Rowdies Weekly Report: A Four Point Week
Date: Wednesday September 17, 2025; Saturday September 20, 2025
Result: Birmingham Legion 1-4 Tampa Bay; Tampa Bay 2-2 North Carolina
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (26 pts 7W-5D-13L); North Carolina FC (37 pts 11W-4D-9L)
Standings: The Rowdies are 10th in the East and NCFC are 4th.
Last week, the Rowdies played two matches with two very different scorelines. They did better against the weaker opposition, while giving up a late equalizer against the stronger. Four points is good; but, they were so close to six, it’ll still hurt. The team now travels to Virginia to take on one of the toughest sides of the first half of 2025. With Loudoun’s form having trailed off since then, though, chances are good. Tune in this Sunday to take in the proceedings!
Only four points out of the playoffs? Still?!
Taken together, the win over Birmingham and the draw against North Carolina show Tampa Bay still has life in them. With only one game left in September – and five left overall – it may still be too late to get into a playoff spot. This is especially true when you look at the remaining fixtures. However, the players are giving their fans hope that there may be a postseason yet.
The Rowdies were roughly thirty seconds away from taking six points in one week. This is largely down to the efforts of the team on the offensive side. Tampa Bay has been revitalized in attack with the addition of multiple new players. While still retaining the same shape as they had under prior managers this season, Dominic Casciato has added his own flavor with new personnel.
Juan Azocar was brought in as a free agent. More frequently an attacking piece, he has been used as a right wingback. His defensive play is not always sound, to be sure. However, this has not been Casciato’s #1 concern for the right side. He has seemingly shored it up by usually deploying more stay-at-home players in the midfield and defense, often Laurence Wyke and Thomas Vancaeyezeele.
In the midfield, an actual right fullback has been the main piece of attacking firepower for the club the last few games. In five matches, Paul Marie has three goals and two assists. His third goal – late against Birmingham – was just the icing on the cake to a win that looked sealed. But, let that not take away from how much influence he’s had in his short time back in Florida.
The former FIU Panther has played as the highest midfielder at times, helping out by involving Manuel Arteaga and Woobens Pacius more often. Each of them got a goal in the draw against North Carolina. Another late signing, free agent Alex Mendez, got his first start in that game. All of these additional pieces to throw on the chessboard seem to have helped Casciato get things in order.
Defensively, though, the Rowdies gave up easy goals at times, something they’ve done all season. The chopping and changing up front due to new signings has followed a lot of alterations at the back. This is more likely just to the manager not liking how things are working, as there are no newer players for this part of the field. He’ll have to make do with what he has.
RBLR Man of the Match:
Carlos: Paul Marie and Manuel Arteaga
James: Manuel Arteaga and Alex Mendez
Date: Sunday September 28, at 5:00
Upcoming Game: Loudoun United vs. Tampa Bay
How do we get an away win this time?
If the Green and Gold have made these great strides in the goalscoring department, the goal prevention part may be their Achilles heel against Loudoun. This seems obvious. But, where the Virginians have succeeded this year is largely not on the defensive side. In fact, their goal differential right now is -1, with more goals conceded even than Tampa Bay.
Meanwhile, Loudoun has scored the third most goals of all teams in the Eastern Conference. Their attack is potent. Of late, that unit has comprised Zach Ryan and Ben Mines on the right and left wings, Florian Valot as the attacking midfielder and Arquimides Ordonez up top. This group does not include the side’s leading goalscorer, Abdellatif Aboukoura.
The Egyptian youth international missed several of their most recent matches. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, he returned as a substitute in their 2-2 draw against Phoenix last Saturday. He may be more readily available this upcoming weekend, and he’ll likely be looking to make up for lost time. Aboukoura has 15 goal contributions in league and Jager Cup play so far in 2025.
This is not to say the other Loudoun attackers are slouches. Guatemalan international Ordonez only joined the side in early August. He already has four goals for his new team, despite being a more natural attacking midfielder. Although he was named for a Greek mathematician, Quimi, as he is known, seems very at home on the soccer field – no matter where he plays.
As stated above, the Rowdies’ biggest problem at the moment is a leaky backline. Despite turning to a new goalkeeper in Bill Hamid in recent weeks, the Green and Gold haven’t earned a shutout since July. Whether it’s Aboukoura or Mines, the left winger and Zach Ryan on the right will be looking to exploit a beleaguered defense that might not have the best speed.
Loudoun have long been known as a young, energetic side. In 2025, the youth is not quite as prevalent, and that subsequent experience is valuable. They will know where to try to hurt the Rowdies. If the wingbacks play higher up the field – and if Azocar is not the best defender to begin with – they’ll look to get to the endline and try to find cutbacks for centrally based strikers.
Tampa Bay, on the other hand, have seemingly been improving. This is a game they can win – if they execute on all parts of the pitch. Things could also go quickly awry, as fans have seen more often than they ever thought they might. Maintaining good communication at the back and always staying deep enough to avoid losing a battle for pace could see them leave with three points.
RBLR Score Predictions:
Carlos: 4-2 W
James: 3-1 W
Yurika: 3-2 W
RBLR Sports Predictions Standings:
Carlos: 11
James: 18
Yurika: 20
