Preview: Rowdies vs Orange County
July 12, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are back in town after three weeks on the road over the last month. They return home after picking up a win, a loss, and a draw in their three away fixtures. The friendly confines of Al Lang Stadium will be a welcome sight for the whole squad, who have been on the road for five of their last six outings. Lining up against the Rowdies this Saturday will be Orange County SC, a club that Rowdies have faced in three previous encounters, most notably the 2021 USL Championship Final in which Orange County defeated the Rowdies 3-1. Since then, the Rowdies have recorded a 3-1 victory at home and a 1-1 draw against Orange County in two regular season meetings.
Setting the Standard in the Second Half
With 17 matches played, the Rowdies have hit the exact midway point of the 2024 campaign. As it stands now, they sit fourth in the USL Championships' Eastern Conference standings. They've held that spot comfortably for over a month now, but the aim for the second half of season is to make the jump up to one of the top two spots in the table heading into the playoffs. July offers a good chance to gain ground in the standings with matches coming up against the two teams directly above them, Indy Eleven on July 20 and Charleston Battery on July 27.
"It's about setting the standard we want to play going into games. No matter if it's an away game or a home, it's important that we play our game. We want to be a team that presses aggressively but also a team that passes forward quickly. We've been able to do that regularly at Al Lang, now it's just about taking that to away games."
Scoring with Consistency
When the Rowdies attack is clicking, it is among the very best in the league. Tampa Bay ranks fifth in the league in scoring with 29 goals. However, it has been a while since the Rowdies have found it more difficult to find the back of the net during their recent stretch of road matches. They've only scored multiple goals in a match once in their last seven matches. It's no coincidence that one match was played at home, a 3-2 win over first-place Louisville.
"When you look at all these venues we go into, a lot of them are usually low scoring games for us," said Neilson. "Detroit, Loudoun, are usually low scoring games for us and a lot of teams. I think going back to Al Lang gives us an opportunity to actually go and play soccer and create some chances. We've been very successful at home. It's important we get back to that this weekend and carry it onto the road the rest of the year."
Jennings Nears 60
Forward Cal Jennings is one tally away from his 60th career goal in the USL Championship. Jennings already has 9 goals for the Rowdies in league play this year, with his total across all competitions for Tampa Bay now at 31 goals in 51 appearances.
Scouting Orange County
Orange County comes to Al Lang on the back of their biggest victory of the year, an impressive 4-1 win over Memphis 901 FC at home. It was a much needed boost for Orange County, who had only posted four defeats and only one win in their previous five matches. The club has gone through a significant change over the last few weeks with the departure of head coach Martin Karlsen for another coaching opportunity back home in Denmark. Assistant coach Paul Hardyman has taken over head coaching duties on an interim basis since Karlsen's exit, picking up two losses and one win in his first few matches in charge.
Availability Report
OUT: Leo Fernandes, Forrest Lasso, Nick Moon, Cristian Ortiz (International Duty)
QUESTIONABLE: Blake Bodily
MATCHDAY 18 INFO:
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Orange County SC
Saturday, July 13, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
2024 League Records:
Rowdies: 8W-4L-5D, 29 pts, 4th East (5-1-2 at home)
Orange County: 7W-8L-3D, 24 pts, 7th East (3-5-2 on the road)
Tickets: Fans can secure their tickets for the match.
Tune In: Saturday's match will be broadcast locally on Tampa Bay 44 and available to stream on ESPN+.
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