March 29, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
Matchday Info:
Tampa Bay Rowdies (0-0-2, 2 pts) vs Rhode Island FC (0-0-2, 2 pts)
Saturday, March 30, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
Tickets: Fans can purchase tickets for the match or at the stadium box office starting at 4 p.m. on matchday.
Grand Central Brewhouse: Stop by the Grand Central Brewhouse table in the Midfield Courtyard to sample some brews, including their exclusive Rowdies beer Leg Day IPA.
Parking: Visit rowdiessoccer.com/parking/ for information on parking
Tune In: If you can’t make it to Al Lang, tune in on Tampa Bay44 or stream on ESPN+.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies return to Al Lang Stadium this Saturday for a showdown with USL Championship newcomer Rhode Island FC. It will be the first ever meeting between the Rowdies and Rhode Island, with both clubs seeking their first wins of the season after drawing twice to start the year.
For the Rowdies, the focus this Saturday will be on game management, particularly in the final stages of the match. In both of their outings so far in 2024, the Rowdies have given up the lead in the final 20 minutes
“We’ve been in winning positions in both games but ended up dropping points, which is obviously disappointing,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “It’s about game management, particularly the game up in North Carolina last week. We didn’t play great but we were in control after taking the lead and then we started to get slack a little bit. It’s about managing the game better. It’s something you hopefully learn from and move forward from.”
Scouting Rhode Island
Rhode Island comes to Al Lang this weekend as still a relatively unknown quantity. Having only played two matches in their entire club history, much remains to be seen of what identity the expansion club will establish under first-time head coach Khano Smith.
The one thing for sure to know about Rhode Island is they have a serious scoring threat in forward Albert Dikwa, who edged out Rowdies forward Cal Jennings for the league’s Golden Boot award last year with 20 regular-season tallies. After failing to get on the score sheet in Rhode Island’s inaugural match, Dikwa made up for it with a brace versus Monterey last week.
“Obviously, they’ve got Albert Dikwa up top,” said Neilson. “He was a top striker in the league last season so he’s a real threat. They’ve also got some quality players in the midfield and wingback area. It’s always difficult with a…