Home vs. Birmingham Legion Preview
Date: Saturday April 1, 2023
Kickoff Time: 7:30 pm EST at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, FL
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (2pt 0W-2D-1L); Birmingham Legion (7pts 2W-1D-0L)
Standings: The Rowdies are 10th in the East and Legion are 1st in the East
Full Preview Episode: RBLR Sports on YouTube!
After a very rough start to the season, the Rowdies return home to face the club that tops the Eastern Conference. Birmingham Legion just proved they could win away from home and will want to get the jump on us while we’re clearly in a rut. Fans from Tampa Bay and beyond have every reason to feel worried at this point, while Alabamians should be soaring with confidence. Can a proper home crowd help lift the team’s spirits and get the boys back to their best? Make sure you’ve got your tickets to come cheer them on as loud as you can!
Why are the Rowdies struggling right now?
Recency bias is a hell of a drug; but, it sure does feel like this is the worst start in ages, doesn’t it? Our two opening draws were actually the positive games in the month of March. Going into our game away to Charleston, much was expected by way of a turn-around. Despite this column predicting a Rowdies loss, things actually appeared to be going in our favor leading into Saturday. Charleston had lost three starters from their first two games to the international window, all of whom were on the backline. A makeshift defense should turn around any team’s chances, no matter the venue.
Unfortunately, though, we now know that wouldn’t be enough for the Green and Gold. The Rowdies struggled to deal with transitions, giving up two clear cut opportunities in the first 20 minutes. Only one of those went in; but, just for good measure, the Battery had already scored a second goal from a clear penalty. If prior calls against Forrest Lasso could be considered strange or even ridiculous, there were no complaints about this one.
The rest of the first half and the second half that followed didn’t turn into a horror show, despite the third goal going in. It’s hard to fault a player when something so fluky as that happens. However, our chance creation never really materialized in the remaining time. This result, taken in conjunction with the two before it, will leave Rowdies fans scratching their heads. No one’s asking this team to be the USL’s answer to the 2004 Arsenal Invincibles. But, it’s fair to say that a roster seemingly brimming with talent hasn’t put much together yet. Why is that?
The first thing people will point to is the fact that this roster is largely very new. While Lasso, Aaron Guillen, and Jordan Doherty have played together before, most of the pieces in front and behind them are different – and a lot will change in a year, whether that’s spent in Sweden, Ireland, or anywhere else. However, the Battery also have dealt with a ton of turnover between seasons. Former Rowdies general manager, Lee Cohen, moved to Charleston and brought in a lot of new players. Similarly, Orange County and Indy Eleven beforehand used starting XIs without much experience playing together. Using this as an explanation only gets you so far. Between preseason and the season itself having started, something needs to happen here.
It’s also true that the Rowdies in three games so far have been missing two of the most important pieces to their roster, Leo Fernandes and Lewis Hilton. Not only would they provide continuity, but Leo and Lewis are central to the Rowdies’ plans. While you never want to rely on a player or two beyond your ability to replace them, it’s hard not to when those players are a USL MVP and the most underrated orchestrator in the league. Losing their contributions will certainly shake things up. You just might’ve hoped it wouldn’t tip the whole thing sideways.
How could Birmingham prepare for this game?
Being on the Hammering Down podcast with Kaylor Hodges, I happened upon a realization with him. Kaylor does the local podcast for Birmingham Legion fans and we got to talking about what’s going on with the Rowdies. I more or less explained everything written above in a longer and more laborious fashion. However, I originally said I’d wanted to hear what Legion might do to play against Tampa Bay this weekend. What would their tactics be? Whom might they target?
Other than saying they – like Charleston – line up in a rigid 4-2-3-1, Kaylor said he couldn’t really predict how this game would go. The more we went into it, the more it seemed to me like this would be a game of mentality rather than strategy. The Rowdies just took one on the chin after two lesser performances. Birmingham, on the other side of things, are absolutely cruising. They are top of the East right now and, at least according to Kaylor, just played one of their best games ever on the road in Connecticut.
By rights, this is the best time for Birmingham to play the Rowdies. While one trends up and the other very down, Al Lang Stadium might not be the steaming cauldron it has been on occasion. On the other hand, Tampa Bay fans will hope this is when a long, hard look in the mirror will suffice. It’s doubtful that anyone in the organization has got complacent or disinterested; but, it is true that big changes are needed in our game plan. Everyone feels they’re capable of rising to the occasion when asked. But, what is the formula to do so? Should the Rowdies come out tough as nails, fighting for everything, pounding away for the breakthrough that turns us around? Or is this more a time for calmness and tranquility? Take the game as it comes, don’t get ruffled by small things not going your way, and adapt to changes presented during the game.
Having never been a high-level athlete, I don’t have many answers here. Neill Collins may have to do both at different times of the game – or just leave that up to the individual players anyway. The sloppy giveaways haven’t disappeared yet; although, we have seen fewer since the Indy game. The defensive lapses certainly have not. And the attacking creation does not appear to have sparked yet. So who will have the better mentality? Will Legion ride their wave with precision or will the Rowdies have it in them to overcome the negativity? This is where narratives will start to be built.
Behind Enemy Lines with Special Guest Kaylor Hodges from @HammeringDwnPod :
Birmingham Legion FC is a club coming into its fifth season, and much of what you can expect is largely the same as the first meeting between the Rowdies and 3 Sparks. Coach Tommy Soehn is known for his 4-2-3-1 and use of wing play to create attacks. The thing that has changed since Year 1 is the level of talent on the pitch.
Staring for the 3 Sparks will be perennial goal-scorer Neco Brett, former Indy Eleven and MLS standout Tyler Pasher, All-USL Pest Enzo Martinez, and former USMNT and youngest ever goal-scorer in USMNT history, Juan Agudelo. This 4-Headed attack is also held up by two of the best Center Backs in the league, Captain Phanuel Kavita and Alex Crognale. You can expect this team to float between a 4-2-3-1, 4-2-4, 4-1-4-1, and 4-4-1-1.
Score Predictions from the RBLR Rowdies Podcast:
Carlos Rueda: 1-1 Draw
James Knowles: 2-1 Legion
Yurika Wheeler: 2-1 Rowdies
Special Guest Dan Endonino @dendonino: 2-1 Rowdies
