Rowdies being patient as preseason opener nears

Posted Mar 4, 2010 by Nick Murray

Updated Mar 4, 2010 at 03:58 PM

As the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies held their first full-squad scrimmage on Thursday morning, some of the rust the players are trying to shake off was still in evidence, with a pair of players feeling the effects of the week of work they’ve already put in ahead of Saturday’s preseason opener against the University of Tampa at Pepin Stadium at 7 p.m.

Both defender Joe Donoho and midfielder John Raus felt some tightness in their hamstrings towards the end of the morning’s session, with Rowdies coach Paul Dalglish filling in briefly for Raus while he took some time to stretch and recover on the sidelines.

“You expect that preseason,” Dalglish said. “People starting up training again for the first time in a long time, you expect a little bit of stiffness. Just as long as nobody pulls anything or tears anything, we expect soreness, you’ve just got to be sensible and stop.”

Raus left midway through the second of three scrimmages, but was able to rejoin the action for the start of the third. Donoho went down in the third, leading Dalglish to call an end to the day’s on-field work. The weather probably played a factor in both players’ problems, with a cutting wind leading to temperatures that began in the high 40s feeling chillier and hindering the ability of player’s muscles to stay warm.

It also affected the play in the 11-on-11s, with only glimpses of the type of soccer the Rowdies hope to produce when the regular season starts in evidence, but with six weeks before the opener at Crystal Palace Baltimore, Dalglish wasn’t concerned.

“It was difficult, it was very windy, the whole pitch was very dry and bobbly, it was difficult to get flowing, passing moves,” Dalglish said. “There was still evidence as to we’re still learning the way we want to play, but we’ll be fine.”

The weather, and wind especially, has been a topic of discussion for the players as they’ve been warming down and taking water breaks.

“It’s definitely just a little bit colder than what we expected to say the least,” Scottish defender Graham Tatters said. “But everyone’s working hard, it’s the start of preseason, you’ve got to push yourself and that’s what happens, things start getting tight. Paul has been very, very smart the whole way through, he’s been making sure we try to get better, make everyone get fitter, but he’s not wanting to push people into injuries.”