Away to Brooklyn FC Preview
Date: Saturday March 29, 2025
Kickoff Time: 6:00 pm EST at Maimonides Park in Brooklyn, NY
Records: Tampa Bay Sun (26 pts 6W-8D-5L); Brooklyn FC (32 pts 9W-5D-6L)
Standings: The Sun are 5th in the Super League and Brooklyn are 2nd.
After the quickest turnaround in team history between matches, the Sun get an extended rest before they meet up with Super League side Brooklyn FC. The home side in New York are in a bit of a rut after starting very well. The Sun meanwhile, lost for the first time in 2025, so they will be looking to turn things around. Tune in to Peacock to take in the proceedings this weekend!
Is this the best time to play Brooklyn?
To start this column, we must all be aware the host for this weekend’s game has not won once in 2025. That’s six games so far, with three losses and three draws. Brooklyn have moved to second in the table, level on points with leaders Fort Lauderdale United. They were league leaders before this stretch – and they will be looking to get back to that form again on Saturday.
However, it’s important to start with this fact because the once mighty Brooklyn appear readily beatable. For most of this year, they have also been without their usual starting keeper. Sydney Martinez returned to the starting lineup recently, only to be-injure herself in their last match, a 1-1 draw with DC Power. Backup Neeku Purcell may take over again in net.
Their recent troubles have led manager Jessica Silva to mix things up in an attempt to arrest this slide. The only result so far was their first goal in the month of March, scored in the aforementioned tie with DC by Mackenzie George. The defender has cemented herself on the backline for Brooklyn alongside Kelsey Hill, Allison Pantuso, and Sasha Pickard.
Counting the home loss against Fort Lauderdale, this defensive unit has conceded six times in their last three matches. If you think I’m beating a dead horse with all these tidbits, you may be right.
However, it will all be music to the ears of the Tampa Bay attack. Fans and players alike have seen too many draws of late – including one to Brooklyn. It’s time to bring three points home.
The Sun should be able to get back to their usual starting lineup after resting both Jordyn Listro and Carlee Giammona for the last match vs. Spokane. That shocking loss has left the side four points back of the playoff spots, while the club ahead of them in the standings has a game in hand. It’s very nearly April; every single game and every single point is magnified in importance.
Giammona has been central to everything Tampa Bay does in an attacking sense. She combines with the strikers ahead of her, in particular Cecilie Floe and winger-cum-wingback Sydny Nasello to open up channels. Tash Flint is the only other with six goals so far this season. She has also shown an ability to drop deep and add to the midfield unit when needed.
Assuming a usual starting lineup from the Sun, the only real issue is defensively. A series of sloppy mistakes have doomed the club to more dropped points in 2025 than any of them would like. The last match was no different. Manager Denise Schilte-Brown will surely be spending every moment of training this week on mental preparation to avoid such costly errors.
However, at a certain point, one needs to take steps to ensure those don’t crop up at all. DSB has decisions to make about the backline. She clearly has faith in keeper Ashley Orkus – and her defensive capabilities likely justify it. If playing it out of the back is a problem, she should only do so when there is little to no pressure on her to get a pass right.
Brooke Hendrix and Viv Bessette have both looked good for most of the season. Unfortunately, any slip up at the back is amplified because of the proximity to your own goal. Maintaining good positioning to prevent easy shots is key.
On the left, DSB is still toggling between Paige Almendariz, whose versatility allows her to play elsewhere, and Victoria Haugen. This may be a game where her defensive solidity means Paige will make the best wingback opposite Nasello.
Score Predictions from the RBLR Sun Podcast:
Liz: 1-1 D
Tom: 1-0 W
Yurika: 2-1 W
James: 3-2 W
