The Basics
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Ottawa Fury FC
Saturday, April 8, 2017, 7:30 p.m. ET.
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Follow us for live updates on Twitter @RowdiesGameday
Tickets + Fireworks
Tickets for Saturday’s match are available by calling (727) 222-2000 or clicking here. Be sure to stick around after the match and join us on the field for an exciting postgame fireworks show!
How to Watch
The match will be broadcast on thisTV Tampa Bay and on the USL’s Youtube channel here.
Parking
There are several options for parking at Al Lang Stadium and around downtown. Parking in Lot A, right in front of the stadium, costs $5. Lot A opens at 4 p.m. For more parking options, click here.
Records
Tampa Bay: 2-0-0 (W-T-L), 6 points, 1st place Eastern Conference
Ottawa Fury FC: 0-0-1 (W-T-L), 0 points, 14th place Eastern Conference
Rowdies Notes
The Rowdies are off to a hot start to life in the United Soccer League, atop the Eastern Conference Standings with a 2-0-0 (W-T-L) record and six points. This year is the first time in the Modern Era the Rowdies have started the year 2-0-0 and also the first time the Rowdies have won both of their first two home matches.
Tampa Bay is one of just two USL teams to have kept two clean sheets in 2017, along with San Antonio FC. With the help of five goals scored and zero goals conceded, the Rowdies’ goal differential of +5 is tied for the best in the league with Real Monarchs SLC and Sacramento Republic FC.
Rowdies midfielder Michael Nanchoff is tied for the USL lead in assists with two, both of which came in last week’s 4-0 win over Toronto FC II. Nanchoff’s performance earned him a spot in the USL Team of the Week.
The Rowdies have a chance to take the lead in the all-time series against Ottawa Fury FC, which dates back to 2014. Tampa Bay is 2-5-2 (W-T-L) against Ottawa all-time. In two home matches against Ottawa last year, the Rowdies won 2-1 and drew 1-1.
Tampa Bay defender Kyle Porter could feature against his former team Saturday night. A Toronto native with eight caps for the Canadian national team, Porter spent 2016 with the Fury FC and played 18 matches.
Scouting Ottawa
Ottawa sat the opening weekend of the season out, forced to wait until last weekend to make its USL debut. The Fury FC lost 3-2 in Saint Louis to Saint Louis FC last weekend, meaning Ottawa is yet to pick up its first point.
Against STLFC, Ottawa fell behind 2-0 in less than 10 minutes, conceding in the 5th and 9th, but scored in the 11th to cut the deficit in half. It took until the 83rd minute for Ottawa to equalize the match, but Fury FC midfielder Sergio Manesio scored an own goal five minutes later doom Ottawa to defeat. Manesio played for the Rowdies as a trialist in January’s Florida Cup but wasn’t signed.
Ottawa will be without defender Shane McEleney as he serves a one-game suspension following a red card in Saint Louis last week.
Eddie Edward and Onua Obasi are tied for the team lead in goals with one each.
