Matchday 4 Info:
Tampa Bay Rowdies (2-0-1, 7pts, 2nd place) vs Hartford Athletic (0-1-0, 0pts, 12th place)
Saturday, March 26, 7:30pm ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
Tickets: Purchase tickets tickets for the match here or by calling 727-222-2000
Gameday Special: $5 Bud Light beer all match long.
Postmatch Fireworks: Following the final whistle, fans will be invited onto the field to view a postmatch fireworks show.
Watch: Stream the match on ESPN+ here.
Follow Along: Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday
The Tampa Bay Rowdies look to close out a busy week with their third straight win at Al Lang Stadium this Saturday as they face Hartford Athletic. Hartford will enter the match on a full week’s rest, while the Rowdies will be playing their third match in eight days.
This week has provided the Rowdies with a good fitness test. The club has remained mainly injury free so far, with midfielder Laurence Wyke being held out from Atlanta for precautionary reasons due to a small knock.
“The boys are full of confidence right now and we’ve got good options,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “They’re all looking fit and fresh and I’m sure looking forward to playing at Al Lang on Saturday. I’m sure that is why they put in the performances they did in Atlanta, because they all want to be out here playing. We’ll see how they come out on Saturday, but right now they’re all looking good.”
Hartford has only played one match so far in the young season, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. As convincing as Tampa Bay’s 3-0 win over Atlanta United 2 on Wednesday night and the 2-0 win over Indy Eleven in last week’s home opener were, Collins and his staff will anticipate a tough challenge from Hartford. The Rowdies won three out of their four meetings with Hartford last season, with each match being decided by just one goal.
Guenzatti Contributing in Other Ways
Through the first three games Sebastian Dalgaard and Jake LaCava lead the Rowdies in scoring with two goals each. LaCava would have likely been a favorite among many to get off to a hot start, but Dalgaard is not the Sebastian most expected to be bagging goals for the Rowdies.
Rowdies captain Sebastian Guenzatti yet to score in 2022, though not for lack of trying. Guenzatti has had quality efforts denied by a keeper in every match so far. Yet Guenzatti is contributing in other meaningful ways as he leads the team with two assists.
Eventually the goals will come for Guenzatti, who remains three goals shy of breaking the Rowdies all-time scoring record. The current record of 60 goals is held by Rowdies legend Georgi Hristov.
Antley Anchoring Back Line
Two starts for Conner Antley in the center of Tampa Bay’s three-man back line and so far so good. Antley, Jordan Scarlett, and Aaron Guillen managed to limit Atlanta to just six total shots, none of which were put on frame.
Defensive responsibilities always come first, but Antley offers the Rowdies a different dynamic on the back line. As someone with plenty of experience moving up the field as a right wingback, Antley is more comfortable than most defenders are when it comes to driving up the field with the ball at his feet.
Injury Report:
OUT: Robert Castellanos
QUESTIONABLE: Laurence Wyke
