PREVIEW | Indy, Rowdies Look To Get Back On Track

The Tampa Bay Rowdies are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Lockhart Stadium on Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale. The Rowdies fell behind to a fourth minute goal by Stefano Pinho before Maicon Santos pulled the score level with his team-high seventh goal of the season in the 19th minute. James Marcelin scored the winner in the 43rd minute.

The Rowdies fell just short of winning the Spring Season and have started the Fall Season poorly, but remain in position to qualify for The Championship, the NASL’s four-team postseason tournament, with 13 matches remaining. Tampa Bay went more than a month between wins on July 4 and August 8, but remains in the playoff hunt.

Forward Darwin Espinal has returned from international duty with the Honduras Under-23 team and could play tonight. He missed three matches and last played for Tampa Bay on July 25.

Indy should be well-rested, having sat out last weekend on a bye. The Eleven hasn’t played since a 4-1 home loss to Ottawa Fury FC on August 8. In that match, Indy was totally overpowered by Ottawa, falling behind, 2-0, before scoring a goal and then conceding two more in the next four minutes.

The Eleven has lost four of its last five matches, picking up just one point since July 11. Two of those losses have come at home. Indy has struggled in the Fall Season, scoring a league-low seven goals with a league-worst goal differential of -7.

Dylan Mares leads the team in scoring with three goals, but has not played since July 25, when he scored Indy’s lone goal in a 1-1 draw against the New York Cosmos.