ST. PETERSBURG — It was a performance that the losing side alleged flattered the Tampa Bay Rowdies but it was the regular season champions doing what they do better than others, scoring goals.
The goal-scoring came from having the willingness to take shots, in a match that was otherwise pretty tight the Rowdies went out and took a shot at goal. The hosts hit 21 shots, eight of them on target, a relentless pressure that was always going to tell and resulted in a big win. Those eight shots on target resulted in six goals which reflects the importance of just having a go, taking a shot, and seeing what happens. After all, Michael Scott did say “you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take – Wayne Gretzky”.
Interestingly Tulsa had more accurate shooting than Tampa Bay, managing 42.9 percent of its shots on target compared to the 38 percent of their opponents. But as can be seen on the below shot map, it was because of where those shots were taken that the Rowdies impact was better.
The Roughnecks’ shots came almost exclusively from outside of the box. This gives a goalkeeper more time to see the ball coming and make the save. By comparison all but three of the Tampa Bay shots came from inside the box, making it harder for the defense to deal with.
The reason those shots were coming from inside the box was the work of the Rowdies swinging the ball into the box, Tampa Bay hit 28 crosses with an impressive 46.4 percent accuracy. By Comparison, Tulsa hit 10 with just one hitting the mark. This would be crucial and lead to the difference despite Tulsa’s claims post-match that the score flattered the hosts it didn’t and the Rowdies cruised to the win.
Photo courtesy Tampa Bay Rowdies
Florida Soccer Report 