Gameday Info
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Miami FC
Wednesday, Jul7 at 7:30 pm ET
Riccardo Silva Stadium, Miami, FL
Watch: The match can be viewed on ESPN+ here.
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.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are set for round two with in-state rival Miami FC this Wednesday night in South Florida. Tampa Bay dispatched Miami 2-1 in their previous meeting at Al Lang Stadium on May 22. Since that night, Miami has won just two of its last seven outings and is currently sitting fifth in the USL Championship’s Atlantic Division standings.
Now that the Rowdies have run through every team in the division at least once, results will become even tougher to grind out as teams have a previous matchup to learn from and adjust accordingly. Both the Charlotte Independence and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC handled the second go-around well, knocking the Rowdies off with well-executed game plans. Miami is no doubt eager to do the same as the team is still seeking its first win over the Rowdies since joining the league in 2020.
Another 100
The next time midfielder Leo Fernandes steps onto the field, he will join his longtime teammate and friend Sebastian Guenzatti in the Rowdies’ 100 appearances club. Fernandes and Guenzatti both signed with the Rowdies in 2017, though Fernandes beat Guenzatti to Tampa Bay by a few months. The duo had previously played together at the New York Cosmos. Fernandes has become a staple for the Rowdies over the last five seasons out on the left wing, excelling in the left wingback role since Neill Collins took over during the 2018 season. In his time with Tampa Bay, Fernandes has recorded 13 goals and 18 assists.
Clean Track to Success
With last week’s 1-0 win over the Charleston Battery, the Rowdies recorded their second straight clean sheet and their fifth overall on the year. Through 10 matches played so far, the Rowdies are already nearing their 2020 total of 8 clean sheets. At the moment, the Rowdies are tied with Birmingham Legion FC and Austin Bold FC for most shutouts in the USL this year. The 2017 Rowdies squad holds the record for most clean sheets in a season with 13 (12 regular season + 1 postseason).
Seba’s Pace
Now that Sebastian Guenzatti is in the 100 appearances club, he could have another Rowdies milestone in his sights. At his current scoring pace of 8 goals through the first 10 matches, Guenzatti is flirting with reaching and surpassing Derek Smethurst and Georgi Hristov on the Rowdies’ all-time scoring list. Guenzatti still has a ways to go with his current 44-goal total. Hristov is the record holder with 60 tallies in all competitions and Smethurst is right behind him at 57. In order to reach or surpass the two Rowdies legends, Guenzatti would have to beat his own Rowdies single season scoring record of 19 goals, which he set in 2019.
All or Nothing
The Rowdies have yet to finish a match in a draw this season. In fact, they’ve gone nearly a year without posting a draw. The last team they settled for a point against? Miami FC on August 16 of 2020. Miami grabbed a lead in the 7th minute of that match before the Rowdies leveled things with a goal in the second half.
Arozarena Returns
Rowdies keeper Raiko Arozarena has returned from a stint with the Cuban national team much earlier than hoped for. Arozarena arrived in Fort Lauderdale late last week expecting to meet his Cuban teammates ahead of their Gold Cup Qualifying match against French Guiana. Unfortunately, the team were unable to secure visas to enter the U.S. and had to forfeit the match and their last chance at qualifying for July’s Gold Cup tournament. Arozarena has yet to appear in a match for the Rowdies, but the young keeper has impressed enough to earn a spot on the bench in every match, only missing out last week while away for national team duty.
Short-handed Again
Rowdies Lucky Mkosana, Juan Tejada, Steevan Dos Santos, Luiz Fernando, Yann Ekra and Laurence Wke all continue to make progress in their recovery from injuries. While their return dates remain in flux, some have started limited training already. The Rowdies have secured two straight wins despite the club only having 5 players available on the bench. As impressive as that might be, Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins will be glad when he has a full compliment of players, at least close to it, once again.
Opposition Notes
Miami finished even at 1-1 in its road trip to New York Red Bulls II last week, with Othello Bah grabbing his first of the year. Miami will be without Lamar Walker and Devon “Speedy” Williams this Wednesday as both have joined Jamaica for the Gold Cup tournament.
This won’t be the only time the Rowdies will make the bus trip down to South Florida this month. After a clash with Hartford Athletic next Tuesday at Al Lang, the Rowdies will turn around and make their last away trip to Miami of the regular season on July 17.
