September 10, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
After a tough defeat in Colorado Springs over the weekend, the Tampa Bay Rowdies look to get back in the win column on Wednesday in a road matchup against Birmingham Legion FC. A win at Protective Stadium on Wednesday night would be the first for the Rowdies, who have recorded two defeats and two draws in their previous trips to Alabama.
The 4-2 loss to Colorado Springs this past weekend was only the second time this year the Rowdies have conceded four goals in a match. The squad will aim to get back to their expected standard of performance against Birmingham on Wednesday and then versus Pittsburgh back at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday.
“The message from me after the match was that performance wasn’t who we are,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “You can lose games, but there are ways you can accept losing games. If you are going to lose, which is going to happen in soccer, you have to lose by playing your way. I felt on Saturday that it wasn’t us out there… We need to almost use this as a rest. We’ve got two games coming up this week. Let’s use that to get back playing the way we want to play.”
Overall, Overall, the Rowdies have won four, lost five, and drawn three in league play against Birmingham over the years. However, Birmingham have gotten the better of the Rowdies in four straight league contests. The last time the Rowdies beat Birmingham in league play was in the 2021 playoffs. Tampa Bay did survive a 10-goal thriller against Birmingham in this year’s edition of the U.S. Open Cup, although they then fell 1-0 to Birmingham only a few days later.
“It’s a road game, which is always difficult in this league,” said Neilson. “We have to press the way we want to press. We have to pass the way we want to pass. We have to get forward the way we want to get forward. We want to go up there and come away with all three points.”
Leo’s Back on the Scoresheet
One of the few highlights from the match in Colorado was seeing midfielder Leo Fernandes notch an assist and his first goal in nearly two years. After a torn Achilles sidelined him for almost all of the 2023 season, a few small knocks have kept Fernandes from getting consistent minutes this season. The longtime Rowdies midfielder has been fit and available for selection for over a month now.
“It’s been another frustrating year, maybe even more frustrating than last year. Because last year I knew I was out no…