POST-MATCH CELEBRAISH

After the match concludes, we have beers at Against the Grain which is conveniently located right outside the Slugger Field gate. Make sure you order a pint of the Coopers-inspired Ball Control! $0.50 from every pour (on home match days) of Ball Control goes to Shirley’s Way, a most excellent local charity helping families of those afflicted with cancer.

WHO ARE WE PLAYING, AGAIN?

Y’all I can’t believe it’s been a whole year and I haven’t taken the time to introduce you to Pete the Pelican.

He’s no Hat-Trick Harry, but he’s dead behind the eyes nonetheless. What’s more, it’s been worse for the Rowdies in mascot-land.

Anyway, we aren’t playing an anthropomorphic trash bird on Saturday, we’re playing a very good soccer team that features Marcel Schäfer, Jack Blake, and somehow still Joe Cole. The Rowdies have outscored their opponents 5-1 in their last two matches, have taken 32 shots over both, and are averaging a goal every 36 minutes. That’s likely not sustainable, but hot damn is it scary.

Louisville City’s only played this bunch twice, and the two games were pretty different. Los Morados beat the Rowdies in their first ever meeting at Slugger Field behind a couple of well-earned goals from Cuatro and Cam Lancaster, but lost pretty badly on the return trip to Al Lang later that same month.

Tampa Bay was the second seed in the playoffs last season but lost their second round match against RB2. Road form has been a long-standing problem for the Rowdies, so it’s some cause for concern that they beat NCFC 1-3 in their season opener. This team has very, very good attacking talent that only got better with the signings of Junior Flemmings, Jack Blake and Jochen Graf in the offseason. The Three Js, they’re called. Well, they aren’t, but they could be.

City’s job in this game will be to contain Tampa’s attackers. James O’Connor is not often known for playing to his opposition, but Tampa could be an exception. The Rowdies have so many dangerous weapons in their attack it’s hard to plan to eliminate just one or two guys. That’s not to say that LouCity themselves won’t be looking to attack and use space to their advantage; they will. Defensive discipline will probably be at the forefront of the gameplan for this match, however. Or it won’t – it’s amazing how often I’m wrong about this stuff.

Either way, this really is a big match between the two teams that are likely going to be contending for first place in the East all season long. It’s definitely a match you don’t want to miss.

VAMOS MORADOS, VAMOS A GANAR!