Miami FC v Tampa Bay Rowdies - what could decide the match from the Rowdies POV
Under new Head Coach Robbie Neilson the Tampa Bay Rowdies are a work in progress. They have underwhelmed in their opening four matches, but also have been missing several key parts of the team. Comparisons to Neil Collins are inevitable but in my opinion quite unfair at this stage. Besides, how many Neil Collins-level managers are floating around waiting to be hired by a club in USL?
We look ahead to Thursday’s test at FIU Soccer Stadium against Miami FC.
Tampa Bay’s poor play away from home
Converting away draws into wins is important for Tampa Bay if they’re really going to challenge Charleston and Louisville atop the Eastern Confernece. I’d argue in both of their ways draws they’ve been second best for much of the action. Against North Carolina FC, the Rowdies basically stole a point and against Pittsburgh, they were for much of the match on the back foot, though given the Riverhounds difficulties in front of goal, the results seems less unjust than the North Carolina one.
Players Missing
Charlie Dennis, Nick Moon and Leo Fernandes are all dealing with injuries. That’s three elite players at this level. My sense is once they’re all back, Tampa Bay challenges in the east.
How they can beat Miami FC
1- Miami FC as we’ll discuss later over at The Kingfisher is a team that’s very young and particularly susceptible on set pieces. Forest Lasso must be salivating at the thought of getting the air and connecting with a Lewis Hilton or Jordan Doherty dead ball against this smallish Miami FC team.
2- Also Cal Jennings ability to score critical counter-attacking goals is no secret, but I sense he may get multiple opportunities in this match to do so. Miami FC also has a goalkeeper in Daniel Gagliardi that likes to come off his line - we saw Jake McGuire do this for North Carolina FC three weeks ago and Jennings beat him after a spectacular long ball from Jordan Farr. Luckily for NCFC they had a defender behind the keeper to clear the effort. But my guess is if the same scenario presents itself tomorrow, it’s a Tampa Bay goal.
What sort of rivalry is this?
I have heard from about a dozen Tampa Bay fans this week that the Miami FC rivalry isn’t the same thing as rivalries with Orlando and whatever incarnation of Fort Lauderdale or Jacksonville club exists.
I do understand that because when Miami FC and Tampa Bay were in NASL together both considered Fort Lauderdale a bigger rival and since Miami FC has joined USL, Tampa Bay has been pretty dialed-in on Louisville and Birmingham to a lesser-extent as a rival. Besides, Miami FC just doesn’t have that many interested fans to banter with Rowdies fans who are scattered far and wide throughout the state.
Still it is a Florida derby and Miami FC’s pitiful recent record against Tampa Bay being reversed would probably stimulate more interest and hatred.
It would be great to get a recap with attendance figures compared to previous iterations of these Florida derbys, crowd composition and atmosphere, etc.