Away to Detroit City Preview
Date: Saturday April 29, 2023
Kickoff Time: 4:00 pm EST at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, MI
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (5pt 1W-2D-4L); Detroit City (4pts 1W-1D-5L)
Standings: The Rowdies are 11th in the East and Detroit City follow them in 12th
In a Battle of the Basement-Dwellers, the Rowdies travel to Michigan to take on a feisty Detroit City side this weekend. Saturday’s early fixture is likely to include a lot of grit, attitude, and chippy fouls. One thing it may not include, though, is goals. The records suggest each team is struggling to score right now – and fans will agree. Both clubs will be coming off an important Open Cup game against an MLS side, and the likelihood for tired legs is also high.
Was there any improvement in the key parts of the game?
Despite a slight uptick in positive attacking stats for the Rowdies, another week has passed without the team scoring for itself (as the goal against Charleston was also scored by Charleston). Tampa Bay will be disappointed not only with the result, but with the continued lack of offensive output. Looking ahead to this weekend, further tickings up of that measure will be necessary to get anything out of this game.
This match in particular started with a big blow to Tampa Bay’s hopes as Lewis Hilton went down with an injury. Hilton also had an injury problem to start the season, going down within ten minutes of the first game starting. The Rowdies didn’t necessarily look lost in the interim without him; but, the production in all aspects of gameplay took a step backwards. Hilton is known for his ability to receive the ball from the backline, turn in space, and look for a wingback on the opposite side of the field. It’s simply the case that few players on the roster can do this as well and as frequently as the Midfield Metronome.
Jordan Doherty helped by stepping into the midfield, with Conner Antley sliding back into a more defensive role and Dayonn Harris getting the starting nod as the right wingerback-cum-winger. Two such attacking players going down the same side ultimately led to a couple opportunities when the Rowdies seemed to have both an advantage with numbers down the right, and a wide open space somewhere on the left. However, the cross-field ball to find that space never materialized.
Depending on the extent of Hilton’s injury, the Rowdies will either need to fill in for this missing piece or change up their gameplan. Another factor to consider in strategy comes down to fixture congestion: Tampa Bay will be playing three matches in the space of a week by the time they take the field in Michigan. Managing minutes may well be necessary after traveling to southern California for a game, back to St. Pete for another (against an MLS side in the Open Cup), and finally after a third flight up north.
Without as much time for training in between games, mastering the patterns of play that will allow players to capitalize on the options they create remains difficult. There isn’t a player on the team with more than one goal or more than one assist on the season. The lack of continuity between lines on the field is apparent for all to see. FotMob numbers suggest the Rowdies attempted 27 crosses against San Diego. This is at least a good number more than we’ve seen lately.
What about Detroit’s lack of production?
While Tampa Bay is currently looking for better chances, they are going up against another club that seemingly forgot where the opposition’s goal is. The Rowdies’ stats are no fun to look at; however, fans of Detroit City will want to turn their heads from these next few lines even more quickly. Here we go:
Detroit City have two players sitting on one goal this season. That’s it for goals.
Detroit City have one player with one assist this season. That’s it for assists.
Detroit City have three players with a big chance created (according to FotMob) all year. That’s it.
If the Rowdies are struggling in the attacking department, Detroit City are downright off the map. However, Tampa Bay fans must also look at this game and consider their opponents’ defensive stability. Le Rouge may be losing more than their fans would want; but, it is by a shockingly tight margin. Every game that they’ve lost has been by a 1-0 scoreline. Even though there isn’t a lot of production, Detroit City have kept themselves in it by holding matches close.
Soccer being a game that is decided by goals scored suggests this Saturday at 4pm, in particular, neutral fans will probably want to steer clear of this viewing. I can recommend some Brazilian or Argentinian league games if you want to see the ball go into the net this weekend.
For those people invested enough to watch and hope for a decider, it’s worth it to look at what chances have been created. The Rowdies will likely continue to try their luck down the wings with crosses coming in. The wingbacks are going to be an important piece of the puzzle. Their raised production in crosses from one game to another versus San Diego should give fans hope. The lack of success from those crosses continues to dog the attackers, though.
Detroit City will likely try to create havoc when the Rowdies have the ball. Being a team known for trying to build up out of the back, Tampa Bay invites pressure on themselves whenever they start this way. Of course, it is a hallmark of the team and the coaching staff will trust the players to be able to pull it off. As a season goes, passing becomes more crisp and patterns more regular. And so the Green and Gold have done so far in 2023.
The chance of something going wrong is still there, though. Detroit City will only need one chance to put one in the back of the net – and likely to win the game. If their pressure is sufficient to cause a mistake or two at the back, then problems will arise. Again, the presence of absence of Lewis Hilton will be keenly felt in this aspect. His being there will act to calm the team frequently and allow them to build as they’d like. A key injury in midfield could hamper Rowdies efforts even more than the defense they’ll be up against.
Score Predictions from the RBLR Rowdies Podcast:
Carlos Rueda: 1-0 Rowdies
James Knowles: 0-0
Yurika Wheeler: 1-1 draw
Special Guest: 1-0 Rowdies@SammmKnowlesss Sam Smith
