Prinx Tires USL Cup Preview: Rowdies at Miami
USL Tampa Bay Rowdies

Prinx Tires USL Cup Preview: Rowdies at Miami

Published on May 15, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release


Prinx Tires USL Cup Group Stage Round 2

Tampa Bay Rowdies at Miami FC

Saturday, May 16, 7:00 p.m. ET

Pitbull Stadium, Miami, FL

2026 League Records:

Rowdies: 5W-0L-3D (2-0-2 on the road), 18 pts, 1st in the East

Miami: 3W-2L-4D (2-1-1 at home), 13 pts, 7th in the East

Broadcast: Tampa Bay 44, ESPN+

Radio: Florida Alumni Radio, 1010 AM

The Tampa Bay Rowdies face a decisive match in their quest for the Prinx Tires USL Cup this Saturday as they head south to take on Miami FC. Miami occupies the top spot in Group after picking up two wins in the club's first two matches. A full three-point victory for the Rowdies this Saturday would bring the Rowdies level on points with Miami but put them ahead based on head-to-head tiebreaker.

Tampa Bay has gotten the better of Miami in recent years, going unbeaten in their last nine contests in the series. That streak includes four straight road victories on Miami's home turf. The Rowdies won't be taking Miami lightly, though. In last year's cup matchup, the Rowdies jumped out to a 3-0 lead at Al Lang Stadium before conceding three straight goals and eventually losing out in a penalty shootout.

Cup Format

Saturday is the second of four group stage matches for the Rowdies in the Prinx Tires USL Cup. After Miami, the Rowdies will travel to take on Sporting JAX in Round 3 on June 6 and then close out group play at Al Lang Stadium versus FC Naples on July 11.

The field for this year's edition of the tournament is made up of 42 total teams from across the USL Championship and League One, with teams split into seven regional groups. The top team from each group and one wild card team at the end of group play will advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds. In group play, teams earn the usual three points for a win and one point for a draw. However, any match that ends in a stalemate after 90 minutes will immediately move to a penalty shootout, with the winner of the shootout claiming an extra point.

Round 1 Recap

The Rowdies opened their run in the Prinx Tires USL Cup with a 2-0 win over USL League One's Sarasota Paradise at Al Lang Stadium. Forward Karsen Henderlong netted both of Tampa Bay's goals, earning himself a spot on the Prinx Tires USL Cup Team of the Round. Miami claimed all three points in a 1-0 road win over Sporting Jax in their first outing of the tournament before knocking off FC Naples 4-1 only a few days later back on home turf.

Vivi Debuts

Gino Vivi became the latest player to make his Rowdies debut in last week's draw in Rhode Island, entering as a substitute for closing stages of the match. The Costa Rican winger, on loan from Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy, was in the matchday squad in Tampa Bay's season opener on March 7 but has been sidelined by injury since then. Vivi is the 18th player to make his Rowdies debut so far in 2026.

Staying Resolute

Many factors have played into the Rowdies going undefeated through their first eight matches of the regular season, but the most important one may be how stingy the club has been. The Rowdies have conceded a league-low five goals. Through their first eight league matches last year, the Rowdies allowed 14 goals. Any team that can maintain this type of defensive form is going to be tough to beat outright.

Marshall Connection

Former Marshall University teammates Pedro Dolabella and Max Schneider combined for Tampa Bay's lone goal in Rhode Island last week. Schneider notched his first assist of the year with a cross into the box for the head of Dolabella, who made the most of the chance with a header to open his scoring account for the Rowdies. The duo were pivotal pieces for Marshall during the school's run to the NCAA College Cup Final in 2020.

Scouting Miami

Miami sits above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference with 13 points earned through their first nine matches. Head Coach Gastόn Maddoni retooled the club's roster with seasoned additions in key areas, most notably the Curacao Men's National Team duo of goalkeeper Eloy Room and forward Jurgen Locadia. Room and Locadia are set to feature for Curacao in this summer's FIFA World Cup. Locadia will miss this Saturday's contest after picking up a red card in Miami's last cup match against Naples.

Colombian forward Arney Rocha has been an important contributor for Miami through the early stages of the season. The 22-year-old attacker has recorded two goals in league play and another two for Miami in the cup.

Upcoming Rowdies Milestones

Rowdies Midfielder Louis Perez (98 regular season appearances) is approaching 100 career USL Championship regular season appearances.

Rowdies Defender Laurence Wyke (99 appearances) is nearing his 100th appearance for the Rowdies across all competitions. Wyke would be the 11th player from the Rowdies 2021 Players' Shield winning squad to hit 100 club appearances.

Rowdies Midfielder Lewis Hilton (166 appearances) is closing in on Rowdies legend Georgi Hirstov (173) on the club's all-time appearances list. Hristov currently has the second most appearances in the Rowdies Modern Era.

Rowdies Availability Report

OUT: Archer, Nigro

QUESTIONABLE: Cicerone, Leerman

Check out the Tampa Bay Rowdies Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 15, 2026


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