Last night’s 2-0 Tampa Bay Rowdies victory over the San Antonio Scorpions put the club right back into the fourth and final spot in the NASL’s unique postseason format known as “The Championship.” The Rowdies won while Florida rival Fort Lauderdale who previously held the fourth spot lost 0-2 to Ottawa at Lockhart Stadium, ending a six game unbeaten streak for the southern Florida outfit.
The Rowdies seem to be finding some form under new Manager Stuart Campbell who took over from the popular Thomas Rongen in August. Tampa Bay is now unbeaten in three of its last four matches after a long winless streak.
Regarding the Strikers defeat you can listen to the postgame podcast from last night with Ken Mendonca and myself here. In the show we discuss the difficulty the Strikers had playing three games in a week with a thin albeit highly talented squad. Strikers Manager Günter Kronsteiner gave his views on the topic post match to reporters
With the victory Ottawa is now tops the NASL Fall Championship table and is third overall in the league. Fury Manager Marc Dos Santos spoke to reporters after the game and answered my question about priorities regarding the fall season versus postseason qualification.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay now in control of its own destiny visits Jacksonville next week. The team seems on track once again after the sacking of Rongen and Team President Farrukh Qureshi which coincided with a 73-page lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department and two mortgage companies against Rowdies owner Bill Edwards Mortgage Investment Company (MIC).
With the victory over San Antonio, the Rowdies moved two points clear of the Strikers in a battle that might go back and forth in the final seven games of the season for both teams. FC Edmonton and the Atlanta Silverbacks still boast postseason hopes as well. The full NASL table can be found here.
The Florida Squeeze 