Home vs. Hartford Athletic Preview
Date: Saturday September 28, 2024
Kickoff Time: 7:30 pm EST at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, FL
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (46 pts 13W-7D-8L); Hartford Athletic (37 pts 10W-7D-12L)
Standings: The Rowdies are 3rd in the East and Hartford are 9th.
The Rowdies went away to South Carolina and lost to a direct rival – handily. It was not a pretty sight for fans back in Florida. Sadly, the team’s fortunes have not turned around yet. This week, they will host a club in very good form and desperate to win. However, it presents a good opportunity for the Green and Gold to actually flip the script and get a good win. Provided Hurricane Helene doesn’t postpone things, make sure you get to Al Lang to cheer the boys on!
That Nick Markanich is really something, eh?
It was unfortunate he got his USL single-season goal scoring record against Tampa Bay. On the other hand, it was actually pretty predictable. Not only was Markanich in shockingly good form, but Tampa Bay were not (are not). He was always likely to get a good chance. He’s capable of doing that on his own. What the Rowdies didn’t need was to gift Charleston so many good looks.
Defensively, Tampa Bay likely needed to play the game of their lives to keep the Battery off the scoresheet. From very early on in the match, it was apparent this was not that. Charleston have had to replace a metronomic player in Aaron Molloy, who’s been missing through injury. (Ironically, he returned from that break as a late sub in this victory on Saturday.)
No one would have recognized that he was missing, though, as his fill-in played just as well over the course of his 80 minutes on the field. Jay Chapman had it too easy at times, able to pick a pass from one side of the pitch to the other. Any press Tampa Bay intended to employ when out of possession was disorganized such that it was effectively useless.
In truth, the team were lucky to only be down 2-0 at halftime. Eddie Munjoma was played as an out-and-out right back in this match. While he has often been solid in 2024, this was a poor display from him. Not all blame can be placed at his feet, of course; but, when his header fell to the league’s top scorer in the 37th minute, it looked like a pretty good assist to this columnist.
Munjoma, though, had no support, either in front of him or in behind. Freddy Kleemann and Jordan Doherty failed to show up on several occasions while nominal right winger Cal Jennings showed just how unused to that position he is. There were really no redeeming performances from players in Green and Gold until the double substitutions in the 64th and 71st minutes.
What’s important to recognize right now is not just that the Rowdies are in a slump. That part is obvious. Where it really becomes a problem is in the recognition that there are only five games left before the playoffs start. At this rate, a third place finish in the East is not assured.
If Tampa Bay cannot stay in third place, their ability to host the first playoff game is in doubt. If they cannot host, the ability to move on also becomes a huge question mark. While it was never likely they would go to Charleston and win, considering the form of their opponents, showing some growth or improvement would have been important. Instead, it was the opposite.
The Rowdies look listless and unconfident. Crunch time is now. Every point matters – and that’s because they have mattered for two months and mostly gone unclaimed. No progress could mean another early exit from the playoffs and that would only lead to more questions over a long offseason. Without directly asking the team, I can confidently say they’d like to avoid all of that.
Are Hartford good or bad? What gives?
After an abysmal start to the season for the club from Connecticut, they have slowly morphed into a team on a mission. They are by no means a title threat, it should be noted. Their mission, in fact, is much more ordinary right now: qualify for the playoffs. However, with one more game played than eighth place Loudoun United, they are only separated from that by goal differential.
Since the end of July, Hartford have only lost one match, that being away to New England rivals Rhode Island. Since that game, they have not lost in seven and also won their last two, one away from home in south Florida and one back in Hartford versus Oakland Roots. It’s fair to say that they are at least playoff contenders. As the saying goes, they are catching fire at the right time.
Much of this comes down to a change in their team selection. The club started the season with Romario Williams as the presumptive striker. Eagle-eyed readers will note that Williams is not at Hartford, but instead is with Indy Eleven. He was sold in June, with Athletic also receiving defender Younes Boudadi to add to their ranks.
In his place, an unheralded Senegalese striker has stepped up and more than filled the void. Mamadou Dieng has nine goals all season, seven of which have come since the start of August. It’s possible one could call him the most in-form player in the league… (Well, almost possible. Don’t forget about Nick Markanich, of course.)
Dieng has used his strength as a hold up striker to good effect, with the ever-important wingers around him taking on a more effective role since his burst of goals. Former USF Bull Marcus Epps and Liberian winger Emmanuel Samadia have both combined with Dieng in ways they were seemingly unable to with Williams beforehand.
This doesn’t mean the Rowdies should be clinging to life in St. Pete this weekend. Provided the game goes ahead as scheduled, the players should remember they are still a more talented team than Hartford. They have a roster full of experience around the USL Championship, much of it very close to trophies in prior years.
Handling the challenge that Hartford will pose while also trying to impose themselves on the pitch will be the challenge for Tampa Bay. The team hasn’t been able to do the latter for a couple of weeks now. Even against lowly Miami FC, it was a struggle until the second half. Thus, this weekend will give them a good test: a lesser opponent who happen to be absolutely flying.
If the Rowdies can finally put themselves in a good headspace, they should be able to withstand Dieng and his assistants and give it back to Hartford in equal measure. Their strong goalkeeper, Renan Ribeiro, means Athletic will always have a chance to stay in the game. Jennings and Manuel Arteaga getting a goal or two would be very beneficial before October starts next week.
Score Predictions from the RBLR Rowdies Podcast:
Carlos: 1-0 W
James: 2-0 W
Yurika: 3-1 W
