Home vs. Pittsburgh Preview
Date: Saturday September 14, 2024
Kickoff Time: 7:30 pm EST at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, FL
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (43 pts 12W-7D-8L); Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (35 pts 8W-11D-9L)
Standings: The Rowdies are 3rd in the East and the Riverhounds are 8th.
With things looking dire as Tampa Bay nears the playoffs, the coaching staff decided to switch things up. A new formation sadly did not change their fortunes. Perpetual bogey team Birmingham lived up to their reputation and scored first on Wednesday night – their first goal in nearly four games. The Rowdies have to have a short memory as they travel back to Florida to take on Pittsburgh Saturday night. Be there to show your support to the Green and Gold!
New lineup, same result?
The match on Wednesday night was interesting for a number of reasons before it even started. With the Rowdies facing a suspension to manager Robbie Neilson, Stuart Dobson and Nicky Law were to fill in on the touchline. Following a horrible run of form lately, they had collectively planned to change things up for the away trip to Alabama.
Aaron Guillen and Jordan Doherty were both healthy, so they could return to the starting lineup. This presented the possible conundrum of where to put both Blake Bodily and Ryan Spaulding, who have both been left wing backs and have both contributed well from that spot. Rather than leave either of them out, management decided there would be more than one player on the wing.
With four players at the back, Bodily lined up as a normal left back, next to Guillen, Freddy Kleemann, and the deepest man on the right, Pacifique Niyongabire. He still had plenty of license to get forward, while Doherty would partner Hilton in the midfield and also had room to roam. He could move up or drop into the backline as cover for Niyongabire.
Damian Rivera also got the start after several impressive displays off the bench recently. He and Ben Bender would be the tricky players tasked with unlocking Birmingham’s goal. This worked well at times and the Rowdies did create some good chances. This isn’t something we haven’t said before, though, and sadly those chances were not converted.
A lack of finishing left the door open for Legion, who walked right on in just like many opponents before them. A fast break from the home team down Birmingham’s right side left their top scorer, Stefano Pinho, open in the six yard box. He put it in off the underside of the bar, the physics of which would not repeat for Rivera’s shot from the same six yard box in the second half.
The second goal was a poor one for the Rowdies to give up. They allowed Legion Black and Gold midfielder Kobe Hernandez-Foster enough time and space to measure his shot perfectly. This followed a complete line change from Tampa Bay, with four subs coming on in the 62nd minute. Perhaps it was lost in the shuffle whose area this was or whose man was whose.
Regardless of how it happened, it is another loss in a bad spell. (Bad is hardly useful anymore.) The Green and Gold have shown a willingness to change tack with the players newly available to them. Leo Fernandes is also continuing his return, with longer appearances each week. This is good, because the Rowdies need something fresh and they need it sooner rather than later.
How has Pittsburgh gone undefeated in ten games?
While Pittsburgh started off the season poorly, that portion of the season is most certainly behind them. They are unbeaten in ten and have won five of those matches. But, how did they do it? The most obvious answer is manager Bob Lilley. He has been in charge of this Riverhounds side for close to six years and he has shown time and again he knows how to build a roster.
Despite an offseason exodus, Lilley maintained his composure and sought out players to fit the mold of soccer he wants to play. As stated, it has taken some time to gel. Now that the team has worked out his main philosophy, it seems they will be able to replicate prior years’ late-season success leaning into the postseason.
Lilley’s philosophy, as many would tell you, is to be as strong defensively as the salary limits at his club allow. To hammer that home: they are second in the league in goals conceded and in clean sheets in 2024. Those stats put them shoulder to shoulder with Charleston Battery, a team whose record this year has them second in the overall league table.
The backline is built on a number of players who can fill in as needed when someone drops out. Americans Sean Suber and Patrick Hogan have frequently started alongside Ghanaian Illal Osumanu; but, they are not the only contributors. Luke Biasi has stepped into the fold and performed well enough to help the Riverhounds maintain their solidity.
Wingbacks are an important part of any Bob Lilley team. On the right he has mostly used Dani Rovira, while former Rowdie Junior Etou has stepped up his game on the left. Etou parlayed his good form in Pittsburgh to a call up for his country, Congo, for the September international window. He made his debut in a 1-0 win over South Sudan.
The wingbacks will add to the attack, which is often set up by a midfielder whose job it is to dictate play. In years past, that was always Jamaican Kenardo Forbes. A true USL legend, he has not played as much recently for the Riverhounds, his spot taken by Danny Griffin. The latter has played alongside Robbie Mertz and Jackson Walti in the central positions.
These playmakers will find those runners in space looking to combine with men up top. In 2024, that man has been Ugandan Edward Kizza. Leading the team with seven goals, Kizza has taken to the hold-up-man role well. He will use strength to maintain possession while other Riverhounds players move up the field to join him, looking for good chances to shoot.
This seems like a tricky proposition for the Rowdies. On the one hand, they have not been great defensively in any formation of late. On the other, they are also not scoring much. Legion, who had been shut out for the three games prior to Wednesday night, found their way in while shutting the door to Manuel Arteaga and Cal Jennings all night.
Sadly, this looks like it will be a stern test for Tampa Bay, something they absolutely do not need at the moment. Turning things around is difficult when you’re slumping. This is when games against lower-table opposition are most handy. Without that option, players will need to dig deep and find something, or rely on fans to get them going, if they are to pull a rabbit out of the hat on Saturday.
Score Predictions from the RBLR Rowdies Podcast:
Carlos: 2-0 W
James: 2-1 W
Yurika: 2-0 W
