ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It was one of the early matches this season, and Tampa Bay Rowdies coach Neill Collins was approached by the manager of the other club.



The relentless Rowdies are known for their aggressive, attacking style. Striker Juan Tejada, for example, is like the Energizer Bunny.



“With two minutes to go, their coach goes, ‘What are you feeding these boys?'” Collins recalled. “I took it as a compliment. Because it wasn’t just physical fitness. It was the hunger to go.”



Collins told this story in late August as we sat around a circular table in the bowels of Al Lang Stadium. I’m trying to give our readers at The Athletic an inside look at how the professional soccer club trains and to explain its use of sports science to get an edge. (The Rowdies were among the top teams in the United Soccer League early in the season, finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference. Their playoff opener is Saturday at...