Álvaro Hernández
Dailysports's expert
The opening whistle will sound at 1:00 AM Central European Time, and I’ve got a betting tip lined up for this clash.
See also: Juventus vs Wydad: Prediction, H2H and probable lineups - June 22, 2025
Match preview
Both teams have had a rough start to the season, with Pittsburgh Riverhounds claiming just 4 wins in 12 matches. The club has earned 14 points and currently sits 9th in the Eastern Conference.
Pittsburgh matches are rarely high-scoring affairs—the Bob Lilley-led side both scores and concedes fewer goals than any other team in the conference. This season, they've only managed to score more than once in a game on two occasions.
The situation is even bleaker for Tampa Bay Rowdies, who have just two wins this campaign and are second from bottom with 8 points. However, they come into this fixture on a positive note, having snatched a come-from-behind victory over Miami in their last outing.
It's also worth noting that New Zealand head coach Steve Coleman’s squad has failed to keep a clean sheet in 19 consecutive matches. The last time Tampa Bay Rowdies managed a shutout was last season, when they defeated Indy Eleven 3-0.
Probable lineups
Pittsburgh Riverhounds: Dick, Osumanu, Saber, Wachter, Barnes, Semple, Mertz, Volty, Biazi, Griffin, Williams
Tampa Bay Rowdies: Bandr, Castellanos, Vyke, Gillen, Bodily, Vancaeyezeele, Hilton, Alvarez, Bassett, Rodriguez, Wubens
Interesting facts and head-to-head
- The head-to-head record is dead even: each team has 4 wins, and they’ve drawn twice
- Each of Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ last 10 home games has seen 2 or fewer goals scored
- The over 2.5 goals bet has landed in 8 of Tampa Bay Rowdies’ last 9 matches
- Tampa Bay Rowdies have conceded first in each of their last 7 matches
Match prediction
There’s every reason to believe Tampa Bay Rowdies’ streak of conceding goals will continue, even against the league’s lowest-scoring team; the defensive issues for the Floridians are simply too severe. It’s not certain they’ll be able to respond, so I’m backing a home win at odds of 1.99
