Matchday 32 Info:
Tampa Bay Rowdies at North Carolina FC
Saturday, October 19, 5 p.m. ET
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, NC
2024 League Records:
Rowdies: 13W-11L-7D, 46 pts, 6th East (4-8-5 on the road)
North Carolina: 11W-12L-9D, 42 pts, 8th East (8-2-6 at home)
Watch Party: Join the official Rowdies Watch Party at Colony Grill in Downtown St. Petersburg. Fans wearing Rowdies gear receive 25 percent off all pizza.
Tune In: Saturday’s match will be available to stream exclusively on ESPN+.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies unexpectedly find themselves on the road again for Saturday’s matchup against North Carolina FC. Due to the recent impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Rowdies were forced to relocate the match to North Carolina’s home venue, WakeMed Soccer Park.
“We’ve dealt with a lot of issues over the last few weeks, but nothing compared to what a lot of people around Tampa Bay have had to deal with. They’re all in our thoughts at the moment,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “For us, it’s just a case of trying to get as best prepared as we can. The club have been fantastic looking after the players and their families to give us the best opportunity to be able to play.”
Given the Rowdies recent struggles away from home, adding an extra road game is far from ideal. However, this new away day does give the squad another chance to prove they can earn results on the road.
“We look at having to go to North Carolina as an opportunity,” said Rowdies keeper Jordan Farr. “In the last six or seven games away, we obviously haven’t performed well. It’s about making things right on away trips, making sure we remind ourselves we can win and get results away from home. This gives us another opportunity to do that on Saturday.”
Win & You’re In
Despite the current string of bad results over the last few months, the Rowdies are still on the verge of clinching a playoff berth for the sixth straight season. The easiest path to locking up a playoff spot this Saturday is getting a win in North Carolina. Three points would clinch a postseason spot regardless of other results around the league.
“We have to use our current situation to bring the team together, and bring the community together,” said Neilson. “There are a lot of people who have lost a lot of things over the last couple of weeks with the hurricanes. We hope we can give them a wee bit of joy watching the Rowdies these last few games and hopefully into the playoffs.”
The Rowdies can also grab one of the remaining playoff spots in the event of a draw in North Carolina. If the Rowdies finished knotted versus North Carolina, they would need two of the four scenarios to play out to secure a playoff spot.
– Hartford Athletic loses at FC Tulsa
– Loudoun United FC fails to take victory vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
– Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC fails to take victory vs. Loudoun United FC
– Birmingham Legion FC fails to take victory at Indy Eleven
Scouting North Carolina
Coincidentally, the Rowdies first road trip of the season was to North Carolina. Tampa Bay picked up a point that night in March in a 1-1 result. In the months since North Carolina has moved in and out of a playoff position. Heading into this Saturday, they occupy the final playoff spot as the eighth-place team in the Eastern Conference, a position they will aim to solidify.
“It was a tough game when we went up there earlier in the season,” said Rowdies Midfielder Lewis Hilton. “They’re a really good team. They’re well-organized defensively and they have some really good players going forward. It will be another tough game, but like always we believe that if we perform to the level we’re capable of, we can go anywhere and win.”
Milestone Watch
Rowdies captain Aaron Guillen could reach a major milestone this Saturday as he returns to play against his former club. Guillen’s next regular-season appearance will be the 200th of his USL Championship career. The Rowdies center back joined the club ahead of the 2020 season following a two-season stint with North Carolina FC.
Neilson’s Suspension
Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson will serve the first match of his two-match suspension this Saturday following his red card ejection in Louisville last weekend. Rowdies Assistant Coach Nicky Law will serve as acting coach for the squad on the sidelines in North Carolina.
Availability Report
OUT: Forrest Lasso
SUSPENDED: Head Coach Robbie Neilson
