by JAKE NUTTING

Gameday Information

Saturday night will mark the first match up between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and North American Soccer League expansions side Miami FC. The newcomers enter the second week of the Spring Season after having to swallow the bitter bill of allowing the Fort Lauderdale Strikers to equalize in stoppage time of their inaugural match.

Scouting Miami

Any evaluation of Miami from their season opener must come with the massive disclaimer that they were forced to play a man down against the Strikers after left back Jorge Luis Corrales received his second yellow card shortly before the halftime whistle. While bunkering down to hold back the Strikers, Miami allowed the Strikers to gain a lopsided advantage in nearly area, including possession (61.4%) and passing accuracy in the opposing end (80.2%). The numbers are actually strikingly similar to the statistical advantage the Rowdies had over Indy in their draw last week.

Surviving through Organization: Unsurprisingly, with legendary Italian national team defender Alessandro Nesta leading them from the sideline as head coach, Miami managed to maintain their shape in the face of an onslaught from the Strikers. Seasoned midfield veterans, Matuzalem and Wilson Palacios came off the bench in the second half and greatly aided in the defensive effort.

Bad Behavior: A lack of discipline is what ultimately cost Miami a win in their first match. A reckless tackle from defender Brad Rusin deep into stoppage time gifted the Strikers with a penalty to equalize before the final whistle. In total, Miami was the most penalized team of the opening week with 26 fouls and five yellow cards. The choppiness of that match could carry over into this weekend with Daniel Radford acting as center referee. Radford has developed a reputation for doling out cards at high rate. Just ask Clint Dempsey.

Experienced Attackers: Although Miami had an unproductive week on the attacking end, they still boast a group of attackers with solid pedigrees. Ex-Atlanta Silverbacks forward Jaime Chavez and Argentine veteran Dario Cvitanich got the starting nod and came up short with only six touches inside the box as their team parked the bus after the red card. Former NASL Golden Boot winner Pablo Campos was also hurt by the ejection as he had to remain on the bench as Miami looked to ride out the result.

What to Look For

Possible Changes: It’s hard to see head coach Stuart Campbell tinkering with much after last week’s encouraging performance. The two holding midfielders Justin Chavez and Michael Nanchoff will likely remain in the lineup, but if there’s one area Campbell might look to make a change it would be with the attacking midfielders. Criticizing Kalif Alhassan, Eric Avila and Junior Burgos after the way they ran roughshod over Indy eleven in possession and distribution seems harsh. However, hesitancy and a general lack of quality on their final pass within the final third was an issue for all three players. He may still be young, but Darwin Espinal looked more aggressive coming off the bench.

Snapping Turf/Away Match Woes: Campbell will be looking to pull off two feats on Saturday that last year’s Rowdies struggled with. Tampa Bay’s last road win came over a year ago in the season opener, and they failed to win any match on artificial turf altogether during the season. This weekend’s match on the turf at FIU Stadium offers the Rowdies the chance to knock those mental hurdles out of the way early on.

Stretch it Out: The Rowdies should look to get full backs Darnell King and Zac Portillos more involved in the attack from the outset. The team found some of their best success in the second half of last week’s match when King got more involved moving forward. Prior to that, the Rowdies stayed mostly compact when attacking, allowing Indy to keep their shape and isolate Tommy Heinemann up top. Both King and Portillos are capable of stretching defenses with overlapping runs on the flanks.

IMAGE, TAMPA BAY ROWDIES