ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – With eight points needed to get into the USL Cup Playoffs the Tampa Bay Rowdies get back in action on Saturday night, taking on the Charlotte Independence in a crucial match for their hopes of a top-four finish in the USL Eastern Conference. Despite reaching the final six matches of the season well in range of a place in the USL Cup Playoffs, the Rowdies are keeping their focus on the short term.

“Obviously we need eight points, but we just focus on the next game here. We don’t get too far ahead of ourselves,” said Rowdies forward Martin Patterson. “This is a tough game on Saturday, and we just look at the three points to win on Saturday, that’s all we can do. It would be a mistake to overlook anything, or to look past this one game.”

The Rowdies have at least one game in hand on each of the four teams above them in the USL Eastern Conference, which Head Coach Stuart Campbell believes gives them an advantage.

“We’re looking at it from a positive manner, it’d be great to have been playing Saturday-Saturday, but due to unforseen circumstances, things we couldn’t control, like the hurricane it wasn’t a viable option for us,” said Campbell. “We had to prioritize things. We know what’s required, and we’re not getting too ahead of ourselves regarding three, four, five, games down the line. We’re solely focused on Charlotte, which should be a good game.”