Away to DC Power Preview
Date: Friday April 18, 2025
Kickoff Time: 7:30 pm EST at Audi Field in Washington, DC
Records: Tampa Bay Sun (33 pts 8W-9D-5L); DC Power FC (16 pts 3W-7D-11L)
Standings: The Sun are 5th in the Super League and DC are 8th.
Two wins in a row will do the mind and body good. But… what about three? The Sun have a great chance to get a good win away from home this week as they take on the team sitting bottom of the table. Getting three on the bounce, with one away from home, could lift team spirits higher than they’ve been before. Tune in on Friday on Peacock to take in the action!
Can’t DC just give up the points now?
Sadly, the game must be played. The good news is that DC’s last win was in November. It’s unfortunate the club is doing so poorly in their first season, doing little to raise attention for the league overall and draw any fans to their games. But, don’t expect the players to just roll over and play dead for 90 minutes. Playoffs are likely too far away. Pride is still on the line.
DC are in a position where their play was not even acceptable to the front office. They started the season with Frederic Brillant in charge. Winning only three games, he was dismissed as head coach in late November. Phil Nana has taken over on an interim basis; although, his record of zero wins in five games probably means he won’t be sticking around, either.
During that time, they have not settled on a tried and true starting XI. Captain Susanna Fitch has started the majority of games at right back. Her partners in defense have changed from game to game, with Claire Constant, Madison Murnin, and Madison Wolfbauer all getting starts recently. Left back is also up in the air for the Power at the moment.
In front of the backline, Ghanaian Jennifer Cudjoe and Cameroonian Jeannette Yango have both been used as a midfield partner to Katie Duong. Up top, two recent additions have helped somewhat to give DC a chance to actually score. Emily Colton joined the professional ranks from Wake Forest in the NCAA and Gianna Gourley came in on loan from Fort Lauderdale.
Colton’s is an interesting case because she started her college career at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill). She transferred to Wake, who then made the College Cup final in December. Who else did they face but her former school, UNC. The Tar Heels won, surely a bitter pill for the new DC Power winger to swallow before leaving college soccer altogether.
Gourley on the other hand is a known quantity in the USL Super League. Still on the books for FLOOTD, she was not expected to get much playing time with the high-quality attack they’ve been turning to lately. She was loaned to DC in January, and she’s scored four times since then. The last of those came, interestingly enough, against her parent club in United.
The goal for the Sun, then, should be to shut down Gourley at the back. A striker with some height, she has an incredible track record of scoring, even earning USL Super League Team of the Month honors in March for her exploits. If Gourley can be marked out of the game, DC will have no real offensive threat with which to counter Tampa Bay’s strength in build up play.
On the other side of the field, the Blue and Gold haven’t had too many issues getting on the scoresheet. Interchange between Carlee Giammona and the players ahead of her has been stellar. Tash Flint has taken on a role that requires her to drop deeper to good effect, and Sydny Nasello has recently been more direct with her attacking play as well.
This is a game the Sun will have to take seriously, to be sure. But, at the same time, they know that if they play their game, three points should be theirs for the taking. There’s no reason they can’t keep building on the good trends they’ve established in the last few wins while also strengthening their bonds at the back. Ashley Orkus, of all people, would love a clean sheet.
Score Predictions from the RBLR Sun Podcast:
Lizzie: 2-0 W
Tom: 2-1 W
Yurika: 2-0 W
James: 2-1 W
