MATCHDAY INFO:
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs San Antonio FC
Saturday, March 16, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
Parking: Please plan to arrive as early as possible for tonight’s match. The stadium lot is full and nearby parking garages will fill up quickly today due to other events in downtown.
Tickets: Fans can purchase tickets for the match here or at the Al Lang box office starting at 4 pm on matchday.
Pregame Fan Zone: Stop by the Pregame Fan Zone outside of Al Lang Stadium starting at 4 pm to enjoy music, games, and other activities to get prepped for the match.
Samplings: Visit Grand Central Brewhouse or Viva Tequila sampling tables in the Midfield Courtyard
Colony Grill: Pick up some pizza at the new Colony Grill Food Truck in the Midfield Courtyard inside Al Lang Stadium.
Watch: Can’t make it to Al Lang? Watch on Tampa Bay44 or stream on CBS Sports Golazo.
The Rowdies kick off their eighth season in the USL Championship this Saturday at Al Lang Stadium. It’ll be the first match for the Green & Gold under the stewardship of Head Coach Robbie Neilson, who took over in November.
“First and foremost, we want to create a team that wins, but we also want to entertain,” said Neilson. “The Rowdies have a history of being an entertaining team for fans to come out to Al Lang and enjoy the skill and the flair of the players. It’s important to have that but also to have that togetherness. Without the ball we need to work hard so we can win the ball and entertain the fans when we have it.”
Returning Faces, New Faces
The Rowdies head into the home opener with 11 players from last year’s campaign returning, meaning more than half of the 24-man squad is made up of fresh faces.
Getting the headlines among the newcomers are goalkeeper Jordan Farr and forward Manuel Arteaga, who were both acquired by the club via transfer in the offseason. Farr will face off against the team he suited up for over the past two seasons in his first outing for the Rowdies this Saturday as San Antonio comes to Al Lang. With San Antonio, Farr emerged as a top keeper in the league, helping San Antonio claim the Players Shield and USL Championship title while winning Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022. Meanwhile, Arteaga comes to Tampa Bay after being a chief contributor to Phoenix’s first-ever league title last season. The experienced Venezuelan-born attacker converted the winning penalty after extra time to clinch Phoenix’s win over Charleston in the championship final.
Cal Aims For More
A key returning player for the Rowdies is forward Cal Jennings, who posted a career-best 19 goals in his first season with Tampa Bay last year. Jennings also became the youngest player in league history to reach 50 regular season goals last season. He’ll look to build on last year’s successes in his follow-up season with the Rowdies.
“You take it year by year. I know that’s why they brought me here, to score goals. Every game I get out there I’m trying to get on the score sheet. At the end of the year we’ll see where I’m sitting. We’ve all bought in to the way Coach Robbie wants to play and we’re gonna get a good chance to show it this weekend.”
Injury Report:
OUT: Nick Moon, Zach Herivaux, Charlie Dennis, Zane Bubb
