Rowdies Host Retooled Miami
May 21, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
Gameday Info
Tampa Bay Rowdies host Miami FC
Saturday, May 12 at 7:30 p..m ET
Al Lang Stadium, St Petersburg, FL
Pre-Game Show: A live pre-game show hosted by The Unused Substitutes will be streamed through the Rowdies Twitch channel from 7:00-7:30pm.
Watch: The match can be vewed on ESPN+.
Follow Along: Live updates for the match will be posted on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday. Score Updates will also be posted on the Rowdies' Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Inside Al Lang: Al Lang Stadium is now completely cash-free, including all retail and concession stands. Credit and debit cards as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay will be accepted throughout the stadium. Roaming vendors will also not accept cash.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies finish their four-match homestand this Saturday night against Miami FC. After recording three straight wins to start the year, the Rowdies are focused on keeping their record unblemished in the month of may. After this weekend, the Rowdies won't take the field again until June 2 when they make their first road trip to New York Red Bulls II.
A win this weekend would be the best start the Rowdies have ever recorded in the modern era. At the moment, the Rowdies have matched the three-match winning streak set by the 2017 squad during the club's first season in the USL Championship.
Tampa Bay's hot start can be attributed to many things, but chief among them are the contributions from newcomers like midfielder Laurence Wyke and forward Dos Santos. Wyke paired well with Lewis Hilton (who earned a spot on the USL Team of the Week for his performance against Phoenix) to shut down Phoenix in the center of the field last week. Dos Santos meanwhile was named to the league's Team of the Week for the second week in a row for his game-winning goal and his effort to cause Phoenix's own goal.
Apart from one slip up to allow Santi Moar to score from distance in the second half, the Rowdies continued to showcase their strength on defense by containing Phoenix's attacking firepower. Center back Aaron Guillen in particular had a great night, shutting down two-time USL MVP Solomon Asante all night long.
"I like to matchup with players that are fast," said Guillen. "I've been able to deal with fast players in the past and hopefully this weekend I can do the same thing and we can just keep the clean sheet. That's the most important thing for us. We know if we keep a clean sheet we're at least getting a point out of the game."
Injury Report
OUT: Lucky Mkosana, Juan Tejada, Luiz Fernando
Opposition Notes:
Miami went through its first USL season in 2020, and the Rowdies dominated the season series by taking 3 wins and 1 draw against their in-state rivals. With an offseason to reflect and retool their lineup, Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins is ready for a tough season-long series with Miami in 2021.
"They've went out and their midfield is extremely strong like Speedy Williams and [Bolu] Akinyode too, experienced players in this league," said Collins. "They've added a lot of speed to the top end of the field, which is obviously important in this league. Throughout the spine of the team, they've strengthened and like any coach, I'm sure Paul [Dalglish] will have had time to assess and evaluate will feel much stronger. They're going to be very motivated to beat us, as I'm sure every team is."
The fact that this week three of Miami's players (Jahshaun Anglin, Devon "Speedy" Williams, and Lamar Walker) were called up for a pair of friendlies in early June is a good indication of the talent Miami brings to the field. Williams scored the only goal in Miami's 1-0 victory over New York last week. Miami dominated play throughout that match but failed to convert on more than one of its numerous chances. Through the matches, Miami has netted just three goals despite the handful of potent attacking players on its roster. Meanwhile, the Rowdies have already tallied 8 goals on the year through the same amount of matches.
• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...
United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 21, 2021
- Real Monarchs Earn Point in 1-1 Draw against Austin Bold FC - Real Monarchs
- SD Loyal Continues Road Trip Stretch against Eastern Conference Powerhouse Louisville City FC - San Diego Loyal
- May 23 Match Preview - CHSvNY - Charleston Battery
- May 21 Injury Report - Adam Jahn & Seth Casiple - Orange County SC
- Toros Head to El Paso for First Road Trip of the 2021 Season - Rio Grande Valley FC Toros
- Rowdies Host Retooled Miami - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Indy Eleven & Continental Broadcast Group Launch A Nivel de Cancha on Exitos 94.3 FM - Indy Eleven
- Preview: Rising Hosts Las Vegas Saturday at 7:30 - Phoenix Rising FC
- Chivas de Guadalajara and Tigres UANL Face off at H-E-B Park in Edinburg - Rio Grande Valley FC Toros
- El Paso Locomotive Receives Goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas on Loan from MLS Club Minnesota United - El Paso Locomotive FC
- Become a Residential Host to Support Republic FC's Next Generation of Talent - Sacramento Republic FC
- Match Preview: Oakland Roots vs Los Angeles Galaxy II - Oakland Roots
- Game Information and Match Notes - SAFC vs. Birmingham Legion - San Antonio FC
- What to Watch for as LouCity Hosts San Diego Loyal - Louisville City FC
- Switchbacks FC Forward Austin Dewing Reassigned by U.S. Air Force - Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
- Hounds Add Defender Jalen Robinson to Bolster Back Line - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
- Jeff Larentowicz to Join ATL UTD 2 Broadcast Sunday - Atlanta United 2
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.
