Tough two weeks ahead for Rowdies

Posted Mar 16, 2010 by Nick Murray

Updated Mar 16, 2010 at 07:49 PM

The first two weeks of preseason for the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies have been hard work, but Coach Paul Dalglish expects the current week and next week to be the two toughest weeks of camp for his squad as they work towards optimum fitness for the season ahead.

“You try to make the football as enjoyable as possible, but as hard-working as possible,” Dalglish said. “The fitness in the mornings the guys are going to be doing is going to be tough, I don’t make any secret of it to the guys, nor do I make any apologies for it either because it’s needed and there’s not other way than to work hard for the first day of the season.”

The team has switched its training routing for the week, working on fitness training in the morning at Saddlebrook before taking to the practice field in the afternoons three times this week, the slightly lighter Wednesday session being the exception, as Dalglish tries to prepare the team for its arduous schedule. The phrase ‘Put it in the bank’, referring to storing up stamina and fitness, will likely be heard often this and next week as the training staff put the players through their paces.

“It’s supposed to be the second-hardest week this week, next week’s supposed to be the roughest week,” forward Aaron Wheeler said. “Morning fitness sessions and ball work at the end of the day makes your legs feel heavy once you get to the balls.”

Dalglish, though, believes the squad has the mentality that will allow it to thrive through the next two weeks of training and be prepared for what lies ahead.

“We’ve got an incredible group with an incredible mentality,” Dalglish said. “They seem to really enjoy putting themselves through it and working hard. You’ve seen, not even two weeks in, the character they showed against an MLS team on Friday and the desire to, basically, run. That doesn’t just happen in games, that happens on the training field every day and then they take it to the games.

“What they do in the games is a product of what they do in training, and it’s an incredible bunch of guys with an incredible desire to work hard and it’s a joy to coach them.”

NEWS AND NOTES: Goalkeeper Louis Crayton will be in the USSF Second Division this season, but it will be with NSC Minnesota, who snapped up the ‘keeper after he was cut by Major League Soccer’s Kansas City Wizards on Tuesday. … Former South Florida Bull Jordan Seabrook, who tried out with the Rowdies at their two Tampa combines, will remain with Crystal Palace Baltimore this season after having his contract renewed. … Minnesota also added GK Joe Warren and Italian M/F Simone Bracalello.