Preview: Rowdies at Indy Eleven

July 18, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release

The Tampa Bay Rowdies are back on the road this weekend for a pivotal matchup against Eastern Conference foe Indy Eleven. Last week’s 2-0 victory over Orange County SC at Al Lang Stadium lifted the Rowdies to third in the conference standings, just one point ahead of Indy who had held third place for much of the last couple months. After jumping Indy in the standings and with a meeting against second place Charleston Batter next Saturday at home, the Rowdies are aiming to solidify their place in the standings race.

Past history indicates picking up all three points in Indy this weekend will be a tough task. In nine previous trips to Indy, the Rowdies only recorded one win. That win, a 2-1 result, came all the way back in Indy’s inaugural season in 2014 back when the teams competed in the NASL. The Rowdies have posted five draws and three losses in their other trips up to Indy.

Similar Scoring Pace

Heading into Saturday’s match, Tampa Bay and Indy’s are dead even at 31 league goals through the first 18 fixtures. The main difference between the two is the variety of scorers. 21 of Tampa Bay’s 31 goals have been tallied by forwards Cal Jennings and Manuel Arteaga. 8 different players have scored for the Rowdies this year, while 13 have notched at least one goal for Indy.

Cal’s Back on Track

After a three-match scoring drought, Tampa Bay’s Cal Jennings returned to form with two goals versus Orange County. The 27-year-old attacker now has 61 career goals in the USL Championship and 30 goals for the Rowdies. Jennings reached 60 goals in the fewest appearances in the Championship’s history, taking only 108 games. Jennings also has the best strike rate among active players with 60 goals, scoring at a rate of every 128.7 minutes.

Club Connections

There are quite a few connections between the Rowdies and Indy. Rowdies keeper Jordan Farr started his professional career in the Circle City, where he spent three seasons before moving to San Antonio. Indy is also the first American club Rowdies Manuel Arteaga played for. Current Rowdies Assistant Coach Nicky Law was a teammate of Arteaga’s in Indy in 2021 and 2024. Additionally, Tampa Bay’s Cal Jennings was shortly under contract with Indy during the lead up to the 2021 season before being transferred to MLS’ LAFC.

The connections go both ways. Tampa Bay’s all-time leading scorer Sebastian Guenzatti now suits up for Indy. Guenzatti, who…