Tampa Bay Rowdies Weekly: Rhode Island Up Next
Date: Saturday October 4, 2025
Result: Tampa Bay 4-0 Monterey Bay
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (30 pts 8W-6D-13L); Monterey Bay FC (298 pts 7W-7D-14L)
Standings: The Rowdies are 10th in the East and Monterey Bay are 10th in the West.
RBLR Man of the Match:
Carlos: Woobens Pacius
James: Thomas Vancaeyezeele
If the Rowdies needed a statement performance when it mattered, they got it. The next step, as it always is, is to look ahead to the next game. That’s how sports go, and they can’t take any time to bask in a good win. Tampa Bay will need to take all the confidence they got from their shutout victory, apply lessons for the next one, and go out with the same level of intensity vs. Rhode Island. They’re both competing for the last playoff spot; but, will either side get it?
Date: Saturday October 11, at 4:00
Upcoming Game: Rhode Island vs. Tampa Bay
How can we win away from home?
The race for the playoffs is still alive. It’s hard to believe; but, it’s true. The Green and Gold could still finish above the line and sneak in despite the season they’ve had. This is good news – and not only for the obvious reason of staying involved. It would keep more fans interested or possibly bring some back after having watched such a tough run of games up until recently.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. The next three matches for the Rowdies, which will determine the fate of their season, all come against their direct opposition for the last two playoff spots. Talk about coincidences. Their best shot at guaranteeing the right outcome is just to win all three. Barring that, too many possible scenarios to count pop up.
While the last two games are at home, the fixture this weekend is away. Rhode Island will have the advantage of a good fanbase at their backs, and plastic turf beneath their feet. Tampa Bay’s very used to playing on grass, with a natural surface both at their training and stadium facilities. However, plenty of turf pitches cover the USL landscape, and this should be no excuse.
Before winning at home against Monterey Bay, the Rowdies took on Loudoun United at a turf-pitched stadium in Virginia. That game was topsy-turvy, with three goals coming after the 90th minute had passed on the clock. Any takeaways should be tempered by the pure chaos of the final stages. Truly, the only one of worth was that the visitors’ defense did not hold up.
Against Monterey Bay, however, the Rowdies did look better. To cover all our bases, Loudoun is a far superior attacking team: they have 43 goals in league play compared to Monterey’s 26. It was always going to be easier to hold off a side whose top scorer only has five all year. To that end, though, JJ Williams currently leads Rhode Island in league play with just five goals.
The attack for Tampa Bay has looked better and better with each passing week after the true summer months passed. Additional players have contributed greatly, as this column has noted multiple times now. It’s not right to say that side of the field is sorted for the Rowdies; but, it’s certainly better off than the back half in front of new keeper Bill Hamid.
Now, though, they have a clean sheet, something Tampa Bay hadn’t earned since July. With all the caveats included above, it should still be the case that whatever confidence had permeated the squad up top should hopefully seep farther back to the defenders as well. They need to believe they will get another shut out. They need to know it.
The hosts like to play a similar style to the Green and Gold. Wingbacks, or wide players in general, are important in the buildup. They have a big man up top in JJ, a player that most of the Rowdies backline should know well. If they can combine and good understanding for the system with a good understanding of individual players, they may come to feel they’re capable stopping both.
RBLR Score Predictions:
Carlos: 1-0 W
James: 1-1 D
Yurika: 2-1 W
RBLR Sports Predictions Standings:
Carlos: 12
James: 19
Yurika: 21
