Gameday Essentials

Tampa Bay Rowdies at FC Edmonton, Sunday 4 p.m. ET

Match available to watch online through ESPN3

Official Watch Party at the Rowdies Den

Scouting the Eddies

Like many teams in the NASL, FC Edmonton (16 pts Fall, 25 pts Combined) has had a tough time producing positive results on a consistent basis. The Eddies sit in the middle of the pack in both tables, though middle of the pack means very little when the tables are so congested. Edmonton is only five points back of the Rowdies for the final playoff spot on the playoff table. Needless to say, Sunday’s match could have serious repercussions on the playoff chase.

The usually potent Eddies attack has reduced its scoring pace in recent weeks, with only one goal in their last three games. Reinforcements will be in tow for Edmonton on Sunday, though, as Lance Laing (7 goals, 6 assists) and Sainey Nyassi return from international service. Laing was the star of the Spring Season, but the Jamaican international has been prevented from contributing on a consisted basis.

For some reason set pieces almost always come into play when Edmonton is involved. The Eddies conceded a sloppy free kick goal 11 minutes into last week’s match against Minnesota and responded with a free kick goal of their own in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The Eddies also defeated Tampa Bay through a deflected corner kick early in the Fall Season. If the Rowdies can duplicate the discipline that helped them avoid free kicks in dangerous areas last week, they could be in good shape for a positive result.

What to Watch For

Center back Stefan Antonijevic was kept out of last week’s match with a groin injury. No word on if he’ll be back for Sunday, but Gale Agbossoumonde has proven to be a worthy option in central defense.

Maicon Santos will, in all likelihood, out this weekend after what appeared to be a serious non-contact injury last week against the Cosmos. Brian Shriver is the most probably replacement and has performed well off the bench in the last two matches. However, he has not shown quite that same spark when starting a match. The only other forward over 6ft like Santos, Omar Salgado, resumed full training late last week, but is not a probable starter given how little time he’s had to readjust.

The central midfield duo for Sunday is difficult to predict. Richard Menjivar is returning from international duty, but Marcelo Saragosa had an excellent outing in last week’s win. The turf at Edmonton’s home field could come into play for Stuart Campbell with this decision. Saragosa’s injury issues this season could make him a liability on the field or damage his ability going forward for the final stretch of games. Menjivar has had no injury concerns and gives the team more athleticism in central midfield.

The team is riding high with a new attitude under Stuart Campbell, but they still need to show more on the road. The Rowdies have not won on the road since the opening week of the season and have yet to put in a convincing performance on turf. They can sway a lot of folks on their playoff hopes this week if they can perform for a full 90 minutes in Edmonton and come away with some valuable points.

IMAGE, TAMPA BAY ROWDIES