News

2012 Home Opener

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. FC Edmonton

Saturday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Special on-field pre-game ceremony and live broadcast at RowdiesSoccer.com will begin at 7:20 p.m.

Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Florida

Tickets are still available - call 813-287-1539 or click here. The box office at the stadium opens at 4:30 p.m. on gameday.

The match can be seen live online at www.RowdiesSoccer.com - Play-by-Play: Mike Pepper

What’s at Stake:
The Tampa Bay Rowdies host FC Edmonton in the 2012 home opener. Last season Tampa Bay notched a 7-3-4 (W-T-L) record at Al Lang in the regular season, including just one loss at home after June 4 prior to the playoffs.

2011 Season Series:
Tampa Bay posted a 2-1-1 mark (W-T-L) against FC Edmonton last season, including victories in each of the last two meetings.

Returning for 2012:
The Rowdies feature four of their top goal scorers from a year ago, including NASL Best XI honoree Mike Ambersley. Ambersley ranked tied for third in the league with 11 goals in 2011, while his seven assists were third-best in the NASL. Overall, the Rowdies return 11 players from last year’s team which finished third in the regular season and made its first-ever playoff appearance. The team scored 41 goals in 2011, tied for second-best in the league.

Starting goalkeeper Jeff Attinella, a Clearwater native and USF grad, posted five shutouts in 2011 and was twice named NASL Defender of the Week. Overall the team notched a club-record eight shutouts last season.

Scouting FC Edmonton:
FC Edmonton opened its season last Saturday night with a 1-0 loss at Ft. Lauderdale.

Quotable:
Rowdies Head Coach Ricky Hill
“It’s been a very good week in terms of training and the application of the players. They’ve all put their heart and soul into it in terms of preparation. They are very disappointed after last week, not to receive some sort of reward for their efforts. We’ve worked in a lot of individual skill as well as team shape, just in term of gameday preparation. We’re anxious to get the game started tomorrow and hopefully we can reward the fans who come out with a good performance and a winning performance.”

Rowdies Fan Zone
One of the newest features on gameday at Al Lang Stadium, the fan zone will include interactive games, food, and much more for the young and old. The fan zone opens at 5:30 p.m.

Rowdies Roll-A-Banners
Rowdies sponsor New Clients has partnered with the team to give away Rowdies Roll-A-Banners to the first 500 fans. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. so don’t miss out on this awesome giveaway.

Beer Garden
Al Lang Stadium boasts some of the best views with its scenic waterfront location and you can take full advantage of those this season. Besides the obvious views from the seating areas during the game, you can also check out the field-level Beer Garden along the east side (left field) of the stadium starting at 5:30 p.m. The Beer Garden will offer fans the chance to enjoy drinks and live music, as well as a spectacular view of the water and team warmups, before the gates open at Al Lang.

Pre-Game and Post-Game Fun
In addition to all of the fun in and around Al Lang Stadium, fans can check out the official pre-game party at Courigan’s in downtown St. Petersburg or stop by Crowley’s Downtown Bar and Grill. And be sure to stop by the post-game bash at Jonny Reno’s on the Pier in St. Petersburg. Your Rowdies ticket stub is good for one free draft beer.

Donate for a Great Cause
At this Saturday's match, fans can donate blood with Florida Blood Services outside Al Lang Stadium before the game to receive Buy One, Get One free tickets for future games (tickets must be redeemed in advance).

Up Next:
The Rowdies will host their first of two Retro Nights this Wednesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. when they host Carolina at Al Lang Stadium in downtown St. Petersburg.

Fans are encouraged to wear retro Rowdies apparel and tickets will be available at the 1975 inaugural Rowdies price of $7.50 in General Admission or Lower Goal Reserved seating. The team and its fans will have the opportunity to celebrate the Rowdies tradition on both April 18 and September 19.

To receive this special offer fans must contact the front office at 813-287-1539 or email at tickets@rowdiessoccer.com. Discounted tickets for these matches will only be available until 12 noon on the day of game.