News

The Tampa Bay Rowdies travel to Edmonton, Alberta to take on FC Edmonton for just the second time this season. The last time the sides met, Rowdies defender Takuya Yamada scored the only goal of the game in Tampa Bay’s home opener on April 14, 2012.

FC Edmonton come into this match picking up a hard-fought point following a 1-1 draw with the Puerto Rico Islanders in Bayamon. The biggest problem for Edmonton has been a lack of scoring. From the month of June on, the Eddies have put the ball in the back of the opponent’s next just three times in seven games.

The Rowdies have had no trouble scoring since Tsuyoshi Yoshitake—the NASL Player of the Month for June—returned from injury, inspiring Tampa Bay to a four-match winning streak. On Wednesday the run came to a halt, Minnesota Stars FC finally getting the better of Tampa Bay in a league match, defeating the Rowdies 2-1 in Blaine, Minnesota.

Edmonton will be bolstered having secured the services of Bryan Arguez on loan from the Montreal Impact. The defensive midfielder was an integral part of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers side that finished runner-up in the NASL Championship Series in 2011.

The home record for Edmonton this season is an even 2-2-2. The Rowdies form on the road hasn’t exactly impressed either; the team is 2-1-5 away from home this season. Last season Edmonton won their first-ever home encounter with the Rowdies 4-0, but fell 2-1 in the same fixture two months later.

FC Edmonton vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

Sunday, July 15, 2012— 4:00 P.M. EDT

Clarke Stadium

Edmonton, Alberta

Webcast: NASL on ustream

TV: Shaw . GOL TV Canada

2012 Series: Tampa Bay, 1-0-0, 3 points

2011 Series: Tampa Bay, 2-1-1, 7 points

                                    Edmonton                              Tampa Bay

Head Coach              Harry Sinkgraven                   Ricky Hill

2012 Records           7^th: 3-4-8, 13 points              4^th: 7-3-6, 28 points

Last Five Games       L L T L T                                  W W W W L

Goals Leader            Shaun Saiko (5)                     Tsuyoshi Yoshitake (6)

Assists Leader        Shaun Saiko (4)                      Mike Ambersley (4),

                                                                                     Keith Savage (4)

QUICK FACTS

Edmonton

• Edmonton have won just two of their last ten matches.
• The side has scored the fewest number of goals in the league, finding the back of the net just thirteen times from 15 matches.
• Shaun Saiko leads Edmonton in both goals (5) and assists (4), and leads the league in shots taken (47). 

Tampa Bay

• MInnesota Stars FC snapped up the Rowdies four-match winning streak, defeating Tampa Bay 2-1 Thursday night in Minnesota.
• Defenders Frankie Sanfilippo and Takuya Yamada have played every single minute of the Rowdies’ sixteen games this season.
• Tsuyoshi Yoshitake was honored as the NASL Player of the Month for June.