ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (October 24, 2017) — By all indications, Saturday night’s Eastern Conference Semifinal between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and New York Red Bulls II should be an entertaining one.

In two matches against one another this season, the teams have combined for an incredible 11 goals, with both teams winning their home game and losing on the road.

It’s indicative of how the defending USL Cup champions have played all season and how they managed a berth in the playoffs despite having a negative goal differential and more losses than wins.

Nine of New York’s 33 matches this season have seen five or more goals scored, with the Red Bulls posting a record of 2-1-6 (W-T-L) in those wild shootouts. Only five of the Rowdies’ matches totaled five or more goals.

While it’s impossible to know exactly how Saturday’s match will play out, it seems likely that the teams will line up in opposing 4-2-3-1 formations.

According to USL stats partner Opta, the Red Bulls have deployed a 4-2-3-1 in 28 of their 33 matches this season. They used a 4-4-2 three times, but haven’t gone that direction since April 8. Curiously, New York Head Coach John Wolyniec has picked a 4-3-3 twice and both times were for road matches in Ottawa. Both games ended in 2-2 draws.

It’s worth noting of course that the differences between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 can sometimes be extremely subtle to the point where a team plays a 4-3-3 with the ball and drops to a 4-2-3-1 when defending.

In the first meeting between the Rowdies and Red Bulls, played in New Jersey on Sept. 2, both teams selected a 4-2-3-1 from the start, but the composition of the teams could hardly have been more different. While the Rowdies rely on experience and craft, New York fields one of the youngest teams in the USL, relying on athleticism and speed.