The Morning After: Rowdies vs. UCF

Posted Mar 27, 2010 by Nick Murray

Updated Mar 27, 2010 at 08:37 AM

A few thoughts on the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies 3-0 victory against the University of Central Florida on Friday night.

1. Average Joe no more: Two straight shutouts are a good sign, and one that Coach Paul Dalglish was very happy with after the game, but the manner in which all three center backs played was reason for major optimism.

Yendry Diaz grabbed a goal and was strong in the air and on the ground and Julian Valentin was his normal solid self, but the performance of Joe Donoho was one that grabbed the eye. A month ago when camp began Donoho looked out of sorts at times, clearly having to shake off the rust of two years of competitive inactivity. Now, though, he looks like a different player, confident on the ball and strong in the challenge when he needed to be on Friday night.

That difference, which was also evident in practice this week, has been noticed by Dalglish as well.

“Joe’s really coming along,” Dalglish said. “I signed Joe for his raw potential, and Joe looks quicker now, he looks stronger now. … Joe’s only going to get better and better, and he’s already good, so I think Joe’s a really exciting project for us and someone that’s going to be an asset to the team for years to come.”

2. All about chemistry: A 3-0 victory against anyone is nothing to sneeze at, but when the RR asked Aaron King what the biggest thing the side needed to work on in the next week was, he wasn’t hesitant to answer.

“I think it’s just chemistry, and getting that chemistry going,” King said. “We’re learning the system, the defense, midfield are learning their roles, the forwards are learning their roles, if we can all mesh it together I think we’re going to have a great season.”

It did seem as though the chemistry was building on Friday night, with some nice interplay in both halves, but that may be the final thing that falls properly into place for this side. The advantage some other teams in the USSF Second Division may initially have over the Rowdies is the familiarity their players will have with one another having played one or more seasons together. On Friday’s evidence, though, the chemistry seems as though it will come sooner rather than later.

“It’s just jelling as a team” midfielder Adam Nowland said. “You’ve got to remember that we put together 25 guys four weeks ago, and you’re asking them to come together and play a formation they’re not used to and win games, and we’re starting to do that now.”

3. The system works: As more pieces get put into place in the Rowdies 4-2-3-1 system, you can see more clearly how this is going to work, and work well, when the season starts.

While the final delivery into the penalty area will need to be worked on by the wingers, the space that players had to work with, especially Gordon Kljestan pushing up on the left from full back, made it clear that the system Dalglish wants his side to play with, and the way he’s teaching them how to play it, is working.

“I wish he was teaching us those things when I was 12,” King said. “It makes the game so much easier. We’re learning the system well, but if our wingers are dominating outside and us forwards are making sharp runs in the box, it makes the game so much easier.”

There’s still work to be done, and Dalglish has said from the start of camp that these final three weeks heading into the opening game at Baltimore Crystal Palace are going to be more focused on the system and how he wants the team to play, but it certainly appears as though he’s got a very good foundation to build on.