USL Championship Matchday 01
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Las Vegas Lights FC
Saturday, March 8, 10:30 p.m. ET
Cashman Field, Las Vegas, NV
2024 League Records:
Rowdies: 14W-12L-8D, 50 pts, 6th East
Las Vegas: 13W-10L-1D, 50 pts, 4th West
Tune In: Tampa Bay 44, CBS Sports Golazo, TUDN
The first matchday of the 2025 USL Championship season has finally arrived. The Rowdies are set to kick off their ninth campaign in the league and their historic 50th-Anniversary season this Saturday with a trip out west to face Las Vegas Lights FC. Saturday marks the fifth competitive meeting between the two sides, with the Rowdies claiming victory in all four of their previous battles. Last year, the Rowdies nabbed a narrow 1-0 win over Las Vegas at home.
Saturday’s matchup is also the first of four consecutive road contests the Rowdies have on their schedule to start the year. Due to ongoing renovations to Al Lang Stadium, the Rowdies home opener will not happen until April 12. Racking up those frequent flyer miles throughout March offers a good opportunity for the Rowdies to remedy their inconsistent road record from last year right out of the gate in 2025.
“We all want to get back to Al Lang as soon as we can, but if you want to win this league you need to win your road games,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “If we can start off on a winning note this Saturday, it would be great. Last year we had a fantastic home record. Our away record was nowhere near close to that. We need to focus on improving that. It starts with us getting the job done in these first four road games.”
New Faces, Same Message
Heading into the new season, the Rowdies have 21 players on the squad. Of those 21, nine are new additions. The 12 returning players include veterans and key contributors from successful seasons of the past, like Leo Fernandes, Lewis Hilton, Aaron Guillen, and Forrest Lasso.
“The most important thing for me is the character of the group,” said Neilson. “The senior guys who have been here for a number of years can help provide that leadership and consistency of our culture for the new guys coming in. We’re confident from our research and what we’ve seen in the preseason that the players we’ve brought in are the right fit for the Rowdies and our expectations on and off the field.”
New Duo Up Top
Forward Manuel Arteaga proved to be a pivotal addition for the Rowdies last season. The Venezuelan produced a career-best 18 goals during last year’s campaign as Tampa Bay’s leading scorer working alongside fellow striker Cal Jennings. While Jennings has departed, Arteaga returns aiming to build upon last year’s goal tally with a new partner up top in Tampa Bay’s attacking line. Newcomer Woobens Pacius has arrived in Tampa Bay on loan from Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC and hit the ground running with six goals in the preseason. Arteaga matched Pacius’ six-goal-tally in the preseason, showing the promise of the new duo can achieve together in the new season.
Reinforcements in the Back
With the departure of keeper Jordan Farr and a few of Tampa Bay’s mainstays on the defensive line leaving the fold in the offseason, the club has turned to a few familiar names to fill the gaps in the back. Tampa Bay’s incoming trio of new defenders Laurence Wyke, Robert Castellanos, and Thomas Vancaeyezeele all played for the club in 2022. Expect them to all contribute to a re-fortified back line. Stepping between the posts for the Rowdies are experienced Argentine keeper Nicolás Campisi and goalkeeper Ethan Bandré.
Jägermeister Cup Adds Higher Stakes
This season will see the Rowdies join the newly expanded USL Jägermeister Cup, which will see all teams from the USL Championship and USL League square off throughout the year in group stage starting in April play followed by single-elimination matches beginning in the summer. To accommodate the new tournament into the calendar, the number of matches in the USL Championship regular season has been reduced to 30. The change means every regular season match will have added importance as team look to ensure their finish in an advantageous position on the table to set themselves up well for a playoff run.
