KEEP YOUR ENEMY CLOSER – TAMPA BAY ROWDIES

MIAMI, Fla. – The Miami FC stays put at FIU Stadium to close out a two-match homestand against Coastal Cup rival, the Tampa Bay Rowdies (5-6-7, 21 fall; 9-10-9, 37 combined).

Unlucky Road Trip

Tampa Bay fell to FC Edmonton, 1-0, last Sunday at Clarke Stadium after conceding the only goal of the match in the first half.

Edmonton Forward, Ben Fisk, scored a header from the center of the box to the bottom left corner, assisted by Dustin Corea with a cross.

The Rowdies had few scoring chances and did not put enough of them on target, as they only took a total of 13 shots against the Eddies.

Tampa Bay’s loss helped Edmonton goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel increase his NASL record to 15 clean sheets this season.

Broken Streak
The Rowdies’ seven-game unbeaten streak was broken with the loss to FC Edmonton on a snowy Sunday afternoon in Canada.

Tampa Bay is now ranked 9th in the Fall Standings, tied with the Ottawa Fury FC and Puerto Rico FC with 21 points. The team is also fighting for the final playoff spot, as they are sitting in 5th place on the combined table sharing it with the Carolina RailHawks.

The Orange and Blue and the Rowdies have battled twice this season, and both matches have ended in 1-1 draws. This final matchup is pivotal for both teams as they continue to run toward The Championship.

Tampa Bay Rowdies - Players to Watch

English midfielder, Joe Cole, is ranked 2nd in league-leading assists with six. Not only is he the creative mind for the Rowdies, but he is also able to score goals as he has tallied seven this season. Tactically, he is very efficient, with a passing accuracy of almost 83%.

Georgi Hristov, a Bulgaria native, is the only player in Tampa Bay that has played all 18 matches of the Fall Season, besides Matt Pickens, the goalkeeper. Hristov has scored nine goals all season and is ranked 5thamong all  NASL goal scorers.

Hristov is lethal inside the box, as he is able to score with both the left and right feet, and has contributed to the Rowdies success with four assists and 30 shots.