Tampa Bay Rowdies Away to The Miami Review
Written by James Knowles
Date: Saturday March 22, 2025
Result: The Miami 1-2 Tampa Bay
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (3 pts 0W-0D-2L); The Miami FC (0 pts 0W-0D-3L)
Standings: The Rowdies are 9th in the East and the Miami are last in the East.
It took a while – and it was never the prettiest – but the Rowdies have got a win in 2025. There were mistakes as much as there was also progress. This is often how soccer goes. But, you always have to start somewhere. If that spot is a win against Miami, so be it. Pitbull Stadium has likely seen better – even from the visitors. If they can use it to build some real momentum, no Tampa Bay fan will mind.
Dale? Dale!
The first two minutes of this match will have given Rowdies fans that old sinking feeling. Playing what is generally considered a lowly team, another glaring defensive mistake led to a bad goal conceded. At a certain point, those same supporters will start asking questions. The decision making by newcomer Nico Campisi has left a lot to be desired, and this was another example.
The good news was that because it happened when it did, Tampa Bay actually had a lot of time to get back into the game. In fact, they wasted little in establishing their own presence and taking over the possession stats. This was to be expected following their first two games as well as Miami’s own numbers in that department. There were a number of shots to follow this development.
Conversion is what the Rowdies were lacking recently. For a moment, it looked like this could be another one of those games just like the last couple. While Miami couldn’t prevent the Rowdies from breaking through, they did keep their net empty for a while longer. Cammy MacPherson came the closest, ending his chance with a wide shot and a kick to the post in frustration.
The Green and Gold trotted out in a new formation, manager Robbie Neilson tinkering with things while down one of his usual starters. Pacifique Niyongabire was on the bench for his national team Burundi on Friday, which meant Nick Moon would step into the usual defensive position on the right. That wasn’t all, though, as Lewis Hilton played all 90 minutes on Saturday.
When he and Cammy MacPherson were on the field, it seemed as though Neilson might be moving to a double pivot. Instead, Hilton played deepest in the midfield and MacPherson became extremely attacking. The Scot was often higher than Woobens Pacius in the first half, with Danny Crisostomo playing connector and Ollie Bassett high and wide on the left.
This not-exactly-a-4-3-3 eventually worked out. Moon looked to be taking the game by the scruff of the neck in moments, and his run into the middle drew enough attention for the man marking Woobs to completely flub his lines. Pacius ended up running in on net with the ball perfectly weighted for him to hit it far post. Another run from Moon deserved a goal. But, the team only needed a good cross and a delicious finish from Crisostomo to finish things off.
It got hairier even if no further goals would materialize. The refereeing is rarely an interesting talking point; but, a penalty call to Miami left this columnist baffled. Because it wasn’t converted – or actually put on target – it becomes even less important (luckily). Neilson finished the match with substitutions that put the team in its more usual 3-4-3 shape.
All’s well that ends well, they say. As long as you get the three points and keep chugging along, very few will remember how the games went individually. The formational flexibility could prove helpful in the future, so long as more repetitions and refinement come with it. The Rowdies will also be happy none of them were on the receiving end of the red cards that ended the game and the suspensions that follow.
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