July 3, 2018 USL Toronto FC II--Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Toronto FC II game preview (from rowdiessoccer.com)
Match Preview: TBRvTOR
By Rowdies Communications, 07/03/18, 9:30PM EDT
The Basics
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Toronto FC II
Wednesday, July 4, 7 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Follow us for live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday
Tickets
Tickets for Friday’s match are available by calling (727) 222-2000 or clicking here.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
How to Watch
The match will be broadcast locally on thisTV Tampa Bay and online on ESPN+ (subscription
required), the official streaming partner of the USL, here. International viewers in regions
where ESPN+ is not offered can watch the match here. Fans in the Tampa Bay area can also listen
to the game live on WHNZ 1250 AM.
Parking
There are several options for parking at Al Lang Stadium and around downtown. Parking in Lot A,
right in front of the stadium, is for PASS HOLDERS ONLY and opens at 4 p.m.
Records
Tampa Bay: 5-6-4 (W-L-T); 3-1-3 at home; 11th place
Toronto FC II: 0-13-3; 0-8-0 on road; 16th place
From the Head Coach
Neill Collins on Wednesday's match:
“It’s always great to play at home in front of our fans, especially on the Fourth of July. I know
our fans enjoy this game a lot and we’ll be looking to put on a show for them. We’re coming off
a strong comeback performance against Charlotte. I would have loved to get the win, but I am still
proud of our reaction in that game. I know Toronto had a coaching change recently so I am sure
we can expect a different Toronto than the one we faced a couple weeks ago.”
Rowdies Notes
Despite seeming to be the shorthanded team coming into their match against Charlotte last Wednesday,
it was the Independence who would end up short staffed by the end of the night. After taking a 2-0
deficit into the 66th minute, the Rowdies became incredibly resilient finding scores from
Tamika Mkandawire and newcomer Dominic Oduro whose 90th minute rocket from outside the box came
against a ten-man Charlotte side. While the Independence would suffer another sending off just
a few minutes after the Tampa Bay equalizer, the Rowdies could not strike again and instead took
only one point against the Eastern Conference's 7th place squad.
From facing the Independence to playing on Independence Day, the Rowdies will see the return of a few
key contributors. Leon Taylor will be back for Tampa Bay after his one game suspension and considering
the fact that the Rowdies scored four goals in a winning effort the last time they faced off against Toronto,
the boost could prove to be fruitful.
Tampa Bay signed a new forward Tuesday in Stefano Bonomo, who was waived by the New York Red Bulls last week.
Bonomo has played for Red Bulls II since 2015 and scored 24 goals in 64 USL matches, including four goals
in four appearances against the Rowdies. Bonomo trained with Tampa Bay this week and is eligible
to play tonight.
Dating back to the original Rowdies in the 1970s, July 4 has been a traditional date for a Rowdies home game.
In the Modern Era, the Rowdies are 4-0-1 (W-L-T) on July 4 . Last season, the Rowdies beat FC Cincinnati 2-0
on July 6 in their closest game to Independence Day.
Suspended: None
Injury Report: OUT: D David Najem (torn ACL, April 14)
D Kyle Curinga (sprained ankle, May 12)
D Zac Portillos (left knee sprain, May 26)
M Lance Rozeboom (right knee sprain, June 2)
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