. 2022 World Cup winner Angel Di Maria featured in Benfica's starting lineup for the scrimmage.
"Playing against a massive club such as Benfica was an amazing opportunity for everyone here," said Coleman. "To be able to host a legendary club within our facility and our home is tremendous. Being up close against some of the best players in the world was a good opportunity to see what that level is like and learn from it."
Rowdies Availability Report
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