Away Win vs. Hartford Review
Date: Wednesday July 16, 2025
Result: Hartford 0-1 Tampa Bay
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (14 pts 4W-2D-10L); Hartford Athletic (12 pts 3W-3D-8L)
Standings: The Rowdies are 11th in the East and Athletic are 12th.
Sometimes, you just need luck to go your way. That’s how it was when the Rowdies took on Hartford on Wednesday, managing only one shot on target the whole night. In Dominic Casciato’s second match in charge, the team looked poor at times. But, of course, three points is three points. Not only did that lift Tampa Bay over their hosts, it could ultimately give the Green and Gold a big boost for the upcoming second half of the season.
How did we eke this one out?
After seeing many games over the years in which a team facing the Rowdies has almost no attacking play, only to win or equalize with their lone shot on target, it’s at least nice to be on the good side of that. Tampa Bay were hanging on by the skin of their teeth at times. The local fans in Hartford will feel hard done by. But, none of that matters after the final whistle blows.
Starting out largely in their usual formation, with a few tweaks to the actual XI, the Green and Gold looked to match up well with their hosts. However, for the first ten to fifteen minutes, Hartford racked up three clear chances within the box. It was not all going according to plan. Keeper Ethan Bandre in fact is a big part of why the visitors were able to get anything out of it.
In a game where both teams ended up attempting a good number of long balls early on, the Rowdies were struggling to execute in key moments. A phrase used often in soccer is the “second ball:” after a clearance, two players will contest the header. When the ball bobbles away from them, the player who gets to that first has won the second ball.
Tampa Bay didn’t look like winning the second ball for almost the entire match in Connecticut. Whether this was an issue with intensity and attitude or positioning and shape is a question for the coaching staff to work out. But, Hartford were always in the right spot to win the second ball. They often found themselves in acres of space in between Rowdies lines, too.
The good news for fans of the Green and Gold is that Wednesday’s hosts are not good at scoring. Their top scorer, Kyle Edwards, only has five on the year – and he was seemingly not fit enough to come off the bench anyway. When chances fell early to the Hartford attackers, Bandre was able to handle things, and mostly comfortably as well.
The second half was a little more even for the first 20 minutes. While Athletic were unable to muster the same quality of chance as they had in the first half, the Rowdies clung on and then turned the tide with a few substitutions. In the 58th minute, Leo Fernandes, Manuel Arteaga, and Ollie Bassett all went off. The latter of those had missed a sitter not long before this.
However, it was after Hartford made a few changes of their own that things really started to swing. In about the 70th minute, with usual wingbacks Joey Skinner and Nick Moon in attacking midfield positions, the Rowdies finally started to string some passes together. Whereas previously possession was constantly lost, they actually held onto the ball – and in the opponents’ half.
Ultimately, a very well placed shot from Woobens Pacius found the back of the net. The build up to this chance wasn’t particularly brilliant. Lewis Hilton, in fact, just waltzed around a few home defenders before finding his striker. But, sometimes, that’s all you need. Getting off the bottom of the table will feel good. A first away shutout, no matter how fortuitous, will feel even better.
RBLR Man of the Match:
James: Ethan Bandre
Carlos: Woobens Pacius
RBLR Sports Predictions Standings:
Carlos: 8
James: 15
Yurika: 15
