Home vs Phoenix Rising Preview
Date: Saturday May 6, 2023
Kickoff Time: 7:30 pm EST at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, FL
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (8pt 2W-2D-4L); Phoenix Rising (10pts 2W-4D-1L)
Standings: The Rowdies are 7th in the East and Phoenix are 7th in the West
A cross-country rival comes to town for the Tampa Bay Rowdies this weekend. Phoenix Rising has, one way or another, held a special place in fans’ heads here in Florida for the last few years. In 2020, during Covid lockdowns, the Rowdies and Rising went toe-to-toe all season, with a much-hyped USL Championship Final on the line. That game was canceled, also due to Covid; but, the animus is still there, simmering beneath the surface. Will it come out this weekend?
Was there any improvement in the key parts of the game?
On Saturday, the Rowdies had the early game taking on Detroit City at 4pm EST. Whether or not this gave the team a spotlight, Tampa Bay pulled through and looked different from how they have all year. The Green and Gold were protagonists in this game, threatened repeatedly, and even took the elusive three points they’ve left on the table multiple times. There would be no late game slip ups at least in Michigan.
So how did they do it? The Rowdies approached this game differently from the last couple before it. With a pretty standard 4-2-3-1 against Detroit City’s common 3-4-3, the tactics played out in the visitors’ favor. Charlie Dennis, sitting in the Number 10 role, seemed to be able to have his way with the game and looked like the most important player for large stretches of it.
His ability to control possession and draw players to him opened things up for the wingers, Ryan Spaulding and Dayonn Harris. Each of them were also very important in the Rowdies’ buildup and they contributed with many potential-assists. Unfortunately, finishing was still not a strong suit for Tampa Bay.
(It should be noted here that the Rowdies actually played two games this past week: one against Detroit City and one against Houston Dynamo in the Open Cup. While they lost to their MLS opponents 1-0, Tampa Bay were the dominant team for large portions of the second half, especially including the final ten minutes. Desperate to get back into the game, chance after chance after chance was created, all of which were shot wide or saved. Neill Collins still highlighted this game as the first one in 2023 when the team looked like they were supposed to, like they have in the past. The missing end product would be the final step in the equation.)
Despite creating four Big Chances, as defined by FotMob, and taking 17 shots, only the one from the penalty spot would find the back of the net. Indeed, up until that penalty was awarded and converted, it looked like the Rowdies might let another better performance slip through their fingers. The heavy involvement of Dennis and his wingers on either side directly led to the decision, with Harris’ ball into the box hitting the hand of defender Devon Amoo-Mensah with it far enough from his body to be deemed an offense.
Where are Phoenix in their arc of rebuilding?
The Rising had a very tough season in 2022. They finished outside the playoff spots and even fired their coach midway through the year. In the months between then and their first game of 2023, the squad was overhauled with new coach (and former Rowdie) Juan Guerra taking the reins. Much of the team Rowdies fans know has been replaced or moved to the bench, with a very aggressive style taking shape so far.
However, the new roster Guerra put together has had its growing pains. Rowdies fans will be all too familiar with the struggles of whipping a new team into shape on the fly. The club has had to change tack for much of the still-young season from the ways of the past. The Rising similarly have had their issues with putting philosophy into practice, and putting practice into points. They have two wins on the season, both of which came against Eastern Conference competition, it should be noted.
The signs of progress are there, though. Playing last week against Loudoun United, Phoenix put in a spirited performance and walked away with three points and three goals. Some good buildup led to Jose Hernandez getting the first wide open at the far post, while leading scorer Manuel Arteaga had a nice finish to put them up two before the halftime whistle. An own goal late in the first half would not dampen their spirits, as the Rising themselves added another late in the game to put it to bed.
Possibly a better measure of their form, though, would be their away draw to San Antonio two weeks prior. Phoenix lined up with a flexible formation that started with four at the back in possession. Henry Uzochukwu and Mohamed Traore as the fullbacks did get high at times, even if the Nigerian right back might look a little too fast for his own control at times.
Renzo Zambrano and Carlos Harvey (who will be returning vs. the Rowdies after serving a suspension) patrolled deeper in the middle, giving Fede Varela license to go anywhere he wanted. He resembled 2022 USL MVP Leo Fernandes in that he would literally pop up wherever on the pitch the ball might end up. A signing from the Bulgarian first division, Varela appears to be the quintessential Argentinian attacking midfielder, with all the verve, precision, and confidence in the world.
Manuel Arteaga kept the center backs busy, which allowed Danny Trejo the chance to step into space and run at people, mostly on the right. These patterns are likely to be part of the Rising gameplan vs. Tampa Bay on Saturday. With Harvey returning to control the center of the midfield, he and his usual partner Zambrano will allow Uzo, Varela, Arteaga, Trejo, and whoever takes up the left wing spot to press the Rowdies when out of possession – and try to discombobulate them with the ball through individual brilliance. Not knowing whether Lewis Hilton will be back in time complicates things, as he will often break up chances before dribblers can create them.
Score Predictions from the RBLR Rowdies Podcast:
Carlos Rueda: 1-0 Rowdies
James Knowles: 1-1 Draw
Yurika Wheeler: 2-1 Rowdies
Special Guest: @RowdiesObserver 1-0 Rowdies
