The Basics
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Penn FC
Friday, May 4 – 7 p.m.
FNB Field, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Follow us for live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday
How to Watch
The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ here. ESPN+ is the USL’s new streaming partner. It will be available on the USL’s YouTube channel for those viewers outside the United States in regions where ESPN+ is not available.
Watch Party
Head to Big Storm Brewing Co.’s taproom in either Pinellas or Pasco on Saturday afternoon for the Rowdies’ official watch parties. If you wear Rowdies gear, you’ll get $1 off all pints. The Pinellas taproom is located at 12707 49th St. N, Clearwater. The Pasco taproom is located at 2330 Success Dr, Odessa.
Records
Penn FC: 0-2-4, 4 points, 14th place
Tampa Bay: 4-3-0, 12 points, 4th place
Series History
The Rowdies are 2-0-0 against Penn FC in a series that dates back only to last season. The Rowdies beat the then-Harrisburg City Islanders 3-0 in St. Pete and then 3-2 in Harrisburg last year.
Rowdies Notes
The Tampa Bay Rowdies head to Pennsylvania for the second match of a three-game USL roadtrip after a 1-0 loss to the Battery in Charleston on Saturday night. The Rowdies conceded the only goal of the match in first-half stoppage time. Tampa Bay heads to Richmond next weekend and may also play on the road in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup before returning home, depending on which team advances to the Second Round.
That loss was the Rowdies’ third-consecutive loss away from home. Tampa Bay opened the year with a 3-1 win on the road against North Carolina FC, but has since fallen back to its old ways. The Rowdies were just 3-6-7 (W-L-T) away from home last year, though one of those three wins was in Harrisburg.
Georgi Hristov has a shot at all-time Tampa Bay Rowdies history in Harrisburg. He tied the club’s all-time scoring record of 57 goals with his strike against the Real Monarchs on April 21, tying Derek Smethurst’s record which has stood since 1978. Hristov’s next goal will move him into first place alone.
Hristov leads the Rowdies with four goals in seven matches this season, just ahead of Leo Fernandes’ tally of three goals.
Tampa Bay Head Coach Stuart Campbell has had plenty of consistency in his starting lineup this year. Seven Rowdies, more than half the lineup, have started every game of the season so far. Those players are goalkeeper Cody Mizell, defenders Hunter Gorskie, Neill Collins and Zac Portillos, midfielder Marcel Schäfer and forwards Georgi Hristov and Leo Fernandes.
Midfielder Lance Rozeboom has started the last two matches for the Rowdies in the defensive midfield spot and played extremely well. He had a perfect passing night in Charleston, completing all 36 of his attempted passes for a 100 percent completion rate.
Scouting Penn FC
Friday’s match will be filled with reunions as Penn FC is lead by Head Coach Raoul Voss, who served as a Rowdies Assistant Coach for the last two seasons before departing for his first head coaching job.
Besides Voss, the Rowdies will run into a handful of former players in Tommy Heinemann, Lucky Mkosana and Richie Menjivar, all of whom now play for Penn FC. Heinemann scored four goals for Tampa Bay in 2016. Mkosana scored four goals in the 2013 and 2014 seasons combine. Menjivar scored once in 2015.
Prior to losing 3-0 to North Carolina FC last weekend, Penn FC had played four consecutive draws, its only points this season. Through six matches this season, Penn has only scored two goals, but it boasts a stingy defense that keeps it in games. Before conceding three against NCFC last weekend, Penn had only given up three goals in five matches.
