San Diego Loyal-Tampa Bay Rowdies Match Preview
ESPN
San Diego Loyal looks to continue home winning streak against Tampa Bay
It’s been a strong start to Nate Miller’s tenure as manager of the San Diego Loyal, as he’s guided the Loyal to three wins and two draws in his first six league matches.
It’s been a balanced attack for the Loyal, who ranks third in goals scored among Western Conference teams while also allowing the third-fewest.
They’ve been extremely successful at Torero Stadium, where they’ve won all three of their matches. It hasn’t been as smooth on the road, picking up just two points in three attempts, but their home form has been enough to bring them to second in the Western Conference.
Last Time Out
It was a tough match for the Loyal last weekend when they were held to a 1-1 draw with New Mexico United. San Diego fell behind early, as a ninth-minute goal from Sam Hamilton put them behind. However, the Loyal found a critical equalizer just moments before half-time. San Diego used a set piece to find Evan Conway, who leveled the score at one.
New Mexico out-shot the Loyal 17-10, though the possession and pass accuracy was fairly even for the match. It was a tough one, but a draw was likely the fair result for both sides.
Meet Tampa Bay Rowdies
It has been a difficult start for Tampa Bay, who finds themselves sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. They’ve won just one of their six matches, and they’re coming off a loss to the Charleston Battery. It’ll be 11 days since Tampa Bay has played a match by the time they take on the Loyal, so they may be rested better than San Diego is. Their issues have been present on both ends of the pitch, as they’ve struggled to score goals while also surrendering plenty.
While it’s been a difficult start for Tampa Bay, they’ve been a talented team for several years. They finished third in the Eastern Conference in 2022, and they haven’t missed the postseason since 2018. The Rowdies are not accustomed to the early season struggles that they’ve dealt with, and they’ll be doing everything they can to end the Loyal’s winning streak at home.
Sam is a Senior in High School. He has been writing for three years, and started at EVT in June of 2021. He’s headed to Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Communications in the fall of 2023.