Away to Spokane Zephyr Preview
Date: Sunday October 27, 2024
Kickoff Time: 5:00 pm EST at One Spokane Stadium in Spokane, WA
Records: Tampa Bay Sun (9 pts 2W-3D-2L); Spokane Zephyr FC (6 pts 1W-3D-3L)
Standings: The Sun are 5th in the Super League and the Zephyr are 8th.
After a rescheduled midweek game against Brooklyn, the Sun took a hit in the standings. Unable to even earn a point, they now continue a road trip that takes them from the extreme of one coast to the opposite, playing the only club west of Texas. The good news is this opposition have struggled early on. Tune in this Sunday to cheer the women on!
It’s been a weird October, huh?
It has been a weird month for anyone living almost anywhere in Florida. This columnist missed a preview article, and for that I apologize. However, we all get the chance to look at two games in conjunction now, one a win and one a loss. Sydny Nasello played a big role in both, creating goals in the first and scoring her first of this new season in the latter.
The first match, against DC Power, put Tampa Bay up against one of the other Super League strugglers. However, it would’ve been hard for a neutral to figure that out from the opening ten minutes. The Power, at home, were able to stay in the game and even created a few chances. Sun goalkeeper Lauren Kozal got her first taste of USL action.
Halfway through that first half, manager Denise Schilte-Brown decided she’d seen enough. Usual midfield stalwart Wasila Diwura-Soale came off so Nasello could step onto the field. She was an immediate upgrade, changing the momentum for both teams and giving the Sun a new edge in the attack. DC was also forced into a sub before halftime, theirs for an injury.
In the second 45, Nasello lit the field up, ultimately creating two two goals and having a hand in the penalty that Carlee Giammona dispatched. Recent additions Tash Flint and Cecilie Floe both started up top, with the latter finishing the first and third goal around the spot kick in between. It was a banner night for what had previously seemed a flailing attacking unit.
Due to one or the other or both hurricanes that recently swept the state, a match in between this win and this past Wednesday was postponed. So it was that Brooklyn FC was the next stop on the calendar, away to their Maimonides Park in Coney Island. A common tourist destination, it was not all that hospitable to these visiting Floridians.
The Sun started things very positively, getting an early goal from Nasello’s shot near the six yard box. This followed a block on her first attempt by the Brooklyn defense. Giammona originally played the ball back from the endline, showing further improvement for the Tampa Bay attack. Unfortunately, that would not continue for the rest of the game.
In fact, it was Brooklyn who then turned things around, scoring two before halftime. Both goals leave a lot to be desired from the Sun defense, but in different ways. The first should have been handled better from the outset. Allowing anyone a free shot on net, no matter how far out they are, could leave your keeper vulnerable. Left back Kristen Edmonds didn’t react quickly enough.
On the second, Edmonds should feel very hard done by from the referee. Even the commentator noted that this appeared to be a simple shoulder-to-shoulder challenge, with the ball having gotten well away from the striker who supposedly earned the foul. It just wouldn’t be sport if every call went your way, though, and Sun fans join the pantheon of ref-aggrieved supporters.
Should we be able to beat the last place team?
With that tough pill hopefully swallowed, the Sun now travel clear across the country to Washington state. At 2pm local time, they will take on Spokane Zephyr, currently bottom of the USL Super League. While that sounds promising, it should be noted that they’re only three points behind Tampa Bay. There’s a very tight middle of the pack between third and eighth.
The Sun’s two defeats to Brooklyn aside, the team had looked to be doing well lately. They drew the first place Carolina Ascent away from home and won two other away games to boot. The Zephyr, quite interestingly, have lost more games at home than they’ve won. This includes their last two fixtures, a 2-1 and 3-2 loss to Dallas and Lexington, respectively.
This almost sets up like a sure-fire victory for the visitors. Nothing is ever that simple, of course. Spokane already have a go to lineup, whereas the Sun have done a lot of chopping and changing, some of that due to players arriving late. Emina Ekic and Emma Jaskaniec have combined well up top, using distribution from the back well.
Part of that is midfielder Taylor Aylmer, who has also scored in the Zephyr’s last two games. A former NWSL midfielder who has come to the USL Super League looking for a new start, she found it under Spokane’s Jo Johnson, playing alongside two Americans Marley Canales and recently Sophia Braun. (Braun plays internationally for Argentina, where her mother is from.)
Showing their ability to score, the Washingtonians will expect to have their chances again. This is where the Sun’s defense should stand out. They’ve only conceded multiple goals in two games, one of those listed above following a controversial decision from the ref. Vivianne Bessette and Brooke Hendrix have so far stood tall in the league.
If they can do so again, the midfield in front of them has started to find its own groove. Playing provider to Nasello and Floe, Jordyn Listro has the know-how to work with what she’s given. Next to her, Giammona has also started every game, adding a good attacking piece behind the attack. Sun fans will want to see their team take advantage of a leaky Zephyr backline.
If they can do this, Tampa Bay will be able to return from one of the more grueling road trips this league has to offer. Going from Florida to New York to Spokane in the space of six days will take a toll on anyone. This will be the other possible problem Sun players face: jetlag. Overcoming that is no joke; but, players should know they have the ability to handle this opponent regardless.
Score Predictions from the RBLR Sun Podcast:
Lizzie: 1-0 W
Tom: 3-1 W
Yurika: 2-1 W
James: 3-1 W
