by JAKE NUTTING

Welcome to the Unused Substitutes Coffee Talk. This will be a space (hopefully regularly, but really when we have the time) to highlight some of the hottest points of discussion the morning after the Tampa Bay Rowdies play.

Be prepared for quick takes full of misguided interpretations of statistics (thanks, Opta) and woefully misguided assessments (I’ve skimmed a few tactical books).

Part of the reason we do what we do is in hopes of creating more discussion around the Rowdies. Whether it’s good, bad or indifferent, robust discourse coming out of matches is a strong sign of how passionate a club’s supporters are.

So grab your favorite mug, fill it with the brew of your choice (tea drinkers also welcome), check out what’s on our minds this morning, and feel free to talk amongst yourselves about anything we missed.

Defense hasn’t Missed a Beat with Addition of Neil Collns

It was a definite gamble for Stuart Campbell to give Neil Collins the start at center back given he’s only been signed with the club for less than a month. But the 32-year-old veteran has quickly proven himself a worthy option by bringing an imposing force to the back line that might have been lacking in recent years. Collins isn’t shy about using every bit of his 6-foot-3 frame in air duels, and he also has no qualms about getting in the face of opponents to give them a piece of his mind.

One number sticks out in Collins’ favor. In two matches, he’s already come up with eight huge recoveries to stymie potential breakaways for the opposition.

Really the entire defensive unit — including midfielders Michael Nanchoff, Juan Guerra and Justin Chavez in week one — has been resolute. Granted, the Rowdies have yet to face what would be considered an attacking powerhouse in the NASL, but they’ve severely limited the competition they’ve had so far. The truly disappointing aspect of the goal conceded on Saturday is it was the only serious threat they gave up all night. Those two quick shots from ball watching on a corner were the only ones on frame until Miami got a tame header from the top of the box in stoppage time.

My Kingdom for a Serious Midfield Threat

The technical talent is there, but the attacking midfielders haven’t demonstrated much of the killer instinct that you’d hope to see yet. Kalif Alhassan had one promising penetrative run into the box that ended with a decent rip to the far post early in the first half, but that was about it until Eric Avila did well to draw the penalty in the final stages.

Apart from those instances, the midfield had so-so stretches of possession and some discouraging results getting the box. Alhassan attempted only one pass into the box and it was unsuccessful, Junior Burgos managed one successful delivery into the area but that was a corner kick, and Avila led the trio with three successful passes into the area. Burgos and Avila also had a low percentage of forward passes (Burgos 11.5%, Avila 17%), with Alhassan being the only one to send more passes forward than backward. In contrast, substitute Georgi Hristov sent 40% of his passes forward. With no one stepping up to run to the point in midfield yet, it could be time to tinker with one or two spots.

The Lonely Forward

Tommy Heinemann only managed 27 touches this week, one fewer than his total in the opener against Indy Eleven. He was also nowhere near the top five pass combinations for the Rowdies against Miami. The forward maxed out with three combinations with Burgos, and all three of those passes were around the halfway line.

None of this is a good recipe for productivity. Much of it has to do with the unfortunate service from midfield that forced Heinemann to drop back more than he should, but he could also do with some supporting runners into the box when the team does get down into the final third.

Two weeks into the season and defenses have figured out that shutting out Heinemann is the quickest path to keeping the Rowdies at bay. Heinemann could do better creating space for himself by being less stagnant, but some extra bodies crashing into the box would make his job a heck of a lot easier.