by JAKE NUTTING

There probably isn’t much out there that can dampen Tampa Bay Rowdies Head Coach Stuart Campbell’s excitement for Saturday’s 2016 season opener against Indy Eleven at Al Lang Stadium. Not even the likelihood of evening rain showers this weekend can diminish Campbell’s eagerness heading into his first full season as a head coach.

The only headache Campbell has ahead of the home opener is the kind every coach would welcome with open arms.

After a busy preseason full of positive performances and progress across the board, he has to somehow whittle down his talented pool of players down to 18 for the gameday roster, and then obviously choose a starting eleven from that.

“I’m really happy with the group of players that we’ve got,” Campbell told The Unused Substitutes. “Honestly, it’ll be difficult for me to pick 18 players to be involved on Saturday because of the level the whole group has played at so far. So unfortunately I’m going to have to disappoint some people. A lot of the players deserve to be involved, but in the end I can’t play everybody.”

Campbell’s words might seem like typical offerings from any coach in his position. The quality of the preseason performances from a number of players suggests his comments are more than simple platitudes, though.

As an example, there’s a serious battle at left back to see who will earn the spot on opening day and going forward. Zac Portillos hasn’t lost a step in his return from his season-ending Achilles injury during last year’s Spring Season. He’s trying to supplant his replacement from last year, Ben Sweat, who has looked more than ready to match his strong showing at the position.

Never one to show his hand when it comes to personnel decisions ahead of a match, Campbell is just elated to see a fully fit Portillos pushing Sweat to be better.

“It’s going to be a tough call for me to leave one of them out,” he said. “It’s a good battle at left back. They’re both very good players and it’s really good to see Zac back at his fitness level up to speed after the horrific injury that he suffered last year. ”

Campbell insists the competitiveness extends to every position on the field, and that certainly seems to be the case in the midfield. One of the pleasant surprises of the offseason was watching the Rowdies stack the midfield with creative and technical players after lacking in that area over the past few years. The attacking talent added has impressed so much that even Freddy Adu’s status as a starter doesn’t seem as guaranteed it did back in December.

The Rowdies boss is hopeful that the investment in the midfield will translate into victory against what he considers a “big, strong and organized” Indy Eleven side this weekend, but also that it will provide an exciting style for fans throughout the year.

“The whole group is ready for Saturday,” Campbell said of his squad. “That’s the biggest thing I can say, they’re definitely ready. They know they have to bring their performances in the preseason to Al Lang Stadium when our season kicks off.”