The Rowdies occupy second place on the Spring season table heading into their off week. The clubs solid standing is mainly due to the much improved defensive unit compared to last season. After seven matches this season, the Rowdies have conceded six goals. Only New York and Atlanta have conceded fewer goals (five each). At the same point last year, the Rowdies had already allowed 11 goals.

Head coach Thomas Rongen was bullish when discussing his defense after last Saturday’s Coastal Cup win over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, saying “I was very, very pleased with our defensive effort. We’ve allowed only one goal in the last three games. We’re below one goal a game, which means that you should be in every game. And our defense helps generate our offense as well.”

Rongen has stressed defending as one unit from day one, but the bulk of defensive work to earn three clean sheets so far has been done by captain Marcelo Saragosa and the back four.

Saragosa has had to deal with some injury problems through much of the Spring season and a revolving door of midfield partners, but has for the most part been a calming influence in that area of the field. The Brazilian has done well as a much needed buffer between the opposing attack and the Rowdies back line.

With signs of a fruitful partnership blossoming with newly acquired box-to-box player Richard Menjivar, some of the careless turnovers that have prevented the club from reaching top form could decrease. An excellent way to aid the defensive effort is cutting down sloppy giveaways that but your defenders in precarious situations. The poorest outing for the Rowdies so far, a 2-0 loss in New York, was the result of being totally outperformed in midfield and careless possession throughout. It’s worth noting that neither Saragosa or Menjivar were on the field for that defeat to the Cosmos.

2014 was a year that both the fans and players wish they could forget. The team tied Atlanta for a league-worst 40 goals conceded on their way to a seventh place finish. Contributing to the porous effort were a few injuries, but the biggest culprit was by far the constant tinkering and experimentation on the back line. The Rowdies fielded over a dozen different back four combinations throughout the season.

There have been far less defensive adjustments under Rongen so far. Center backs Stefan Antonijevic and Tamika Mkandawire have played every possible minute, while Darnell King has started all but one game in right back. After starting the first two matches, left back Zac Portillos suffered an unfortunate Achilles injury that will keep him out until some point in the Fall season. With the exception of a few hiccups, Ben Sweat has adjusted well to his starting role in place of Portillos.

No one in the entire Rowdies organization is more pleased to see the consistency in the defense in the defense than Matt Pickens. Last year’s starting keeper began this season on the bench behind Kamil Čontofalský, but has been solid as the number one option after Čontofalský ‘s injury in week four against Jacksonville.

“We’ve just been playing super, super well collectively on the defensive side of the ball. We’re hard to break down. We know each other’s tendencies, keep our lines tight and we just limit their chances. When you do that you get a good shot at keeping a zero on the board,” said Pickens after posting his second straight clean sheet last week. “I just try to do my part and I think everybody is holding up to their responsibilities on the field defensively. That’s huge. That’s a big turnaround from last year where it was like a goal-fest on us. It’s great to have these guys that are committed in front of us and we’re looking forward to keeping the momentum that we have right now.”

The only other defensive holdover on this year’s roster is Tam at center back. Despite a plethora of talented center backs being brought in during the offseason, the veteran earned his spot in preseason and quickly built a robust partnership with Antonijevic. The center back pair is one of best in the league and plays a pivotal role in the defense. Rongen likes to send his fullbacks up the wings to get involved in the attack, so the diligence and focus from Tam and Antonijevic is crucial to limiting the club’s exposure to counter attacks.

The Rowdies are still in the thick of the hunt for the Spring title, but would ultimately need some teams around them to stumble in order to finish in first. That being said, even if the Rowdies don’t finish on top in the Spring, what the defense has shown so far would indicate that the club is set up nicely to stay in the race for one of the few playoff spots available this season.