by JAKE NUTTING

Gameday Info

Tampa Bay Rowdies at Columbus Crew SC

Wednesday June 15, kickoff at 7 p.m. ET

Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium

Streaming: Watch online on US Soccer’s YouTube page

Fourth round of the 2016 U.S. Open Cup

Winner advances to the fifth round on June 29 (Opponent TBD)



Wednesday night’s U.S. Open Cup battle with Columbus Crew SC will be the first shot at a competitive match with a team from MLS for the Tampa Bay Rowdies since their 2013 cup run, when they knocked off the Seattle Sounders at home before being ousted by Portland on the road in the next round.

With a solid Spring Season in the NASL behind them and no matches on the schedule until July, expect the Rowdies to throw everything they’ve got at the Crew in hopes of advancing in the cup.

Having just played to a 1-1 draw with Jacksonville on Saturday afternoon, the Rowdies will have to contend with possible fitness questions. Crew SC, though, should be fresh after sitting idle since June 1 due MLS’ break for Copa America. The hosts do have a league match on the weekend to consider, so there’s a chance they could rotate some depth players in and overlook the Rowdies.

Scouting Crew SC

Columbus has experienced a significant drop off since finishing as the runner up in last year’s MLS Cup final against Portland. Through 13 games this year, the Crew has only managed to pick up 14 points and sits second from the bottom in the league’s Eastern Conference. While points have been hard to come by so far, Columbus has only lost one of its most recent five league matches

Head Coach Greg Berhalter went with a lineup that skewed younger for Columbus’ first Open Cup match last year and that should be the case against the Rowdies as well. With the Crew underperforming in league play, expect those younger players to come out energized and ready to make their case to be regular starters.

Consistent production from the attack has been a struggle for Columbus this year. Kei Kamara still leads the team with five goals despite being traded away to New England on May 12. Norwegian striker Ola Kamara has performed admirably since getting into the mix last month. He’s tallied four goals in seven appearances and only seems most hampered by the service from his teammates.

What to watch for

Connections: Wednesday’s match will be the first chance two former Crew players have at taking on their old team. Forward Tommy Heinemann and left back Ben Sweat both spent time in Columbus before landing in Tampa Bay. Each player has found success since departing Ohio, with Heinemann becoming the all-time leading scorer for Ottawa Fury FC and Sweat honing his craft as one of the NASL’s most steady left backs.

Cole Factor: This week’s match up with Columbus is one of the many reasons why the Rowdies worked so hard to sign midfielder Joe Cole. He’s already proven he has more than enough to bring in league play with a goal and two assists through five appearances, but the club is also hoping his quality and experience from the international stage can translate into success in the high-stakes of the Open Cup.

Possible Changes: The Rowdies ended the spring in fine form so don’t expect Stuart Campbell to shake things up too drastically. The players might be feeling it after Saturday’s grueling spring finale in the afternoon sun over the weekend, but they’ll likely push the fatigue aside knowing that the midseason break will come right after the final whistle. Campbell has shifted to a more attack-minded 4-3-3 formation in recent weeks. He could elect to stick to his guns with that, or he might choose to revert to the slightly more conservative 4-2-3-1 considering they are on the road against a MLS team.