SANFORD, Fla. (February 11, 2017) — Three Tampa Bay Rowdies played for the club for the first time Saturday morning in a training scrimmage against Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC at the OCSC training ground.
For forward Darwin Jones, midfielder Leo Fernandes and defender Damion Lowe, it was a first opportunity to play alongside their new teammates in a competitive situation. Here’s how each assessed the morning…
Darwin Jones:
On the game: “It was fun to go out there with my new teammates and push each other and work hard. You can’t expect too much for our first game, but I was satisfied.”
On finding chemistry with teammates: “I feel like it was good. This was our first time together. Once we start clicking, I feel like we’re going to be a really good, dominant, team. We’ve got a lot of structure in the way we play. I’m excited.”
On playing a team deeper into their postseason preparation: “I was really impressed with everyone. We kept pushing at every point and we took the game to them. It didn’t matter if they were the MLS team and we’re from the USL. It didn’t matter today.”
Leo Fernandes:
On the game: “I thought it was great. I think we played really well in the first half and I think we showed how good of a team we are already. We saw a lot of bright spots.”
On finding chemistry with new teammates: “I think there was some great chemistry already. The interplay between myself and Joe (Cole) or Darwin (Jones) were really strong. We’ve only been together for about a week and a half and I feel at home already. It’s been really good.”
Damion Lowe:
On the game: “It was a solid game from us, a good runout for everyone. I think everyone’s conditioning is improving. We prepared all week and we knew it was going to be a competitive match with all the experienced players we have on our side. It was a solid performance and I’m happy with how it went.”
On playing against MLS opposition: “Quality is quality once you’re on the field. It doesn’t always matter what league you’re in. It’s just about getting the job done. As long as we keep our shape and win our individual battles, that’s all you have to do. We more than held our own today and this is just the beginning for us as a team.”
