July 5, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
The Tampa Bay Rowdies close out a three-match road trip this Saturday with a matchup against Detroit City FC. The Rowdies are aiming to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat to Loudoun United FC last weekend and maintain their place in the top four of the Eastern Conference standings. Detroit sits directly below the Rowdies in the standings, only two points back and with two matches in hand. Detroit enters this weekend off of their biggest win of the season, a 4-0 result over Miami FC at home.
“We reviewed the Loudoun game and we were disappointed,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “I don’t think we showed any of the qualities that we’ve got, so we need to make sure that when we go up to Detroit that we play our game. That means being really competitive, getting to the ball first and playing positively forward.”
Nearing the Midpoint
Saturday’s contest in Detroit will be Tampa Bay’s 17th of the campaign, putting them at the exact midway point of the season. While the Rowdies sit in a good position at the moment, there is still room for improvement when it comes to finding consistent results. Victories over first-place Louisville and title contender Sacramento are certainly feathers in Tampa Bay’s cap this year, but they’ve yet to put together a lengthy string of wins. Coincidentally, the Rowdies kicked off an eleven-match unbeaten run, which included 9 wins, with a victory at Detroit last year on April 29. That run solidified their standing in the race for a playoff spot and the Players Shield.
“Consistency is really important,” said Rowdies defender Jordan Doherty. “We’re at the halfway point, so we’re going toward the business end of things now. That’s what we want to start doing. We want to start putting together consistent performances week in and week out. I think if we perform well and perform how we can on a consistent basis, we’ll win games. We’ve just got to focus on the performance and the results will come.”
Jennings Nears 60
Forward Cal Jennings is one tally away from his 60th career goal in the USL Championship. Jennings already has 9 goals for the Rowdies in league play this year, with his total across all competitions for Tampa Bay now at 31 goals in 51 appearances.
Scouting Detroit
This season is led by head coach Dan Dichio, a former assistant coach with Sacramento. Dichio’s first season is off to a strong start, as Detroit sits in a playoff position…
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