ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Sitting seven points out of the Eastern Conference playoff positions with 10 games to go in the regular season, you wouldn’t expect the Tampa Bay Rowdies to be looking forward much to a clash with Eastern Conference-leader FC Cincinnati, which arrives in Tampa Bay not only on a 14-game undefeated streak but also off a 5-1 victory against ATL UTD 2 on Wednesday night.

But according to Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins, Saturday’s game at Al Lang Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+) is one that the hosts are looking forward to eagerly.

“This is a perfect game for us,” said Collins. “I think our guys are excited to play against one of the best in the league to show everyone what we’re about. We’re at home, coming off a performance where we fought hard to come away with a point, so it’ll be a great one.”

Certainly, it’s going to be a challenge for the Rowdies, who despite a 1-1 draw against second-place Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Wednesday night are winless in their last five games overall. But the mood of enthusiasm in Tampa Bay’s camp is mirrored by a sense of caution from Cincinnati, which believes the circumstances of the contest make it a dangerous encounter.

“A team playing with their backs against the wall with nothing to lose sometimes are the scariest teams to play against,” said FCC goalkeeper Spencer Richey. “We know that they’re in kind of a playoff mindset already, they’ve got to climb the table a little bit to get in the playoff hunt, so we’ll be ready for it. You know, we’ve been in good form as well, so it should be a fun game.”

“Sometimes, I would say less is more, honestly, for a lot of guys,” said Richey. “Some of the guys that played more minutes did more of a regen, some guys that didn’t play as many did a little bit of a session. It’s hot down here and games are coming thick and fast, so it’s about catching up on sleep and taking care of yourself off the field to make sure you’re good to go for Saturday.”

The Rowdies have also been working to regenerate after their trip back from Pittsburgh, which saw Junior Flemmings score a second-half equalizer for his fifth goal of the season to earn a valuable point on the road for the side. With that point earned, Tampa Bay is now looking to make a statement to its fellow challengers for a playoff place that it will be sticking around to fight for a spot.

“We really need the three points on Saturday to make that draw on Wednesday even more valuable,” said Flemmings. “We know we need to start winning games, as there isn’t time left to make any more mistakes. We’re hungry to go out on Saturday and show why we still think we can beat anyone in this league.”