ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies and FC Cincinnati will square off in the first of two USL Game of the Week broadcasts to be aired on ESPNU at Al Lang Stadium on Thursday night, with the Rowdies looking to end a seven-game winless streak and FCC aiming to continue their recent upswing. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the contest will employ the Video Assistant Referee system.

Matchcenter: http://bit.ly/2uJvpL2 | Tickets: http://bit.ly/2nv4q5k | Broadcast: ESPNU

Tampa Bay Rowdies news and notes

Current record: 6-5-6, 24pts

The Rowdies fell for a second consecutive contest on Saturday night when they lost 2-0 to the Charleston Battery at MUSC Health Stadium.

The defeat extended Tampa Bay’s winless streak to seven games, with the side’s last victory coming on May 19 against Toronto FC II.

The Rowdies will be without center back Damion Lowe, who has joined up with Jamaica’s squad for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup which begins on Friday.

Georgi Hristov leads the Rowdies with six goals this season, but hasn’t scored in the team’s last four outings with his most recent tally coming on June 4 against Charlotte.

FC Cincinnati news and notes

Current record: 5-5-6, 12pts

Cincinnati played to a 1-1 draw against Orlando City B on Saturday night at Orlando City Stadium in the first leg of their two-game trip to Florida.

Djiby Fall scored his eighth league goal of the season in the draw, answering an early tally by OCB’s Jordan Schweitzer as the sides finished level.

FCC is undefeated in its last four league games (1-0-3), and would pull level on points with Tampa Bay with a victory on Thursday night.

Cincinnati is in the midst of a busy run of games, with the side set to host the Richmond Kickers on Sunday in USL action and then visit Miami FC in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup next Wednesday.

Series Notes

The two teams played to a 1-1 draw in their first regular season meeting in April, when Tampa Bay’s Marcel Schäfer and FCC’s Harrison Delbridge both found the net.

Squads

Tampa Bay – GK: Matt Pickens, Akira Fitzgerald, Nico Campbell; D: Darnell King, Neill Collins, Zac Portillos, Tam Mkandawire, Kyle Porter; M: Marcel Schäfer, Darwin Jones, Alex Morrell, Leo Fernandes, Justin Chavez, Keith Savage, Michael Nanchoff, Joe Cole, Martin Vingaard; F: Georgi Hristov, Martin Paterson

Cincinnati – GK: Mitch Hildebrandt, Dan Williams, Dallas Jaye; D: Matt Bahner, Tyler Polak, Harrison Delbridge, Pat McMahon, Austin Berry, Garrett Halfhill, Justin Hoyte, Mele Temguia; M: Aodhan Quinn, Kenney Walker, Paul Nicholson, Eric Stevenson, Aaron Walker, Corben Bone, Jimmy McLaughlin, Marco Dominguez, Josu; F: Kadeem Dacres, Djiby Fall, Danni König, Omar Cummings, Andrew Wiedeman

Discipline

Tampa Bay – Suspended: Luke Boden; Accumulation warning: Damion Lowe

Cincinnnati – Accumulation warning: Kenney Walker

Officials

REF: JONATHAN WEINER

AR1: Daniel Gutierrez

AR2: Hassan Belmnahia

4TH: Alexander Derostaing

VAR: Mark Kadlecik

Game hashtag:

#TBRvCIN

Twitter social handles