3-time England World Cup participant Joe Cole headlines Tampa Bay’s roster.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Tampa Bay Rowdies changed allegiances in the offseason, moving from the North American Soccer League (NASL) to the USL and bringing their powerhouse roster along with them.
Tampa Bay currently sits in second in the East; only behind Charleston, with a 6-2-2 record (20 points), unbeaten in four. They come off of a 3-1 come-from-behind victory in Toronto Friday night, with England legend Joe Cole drawing the game level in the 68th minute. The Rowdies would add two more goals in the 80′ and 82′ to take all three points.
The Rhinos are only six matches into the 2017 USL campaign, level with Charlotte for fewest matches played. Rochester has only managed to lose once this season (2-1-3, 9 points), going three straight unbeaten. They come off of a 1-1 draw with Richmond Sunday afternoon. Kenardo Forbes scored his second goal of the season, tying him with three others for the team-lead.
Tampa Bay is no short on weapons, with Joe Cole supplying a team-high 3 assists this season and 2013 NASL Golden Ball winner Georgi Hristov. The 32-year-old Bulgarian has already found the net 5 times this young season.
Wal Fall has served his one-match suspension and will be set to return to his defensive midfield role Wednesday night.
Kickoff is at 7:05 pm with the match being broadcast on ESPN3. The match also will feature the use of the Video Assistant Referee system, a technology that was actually debuted last year in the USL.
It’s Wine Down Wednesday, where all glasses of wine in the stadium are just $5. Use promo code WINE to purchase tickets in the party deck that features a wine and cheese tasting event with several local wineries participating.