USL Championship Matchday 03
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Miami FC
Saturday, March 22, 7 p.m. ET
FIU Pitbull Stadium, Miami, FL
2025 League Records:
Rowdies: 0W-2L-0D, 10th East (0-2-0 on the road)
Miami: 0W-2L-0D, 12th West (0-2-0 at home)
Watch Party: Join the official Rowdies watch party at Colony Grill in Downtown St. Petersburg. Fans wearing Rowdies gear receive discounts on food and beverage.
Tune In: Tampa Bay 44, ESPN+
The Tampa Bay Rowdies face their third of four road matches to start the season this Saturday as they travel south to battle in-state rivals Miami FC. Both clubs have faced adversity out of the gate in 2025, dropping their first two matches of the regular season.
While the Rowdies have struggled to find their finishing touch with consecutive scoreless efforts, Miami has had trouble keeping the ball out of their own net with five concessions in their first two matches. Tampa Bay will be aiming to replicate their recent success over Miami this weekend. The Rowdies have picked up six straight wins over Miami. Their last loss to Miami came on April 9, 2022
“Playing away from home is always difficult, but we’ve had opportunities to win our previous two games,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “We were just punished for two mistakes. I think against Miami, and we’ve spoken to the players about this, I think it’s important we play in the right areas. That means playing high up the pitch. If we can do that, then I’m confident we can get the three points and get ourselves up and running.”
Déjà Vu in Tulsa
The Rowdies came home from their trip to Tulsa last week with a result that felt a lot like their trip out to Las Vegas in the season opener. For the second straight week, the Rowdies held the edge on possession and shots on target but ultimately fell 1-0. Both concessions came from momentary lapses in otherwise solid defensive performances.
“You need to score goals to win,” said Midfielder Blake Bodily. “We just need to keep doing what we’re doing and creating the kind of chances we’re capable of creating… I think if we stick to our principles, the goals will start coming. We scored lots of goals last year. I think we have the talent to carry that into this year as well.”
Niyongabire On International Duty
The Rowdies will be without wingback Pacifique Niyongabire this weekend in Miami while he serves international duty for the Burundi men’s national team. Burundi is set to face a pair of World Cup Qualifying matches against Ivory Coast on Friday, March 21 and Seychelles on Tuesday, March 25. The 25-year-old has become a regular starter for the Rowdies since joining via transfer ahead of last season, earning 26 starts from 34 appearances for the club.
“It’s fantastic for Pacifique to be called up for these games, but it’s also fantastic for the club to have a player playing at the international level,” said Neilson. “It’s obviously difficult to be without, but we have some depth. We have Nick Moon who can play that position, and we have a number of other guys that can cover there. So it’s a great opportunity for others to come in and show what they can do.”
Scouting Miami
Following their worst season in club history with only 11 points earned last year, Miami has brought in Argentinian Gastόn Maddoni to take charge as head coach. The club has also refreshed its roster with new faces, including former MLS midfielders Sebastián Blanco and Lucas Melano, and former MLS goalkeeper and U.S. National Team Member Bill Hamid.
Rowdies Availability Report
OUT: Leo Fernandes, Endri Mustali
INTERNATIONAL DUTY: Pacifique Niyongabire (Burundi)
