Rowdies head coach, Law, expected to return soon
TAMPA, Fla. - The 2023 Tampa Bay Rowdies season has been one for the story books, just not for the reasons you would think.
"If you could write a book, there would definitely be a chapter on 2023 of the things that have happened to us this far," said assistant coach Stuart Dobson.
After losing their reigning league MVP Leo Fernandes to injury before the season and head coach Neill Collins to Barnsley FC midseason, adversity has been knocking at the Rowdies' door all year long.
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"We've kind of had that injury bug, changes to the coaching staff and a lot of things have changed here and there," said forward JJ Williams.
Now, the Rowdies find themselves down another key piece of their team as new head coach Nicky Law has been away from the club for the better part of the last three weeks.
Law returned home to the United Kingdom to renew his work visa and obtain a new passport.
While all the paperwork is in place and has been approved, Law has been waiting in London for his new passport to arrive, leaving the team in the capable hands of Dobson back in Tampa Bay.
"It's a good thing those calls are free through the internet these days," Dobson joked. "It's been three, four, five times a day that we've been keeping in touch."
Dobson now finds himself stewarding the club for the second time this season, having performed the same roll after Collins' departure.
"It was just a matter of keeping the ship sailing and the guys are at a good level right now," explained Dobson.
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While Law will miss his fourth straight game when the Rowdies host Memphis 901 FC on Saturday, Law is expected to return to the team early next week and be on the sidelines for Wednesday's match against Hartford Athletic.
Despite the injuries and coaching changes, however, the Rowdies still find themselves sitting in second place in the USL Eastern Conference with just five games to play.
2023 Tampa Bay Rowdies have had an interesting season.
"I mean it just goes to show the quality that we have on the team and the leadership," said Williams. "It's not just one or two guys, it is everybody knowing that we have to step up as players, now, with so much change."
So, while adversity continues to knock, the Rowdies continue to answer.
"Yeah, there are things we still need to work on, but the strength in character is there," Dobson added.
Meanwhile, the Rowdies sit just three points behind Pittsburgh in the conference standings with five games remaining.
The Rowdies can catch the Riverhounds with a win Saturday, along with a Pittsburgh loss.