Pre/In/Post Game: Preseason: Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Orlando City 2/23/13

******** off city!

 

Honestly not expecting a win here, as much as it burns to say so. We played much better in the 1-0 loss to Sporting KC last game in this tournament, but the squad is still only two weeks into training and is still shaking out a dozen or so trialists.

I don't know if Ambersley will be fit to play by this game or not, but we did sign Amani Walker at forward, which is a decently exciting development.

The team will have had a full week of training and preparation between games going in, but City just have a huge lead on us with their own training. They've been together since weeks before the Roma friendly.

And they are good.

I feel much better about the I-4 Derby games next month as we'll have played at least two games between now and the first leg as well as having had 2 or 3 more weeks of training together.

By the return leg of the Derby on March 30th I feel we should be expecting the Rowdies to go toe to toe with City at the very least.

 

Kind of with you on everything you said here . . . I think City will take this one by a couple of goals but the Rowdies will be ready for March 9 and the atmosphere should be electric. Looking for some revenge I feel they'll play hard and salvage a draw. The return at Al Lang, however, will be a different story. You know how we do it at home and victory will be ours putting the record at 1-1-1 for the first year of the derby. Just predicting, but we'll see!

 

Will the game be streamed online?

 

ESPN3

 

Big preseason matchup tonight even if we lose. Just building up for the big game in a few weeks. There will be so much green and gold at the citrus bowl.

Phuck off OC$C.

 

Big preseason matchup tonight even if we lose. Just building up for the big game in a few weeks. There will be so much green and gold at WWOS and the Citrus Bowl.

Phuck off OC$C.

COYR

 

Oops.

 

1. Tampa Bay Rowdies ‏@RowdiesSoccer
   Rowdies Starting XI:GK Fontein; D Blackwood, D Needham, D Yamada, D Arango; M Frimpong, M Campbell, M Mulholland, M Cox; F Johnson, F Walker
   
   
2. ahora​
   Orlando City SC ‏@OrlandoCitySC
   Starting XI: (GK)Gallardo (D) Burke, Diakhite, Valentino, Boden (M) Versailles, Bruan, Watson, Mbengue, (F) Chin, Tan vs @RowdiesSoccer
   Retwitteado por Tampa Bay Rowdies

 

1. 
   ahora​
   Orlando City SC ‏@OrlandoCitySC
   Referee blows the final whistle! Lions win 2-0 over the @RowdiesSoccer!
   
   Abrir

 

Hope the Rowdies can take the next 2 games in March.

I thought Orlando has been in training for a few weeks more than Tampa Bay but the USL site says "The Rowdies, however, have only been in preseason camp for a few weeks much like the Lions".

 

March 2013
Saturday, March 9 at Orlando City Soccer Club Florida Citrus Bowl 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 30 ORLANDO CITY SOCCER CLUB Al Lang Stadium 7:30 pm

 

Little worried . . . not so much in that they lost, but in the fashion they did. It could have been much worse and probably should have. At the end of the day it was only 18 shots to 10 though. As mentioned on Twitter earlier, the ESPN3 announcers continually credited Orlando Fans for Mob chants. What a travesty.

 

Ouch. I Know it's preseason, but this was a hard pill to swallow. We have to play better or we'll embarrass ourselves in the CB on March 9, and i dont want that to happen. March 30, we could have a better shot. We are still a good team. Defending NASL Champs.

COYR

 

Wow, that is a blatant lie. Not surprised, but an absolutely blatant lie. We've been in preseason camp for two weeks. Orlando City has been training for over two months, going back to when they assembled in preparation for the game vs Roma which was on January 2nd.

http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/home/697613.html there is a link to the article in question, for any other fanboys interested.

And the Rowdies have less than a full starting 11 under contract, or damn near. Some of whom haven't even been able to dress yet (Cort, Ambersley, Sanfilippo). The rest are all guys on trial.

Despite all that, the Rowdies dominated the ball for stretches tonight and were unlucky not to have scored. Other than a handful of admittedly scary chances for City in the 1st half, there wasn't alot separating the two teams.

Give us a couple more weeks of training before the March 9th Derby opener, we've got a game vs USF in the middle of that as well, and the Rowdies should come out as a much more cohesive and match fit unit. It's still going to be tough, it's away to City in their home stadium on their god awful astro turf, but we'll be improved and it'll be another very entertaining and close game.

By the March 30th return leg at Al Lang I expect a win and wouldn't be surprised to see a dominant performance by the Rowdies.

 

I've watched the entire game again (ya I'm obsessive sometimes) and I'm not worried. The announcers were giving City way too much credit and it was amusing listening to them scratch their heads over Heath's opposite, and more honest, take on the 1st half regarding City's play. The Rowdies did very well holding the ball and were creating danger through corners as well as a couple of decent chances on goal. But the difference for Orlando was that they created a greater number of highly dangerous chances when they did get forward, despite not dominating possession or being able to settle the midfield play.

They should have finished the Long Tan chance, for instance, it was an open net.

Amani Walker could have had a brace on any other day and all in all the Rowdies had a much better second half, limiting City chances and really turning up the heat on Gallardo in the quarter hour before giving up the unfortunate (and offside?) second Orlando goal.

It must have been a heck of a game for any neutrals watching and the I4 derby could be damn good.

Regarding the espn3 announcers totally ignoring the presence of the Mob and at one point crediting some of our songs to the City supporters, ya that's some bullshit and I won't lie, it would have been nice if they'd have bothered mentioned the travelling Rowdies support.

I thought they were amateur over all and not surprised they are stuck calling Disney Pro Classic consolation games for espn3.

 

I'd also like to point out that the PK call 30 seconds into the game was a little pffffttttttt. Maybe it was a legit call, but watching the replay it seemed clear the City player made a meal of the contact.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a faster PK call than that at any level of soccer before.

 

The whole tournament highlights the fact that our offense is pretty toothless as it has been put out there. Obviously Ambersley and Cort haven't been out there and they would be the most likely starters. The fact that Johnson and the other forwards haven't been signed after a couple weeks in camp shows that Hill is still looking for something from them or someone else (enter Walker).

The offense also has been hampered by lack of good consistent attacking support from the back. We miss Sanfilippo in that regard.

Also, last night was one of the worst games I have seen Mulholland play. Not a great touch, very few of his crosses and set pieces were where they needed to be, and he likely would have seen two yellows in a league match. He kind of just went around hacking people all over the field. Not the Mulholland we need if we want to score goals.

Oh, and those announcers were the worst crew ever. Bar none.

 

Neither have I. Still incredible. (but from a fan of the sport rather than being a rowdies fan point of view)

 

Did you know that Tampa is only 45 minutes down the road from Orlando? Neither did I. But for anybody who doesn't know better and had the privilege of watching those fools call the game last night, that's what they'll think now.

 

Match photos.
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/4Mf8_R4RnA6/Orlando+City+Soccer+Club+v+Tampa+Bay+Rowdies/browse

 

Uh, who is Patrick Fontein? LOL

 

That would be,Andrew's evil twin.