Match Preview: Rowdies at Monterey Bay

October 1, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release

Matchday 31 Info:

Tampa Bay Rowdies at Monterey Bay FC

Sunday, October 2, 10 p.m. ET

Cardinale Stadium, Seaside, CA

Watch: Fans can stream the match live on ESPN+.

Follow Along: Live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday

After having two matches postponed due to the impact of Hurricane Ian on the Gulf Coast of Florida, the Tampa Bay Rowdies will retake the field again this Sunday, October 2 at Monterey Bay FC’s Cardinale Stadium.

Tampa Bay was spared a direct hit from the storm, allowing Rowdies to resume training on Friday morning. The team will have another training session on Saturday in Tampa Bay before heading out to the west coast.

“People here in the area will totally understand what this week has been like,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “To have the players come back on Friday and for us to get a chance to assess them, and then get them out on the field was really good. The level of performance in training was actually really high considering what they’ve had to deal with the last few days. In that respect, things are positive. It’s just good to see everyone and know their families are safe and everyone’s houses are still intact. That’s what’s most important.”

Collins and his staff started the week thinking they would face both El Paso Locomotive FC and Monterey Bay. Hurricane Ian caused the match with El Paso to be moved to October 12 at Al Lang Stadium and the match in Monterey to be pushed a day later to Monterey. The Rowdies had a chance to see Monterey in action during the week as the USL Championship newcomer fell 4-0 on the road to Las Vegas Lights FC.

Sitting 9th in the Western Conference and two spots back of a playoff spot, Monterey will have no shortage of motivation to grab a win against Tampa Bay this Sunday.

“Not having that Wednesday game definitely changes your approach slightly,” said Collins. “The opportunity to watch Monterey on Tuesday night was good. We should be well prepared in terms of what to expect from them having not faced them before as a club. On the other hand, we haven’t had much time on the training field to make much use of that. That’s the one thing that’s a little bit of a negative, but our players are way into the season now and they know what we want.”

Rebounding on the Road

Sunday is Tampa Bay’s final road trip of the regular season. With four straight losses away from home, the Rowdies will attempt to put one more positive road result on the board before the start of the playoffs.

“No question, the chances are you might have to go on the road in the playoffs, said Collins. “Those last four games don’t define how we’ve been on the road all year, but there’s no question we need to improve in terms of the results. Our last performance in Detroit was a positive one. Hopefully we can build on that and actually convert it into a win.”

Closing Out with a 3-Match Homestand

The fixture reshuffling caused by Hurricane Ian means the Rowdies will close out the regular season with three straight home matches in the span of eight days.

“It’s been one of those seasons where we’ve certainly had our fair share of roadblocks. This is just another one,” said Collins. “It’s not ideal heading right into the playoffs, but it’s three great opportunities to play in our home stadium in front of our fans, put points on the board, and hopefully go into the playoffs with real positive momentum. We’re going to take every challenge as it comes and look at it positively.”

Upcoming Milestones

Sebastian Guenzatti is one goal away from setting anew Rowdies all-time scoring record. He is now tied with Georgi Hristov at 60 goals for the Green & Gold.

Forward Kyle Greig is nearing 15,000 minutes played in the USL Championship regular season. He currently sits at 14,843 minutes played heading into the weekend.

Leo Fernandes and Hilton are both nearing 30 regular season assists in the USL. Both are currently at 28 assists.

Leo Fernandes is nearing his 150th appearance for the Rowdies. He is at 149 heading into Friday’s match.

Lewis Hilton is nearing his 200th USL Championship regular-season appearance. He is currently at 199 appearances.

Lewis Hilton is nearing 15,000 minutes played in the USL Championship regular season. He currently sits at 14,932 minutes played heading into the weekend.

Injury Report:

OUT: CJ Cochran, Thomas Vancaeyezeele

QUESTIONABLE: Jake Areman, Robert Castellanos

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