After a dismal week on the road that saw the Rowdies crash out of the U.S. Open Cup in their opening match and drop two points in the last possible minute to Indy, Thomas Rongen is facing some interesting lineup decisions. Three red cards in that Indy match on Saturday means the Rowdies will be without forward Maicon Santos, midfielder Georgi Hristov and center back Stefan Antonijevic for this weekend’s game with FC Edmonton. Maicon Santos has scored the most goals this year, Hritsov has the most assists, and Antonijevic has played every available minute as part of one of the NASL’s better defenses.

Midfielder Richard Menjivar will also miss the Edmonton match, as well as the Spring finale against Atlanta next week due to international duty for El Salvador.

Given all the absences and questions surrounding the team’s form in the last two matches, we at the Unused Substitute’s thought it was as good a time as any to give our predictions/hopes for the starting XI that will take the field at Al Lang Saturday night.

To little surprise, all three of us picked Gale ‘Boss’ Agbossoumonde to fill in for Antonijevic and receive his first start of 2015. Boss has appeared on the bench in every match this season and came on last week when Antonijevic was ejected just before stoppage time in Indy.

Let us know what you think of our prospective lineups. Are we on point or way off? Is there a set up or player you’d prefer to see as the Spring season closes out? Also, be sure to listen to the latest episode of the Unused Substitute’s podcast to hear Matt and Dan go in-depth on their lineups, the past week for the Rowdies, news around the NASL, and the latest developments in the FIFA scandal.

Matt Cox

With our difficulties slowing other teams down moving through the Rowdies midfield and with the likelihood that Lance Laing will be available this weekend, I wouldn’t mind a switch to the 4-4-2.

Darwin Espinal is still best suited to be a late-game substitute to maximize his pace, but reduce the risk of the cramping he’s experienced. Justin Chavez also played some center back with Fort Lauderdale, so he could be used in a versatile role. Martin Núñez seems to be the most creative midfielder the club has at the moment, and as much as I personally like Corey Hertzog, he’s been struggling in front of the net and the Rowdies desperately need to finish chances. This lineup still gives Tampa Bay the ability to bring attackers forward from the midfield and defense, as Balchan as shown some proficiency in that role too.

Daniel Endonino

Other than the needed change due to Stefan Antonijevic’s red card, I’d leave the back line alone. Rich Balchan did more than enough to earn another start this week. Also, Darnell King is versatile enough to play as a winger if need be.

Juan Guerra filled in well in the box to box spot in the San Antonio match, but has a tendency to wander and get lost in the midfield in some stretches. Captain Marcelo Saragosa acting as the anchor of the midfield should be enough to cover for the Venezuelan, though.

Midfielder Martin Núñez is more that capable going forward. Outside of Hristov, Núñez has been the most creative and dangerous of our midfielders so he’s a natural fit to slide into the playmaker role.

As for the front three, losing Maicon Santos means the team will be without veteran experience, but the Rowdies have another sitting on the bench in former NASL Golden Boot winner Brian Shriver. He can definitely help create and is always a goal scoring threat on the wing.

Jake Nutting

Let’s get weird.

Georgi Hristov will more than likely return to his playmaking role in the midifeld after his suspension is over and Martin Nunez already had a shot at the playmaker role in the 0-0 draw in Ottawa for Hristov’s first suspension. Nunez has expressed a preference for the wing in the past, so I’d leave him on the left side of the front line. I’d like to see rookie Verneri Välimaa get a chance at the central midfield role. He’s only made two appearances so far in his rookie season, both times in more of a holding midfield role. I want to see if Välimaa can shine as a creator in the midfield. He showed some creative flourishes in the preseason, granted that was against lesser competition but I’d love to see more risks taken and capable players given the opportunity to showcase their ingenuity. The team could use more of that.

Juan Guerra has had a few opportunities to play as one of the defensive minded midfielders in Thomas Rongen’s system. In those appearances, the Rowdies midfield has been fairly underwhelming. It would be unfair to lump all the blame for those poor showing on Guerra alone. He’s a smart player, but hasn’t made a case that he can be the connective tissue between the midfield and the players up top. Defender Rich Balchan showed positive signs in the midfield as a late substitute in the team’s 1-0 win over Fort Lauderdale. He’s demonstrated some good positional awareness, poise, and vision with the ball in his minutes as a right back, attributes that have been lacking in the midfield at times this year. Menjivar is likely to miss a chunk of the Fall season on international duty, so establishing a solid second option in his spot is critical. At this point I’d prefer to see another player get a shot at claiming the role.

Another weekend without Maicon Santos is an excellent opportunity to get Brian Shriver some quality minutes. Shriver has only taken the field twice this year, both times as a substitute. I’d keep him out of the midfield because his best performances always seem to come when he is getting as many quality touches in the final third as possible. Shriver needs to be on the end of opportunities, rather than focusing on trying to create for others. A good example is the gorgeous counter attack goal scored in the preseason finale against Jacksonville where Robert Hernandez connected perfectly with Shriver on a long cross into the box.