Opponent: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Match Date: September 7
Location: Weidner Field
Doors Open: 6pm MT. Limited tickets remain available HERE!
How to Listen: XTRA Sports 1300am with the Voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman. Coverage starts at 6:30pm MT.
Tampa Bay Breakdown: The Rowdies are 12-6-7 in the 2024 USL Championship under former Heart of Midlothian stalwart right back Robbie Neilson. Neilson, who began his managerial career with his beloved Jam Tarts in Edinburgh, has the Rowdies entering Saturday in third place in the Eastern Conference courtesy of a high-powered attack that has fired Tampa Bay to the third highest goal-difference in the league. The Rowdies have scored at least three goals in a match on six occasions in 2024, spearheaded by the dynamic duo of Venezuelan international hitman Manuel Arteaga and ex-UCF Knight Cal Jennings. Arteaga is third in the USL in goals scored – his 14 in 2024 trails only Louisville City’s Wilson Harris’ 16, and Charleston Battery’s Nicholas Markanich’s absurd and borderline insulting league-leading 24. Jordan Farr, who Switchbacks fans know well from his time in goal for San Antonio FC, has made 60 saves in 24 appearances – 10 saves fewer than the Switchbacks’ Christian Herrera. Farr has so…far kept 10 clean sheets, with Herrera having seven to his name. Herrera was desperately unlucky to not log his eighth clean sheet of the season in the Switchbacks’ dominating 4-1 victory over FC Tulsa last Sunday in T-Town, with Andrew Booth’s 93rd minute goal deflecting into the back of the net. The Switchbacks are 1-1-1 this season at Weidner Field against Eastern Conference teams, with the most recent clash being a comfortable 3-1 victory over Rhode Island FC way back on May 17th . Four Switchbacks were justifiably named to the USL Championship Team of the Week after two road wins in just five days – a 3-1 vanquishment of Memphis in the Bluff City and the aforementioned demolition of FC Tulsa. James Chambers was named Coach of the Week, with defenders Matt Real and Duke Lacroix and winger Jonas Fjeldberg rounding out the Switchbacks’ Team of the Week representation.
Saturday night will see the Switchbacks without three players who have been called to international duty. Stevie Echevarria made his senior debut for Puerto Rico on Friday night in Mayaguez as a 65 th minute substitute but was unable to prevent the Blue Hurricane’s falling 4-1 to Duke Lacroix’s Haiti in the Concacaf Nations League. Lacroix played all 90 minutes for Haiti, with The Grenadiers set to face Sint Maarten on Monday evening. Jairo Henriquez was brought off El Salvador’s bench at halftime as La Selecta defeated Montserrat 4-1 on Thursday night.
Vargish’s View: Saturday’s match promises goals. The Rowdies don’t waste time on the ball and will look to pressure the Switchbacks and show why their attack is one of the most dangerous in the league. The Switchbacks can’t be worried about Tampa’s prowess in front of goal and the likes of Manuel Arteaga, Cal Jennings, or any of the other Rowdies. Focus has to be controlling Saturday’s tempo and doing what the Switchbacks do best; keeping opponents off balance and on the back foot with their relentless press and lightning counter attacking ability.
