What to Watch Out For

Midfield matchup

The combination of Ledgerwood and Raudales looks to get another test this week, and it is appearing to be one for the foreseeable future, while Ritchie Jones continues to recover from injury. On paper, this is shaping up again to be about how well these two can keep the Rowdies from controlling midfield. That said, if the Eddies can keep the Rowdies in check we may see the likes of Christian or Nik take up a role as the FCE cog.

Wide Play

While FC Edmonton has made it no secret that most of their attack is coming from the wings, Tampa Bay is somewhat quiet about this. What their strong central midfield play allows for is space around the box and their wingers, Alhassan & Avila are getting their fair share of touches out wide.

If Heinemann is to be a target man, they will try very hard to get crosses in for him. While this has been largely unsuccessful so far, we may see them try it again. What this means is that both the wingers and fullbacks for FCE on the day may have to be called upon defensively first.

Additionally, heat maps of the last two matches have seen the Rowdies unafraid to overlap their fullbacks and involve them in their attacks. They don’t play a high defensive line however, so the Eddies may find it tough to find space unless their fullbacks have committed too far forward.

Diákité/Watson

While it worked just okay for the first 30 minutes before Watson was sent off. This will be our first chance to truly see this pairing at work. What we need to look out for is how they both partner up in the back, whether they employ a stopper/cover role—usually with Roberts as the faster, more mobile cover—or need help dealing with attacking pace up the middle from Nik or Cristian.

Keegan’s Runs

Relative to the performance of the rest of the squad, there was a lot to like about Jake’s appearance against United on Sunday. Keegan brings dynamism to the front two, and look for his runs to try and bring a defender out of a settled position. If there are breaks, look for Keegan to be the first to charge up front. Hopefully he’s up for it for a good hour, he’ll likely need it, and it would be surprising to see him keep that up for 90.