Home vs Detroit City Preview
Date: Saturday May 13, 2023
Kickoff Time: 7:30 pm EST at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, FL
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (11pt 3W-2D-4L); Detroit City (9pts 1W-6D-2L)
Standings: The Rowdies are 4th in the East and Detroit City sit 11th
Two weeks after beating Detroit City in Michigan, the Rowdies now host them in St. Petersburg, Florida. In the space of that time, two teams that were on similar tracks have diverged and separated into a have and a have-not. It was off the back of the win against Le Rouge that Tampa Bay turned their early fortunes around – and they will be looking to reinforce that new success.
Two wins in a row? What gives?
After one of the worst starts to a season in recent memory, the Tampa Bay Rowdies seem to have shaken off a bit of rust and want people to know, to quote a show, “that we back up.” Two league wins have fans feeling more optimistic, albeit with some caveats. The idea that the Green and Gold are ready to take on the San Antonios and the Louisville Citys comfortably may be premature. However, the chance creation and goals ultimately scored are a far cry from the first several weeks of the year.
Against Phoenix Rising, the important players were – shockingly or not – on the wings for the Rowdies. Flexibility seems to be key for those guys and it came into play multiple times. Conner Antley and Aaron Guillen lined up as the right back and left back respectively. Higher up were Dayonn Harris and Ryan Spaulding, again on the right and left, respectively. Spaulding has played as a left back or left wing back before, while Antley has played as a right wing back, too.
All this versatility allowed players to switch positions, confusing Phoenix defenders. Carlos Harvey at center back was particularly interesting from a Rowdies perspective, as his nous in that role did not help the Rising maintain shape. Spaulding would drop at times, pulling a defender with him. Into that space would step Guillen to try to boost numbers down that side.
This happened on the right side, too, just with different players. Harris is not as used to playing in a deeper role, so if Antley went forward, more cover was often needed from Jordan Doherty. He has really stepped up this year with what looks to this writer like an improved level of fitness from someone who was no slouch before his stint in Ireland.
JJ Williams was the beneficiary of a number of the crosses that these gaps in Phoenix positioning allowed, actually putting one away to get his first league goal of the season. Some more accurate finishes could’ve had him finish with a brace or more. Fans will no doubt be hoping for something similar no matter who takes the field up top this Saturday.
Whether or not Lewis Hilton is back will, of course, make a big difference to the Rowdies’ ability to switch the ball from one side to the other when in possession. If he still isn’t back, it may be up to the fullbacks to find their wingers, who’ll want to run at opposing defenders. Ryan Spaulding has proved a huge move in the loan transfer market already with one assist and five chances created (again, according to FotMob) in just three league games.
Spaulding has spelled so far for the injured Jake Areman and the timeline for his return is still unknown. That leaves the incumbent to keep his role on the left wing and terrorize goalkeepers with balls whipped into dangerous positions. If he and Dayonn Harris can try to get on the end of each other’s crosses, or if a deeper midfielder can follow up for second balls, an opportunity for a goal from open play will surely occur.
Has Detroit City improved at all?
On the other hand, rust is all this writer can think about in relation to Detroit City. They are still in the throes; they’re called Le Rouge; hell, they even come from the Rust Belt. It is truly unfortunate that a great fan base like this has to suffer. However, this sophomore season slump has yet to let up and so Michiganders must continue to wait for a hero to emerge.
In the preview for the reverse fixture, this column listed the following facts, current up to April 28th this year:
Detroit City have two players sitting on one goal this season.
Detroit City have one player with an assist this season.
Detroit City have three players with big chances created (according to FotMob) this season.
Now, two weeks after that, Le Rouge have added exactly one goal to those tallies (courtesy of Abdoulaye Diop). While a player almost got an assist on this, neither Tommy McCabe nor Ben Morris were awarded one. Meanwhile, the lineup between the Detroit City vs. Tampa Bay and the Detroit City vs. Tulsa games was nearly the same. The only player who started the latter was actually sent off and will likely be replaced again by the man he filled in for in the former.
Detroit City seem to be missing something up top. However, in that game, forward Ben Morris played an important role in chance creation. It wasn’t so much his hold up play or shooting, but simply his ability to drag defenders out of their natural zones that was key. On the goal itself, Michael Bryant plays a little dink ball into the midfield where McCabe can flick it on with his head. Morris is dropping deep to get involved and is actually knocked off the ball by a defender. While the other Tulsa defender makes sure the vacated space is covered. Diop finds himself with enough room for a good shot to put the team ahead.
If this is the only likely source of dangerous opportunities for Le Rouge, Tampa Bay should feel they have that covered one way or another. In the last two games without Lewis Hilton, the Rowdies have lined up in a roughly 4-2-3-1 formation, with Dennis sitting as the #10 in front of two deeper midfielders. One of those two and Dennis should be able to mark McCabe and Diop (or Maxi Rodriguez) while the other makes sure Ben Morris is covered, too.
The Rowdies should also like their chances to score against Detroit City. While both goals Le Rouge have given up in the last two games came off of penalties, Tampa Bay ran roughshod over their defense multiple times in the meeting two weeks ago. With cross after cross cut back from the wing, it was only poor finishing that kept the score at 1-1.
Similarly, against Tulsa, Detroit City might count themselves lucky to have not conceded more. The Oklahomans hit the post twice in the opening 45 after carving their hosts open in the first place, and after Marcus Epps came in from the left wing and had a good hit in the second. Le Rouge are vulnerable and opposition teams know it.
Behind Enemy Lines with Special Guest Sean Spence (@scyldsceafing)
Detroit City Football Club has existed since 2012. Prior to this season, in that time, Le Rouge have been under .500 for about three weeks, total, each time recovering from a season-opening loss (2018, 2019, 2022) to restore their record to its normal upright and locked position. Detroit City supporters may, someday soon, look back on that 11-year span as a golden era, a sort of childhood in support, where even the disappointments had some upside, because 2023 has delivered an endless soliloquy on the suffering football can provide. This season has become the kind of year where one delivers a half-hearted hurrah for results as uninspiring as a scoring draw at home – “hey, at least we got a goal” isn’t the kind of thing it occurs to winning sides to say.
Gaffer Trevor James was visibly frustrated with the limitations of his attack in ‘22, and tore it out by the roots in the offseason, dismissing Pato Botello-Faz while losing Antoine Hoppenot to Hartford and Deklan Wynne to Charleston. But the new additions haven’t come good; Skage Simonsen shows glimpses, but only glimpses, of the power and vision that led to his recruitment, while Ben Morris has struggled to show even a glimpse of the talent which had Ipswich Town coaches calling him “the next Wayne Rooney” just three years ago. Richard Ballard’s lack of final product has the gaffer trying Connor Rutz in the role again. In short, the offseason was busy but, at this point, not replete with rousing successes.
All of this has led to predictable problems on the field. Laye Diop’s banger against FC Tulsa ended 550-plus minutes of scoreless football, but an unlucky handball in the box – for the second consecutive match – meant that scoring only ensured a draw. The defense is largely intact from last season, and is backstopped by Nate Steinwascher, the best keeper in USL, but the offensive woes have meant the pressure on the defense is constant and withering. The underlying numbers don’t lie – City is the worst offensive team in the league, while remaining one of the best defensively. The result is generally close matches where Le Rouge lose thanks to one great play or boneheaded mistake. It’s been a rough year to love the Boys in Rouge.
Detroit City are largely healthy, although a couple of key players might miss this weekend’s match. Matt Lewis has been sidelined for a couple weeks with a foot problem, and is likely still out for Saturday. The bigger miss, and the one we still know little about, is Maxi Rodriguez, who is quite simply Le Rouge’s best field player and one of the best central midfielders in the league. Maxi missed the FC Tulsa match, and the club is silent on his availability for this weekend at this point.
Score Predictions from the RBLR Rowdies Podcast:
Carlos Rueda: 2-0 Rowdies
James Knowles: 3-1 Rowdies
Yurika Wheeler: 2-1 Rowdies
Special Guest: Matt Cox (@tampabay_soccer) 2-0 Rowdies
