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Macklin Robinson will be back with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2020 after making the most of his limited opportunities in 2019 with some memorable performances.

Robinson started the year as third-choice goalkeeper but won the back-up job quickly and proved his value by stepping in during John McCarthy’s absences. 

“Mack stepped up when the team needed him and performed really well,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “He has huge potential and is good to have in our 2020 squad.”

He played just five matches, but tallied an impressive 22 saves and one clean sheet. 

His best performances came in a July visit to the Swope Park Rangers and an August home match against Birmingham Legion FC. In Kansas, Robinson saved all five shots he faced, including a few acrobatic efforts in a 3-1 Rowdies win.

Against Birmingham, Robinson was called into action on a handful of Legion FC breakaways, making six saves in a tight match.

“I’m extremely excited to be with Rowdies for the 2020 season,” Robinson said. “I love the style of play and attitude Neill has developed within the club. I believe this will allow us to learn from our shortcomings last season and bring home some hardware this season.”

The Rowdies have confirmed the return of nine players from the 2019 roster. That group is below.

GK: Macklin Robinson
M: Yann Ekra, Leo Fernandes, Dom Oduro, Zach Steinberger
F: Sebastian Guenzatti, Malik Johnson, Lucky Mkosana, Juan Tejada

Yann Ekra will be back for a second season with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2020 with something to prove after being limited by injuries in 2019.

Ekra was able to feature in only half of Tampa Bay’s matches last season, starting just 11 matches and playing 1,086 minutes. Ekra provided two assists from central midfield and proved to be one of the best dribblers and ball carriers in the squad.

“Yann is someone that had a huge impact on our squad last season,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “It was disappointing that he didn’t get to play more often. I think we really missed him over the course of the final third of the season and I hope to have him fit and available next year.”

Ekra can fit in anywhere in the center of midfield and was frequently used as Tampa Bay’s box-to-box midfielder last year. His strength and passing ability made him useful wherever he was deployed and he also brought significant leadership to the locker room with plenty of experience in the USL Championship.

He completed more than 80 percent of his passes this season, ranking seventh on the team in accuracy. He was above 55 percent in tackles, duels and aerial duels.

“I’m proud to be back in the Rowdies family and I can’t wait to get this new season started,” Ekra said.

Zach Steinberger will be back with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2020 after a strong season in the center of midfield.

Steinberger joined the Rowdies last winter after splitting the 2018 season between the Indy Eleven and North Carolina FC and quickly showed his strengths.

“Zach was really influential for us on and off the field last season,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “He’s a big part of the Rowdies and what type of club we want to be. He’s hard-working and energetic and we’re delighted to have him back.”

Steinberger tallied four goals and six assists in 24 appearances this year between the USL Championship and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. While the Rowdies were eliminated in the Third Round of the Open Cup, Steinberger excelled in the competition. 

He scored and added two assists in a 4-1 win over The Villages SC in the Second Round and then added a further two assists in a 4-3 loss to OKC Energy FC in the next round.

“I’m very anxious to get back out there with the group and build upon what we were able to achieve last year,” Steinberger said. “We are going to have a very talented and experienced core group of players returning that are fully bought in to the winning culture of the club. On a personal level, I’m looking forward to getting that feeling back when we walk out in to the best stadium in the league in front of the best fans in the league on Saturday nights. There’s nothing like it. See you next year Rowdies nation!”

Malik Johnson will be back with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2020 after a thrilling debut season in 2019.

Johnson signed with the Rowdies from his hometown club Toronto FC II prior to the start of the 2019 season and suffered a shoulder injury that held him out of action until late May, but once he got on the field, he claimed his spot with stellar play.

“Last year, we wanted to change the face of our organization with young, hungry players,” Rowdies Head Coach Malik Johnson said. “Malik fits that mold and had a great season last year. He’s someone that I know can reach a higher level but still has a lot to achieve with the Rowdies and we’re looking forward to him improving this year.”

In 23 starts last season, Johnson tallied three goals and eight assists playing from the right wingback position. He was the player most likely to take on his defenders one-vs-one and beat them. He logged a total of 37 key passes this season, third-best on the team.

His best performances of the year came in late summer, starting with a 5-0 win over Memphis 901 FC on August 24. Johnson assisted on goals that made the score 2-0 and 3-0 and then he himself scored the final goal to end the game with four points. A month later, on September 21, Johnson picked up a hat trick of assists, setting up three different players to score in a 6-1 win over Bethlehem Steel FC.

“After a good run in 2019, I am excited to come back next year to the Tampa Bay Rowdies to play for the best fans in the league,” Johnson said.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies have confirmed nine players from the 2019 roster that will return in 2020. The full group is below.

GK: Macklin Robinson
M: Yann Ekra, Leo Fernandes, Dom Oduro, Zach Steinberger
F: Sebastian Guenzatti, Malik Johnson, Lucky Mkosana, Juan Tejada

Juan Tejada will be back with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2020 after an exciting first season in professional soccer.

Tejada signed his first professional contract in preseason and an impressive trial period with the Rowdies and went on to earn a surprise start on opening day of the 2019 USL Championship season in Memphis.

“Juan has endeared himself as a fan favorite, but equally, he’s endeared himself to the coaching staff and his teammates,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “I’m delighted to have him back and we believe there’s much more to come from him.”

He drew a penalty in the opening minutes of the match and proved a key member of the team through the summer, scoring 10 goals in his first season with the Rowdies. 

Tejada’s performances with the Rowdies even earned him inclusion with Panama’s U23 team in Olympic qualifying. He scored a goal in his first game with the Panama U23s, though they ultimately fell short of reaching the tournament.

A clear fan favorite, Tejada appeared in 32 of 35 USL Championship matches, including 21 starts. While he didn’t register an assist this season, he did make 17 key passes to create a goal-scoring opportunity for a teammate.

His best performance of the year came on May 18, when he scored both goals in a statement 2-0 win over New York Red Bulls II to move Tampa Bay into first place.

“I think we have a strong group of players coming back that are going to be important to our success next season,” Tejada said. “2020 is going to be special for the Rowdies. I’m happy to be back with the club.”

Dom Oduro will be back with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2020 after another season of reliability in the heart of the Rowdies midfield.

Oduro appeared in 28 of 34 matches for Tampa Bay this season, ranking seventh on the team in minutes played at 2,351. In his two seasons with the Rowdies, he has been among the first names on the team sheet in the defensive midfielder role.

Over the course of this year, Oduro won more than 60 percent of his duels and 55 percent of his tackles. In the attacking end, he made 10 key passes to set up a scoring chance.

Oduro has shown a penchant for shooting from distance, though his accuracy on those shots could use some improvement in 2020.

Lucky Mkosana will be back with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2020 after arriving with a splash in the middle of the 2019 USL Championship season for a second stint in St. Petersburg.

Mkosana was acquired from Louisville City FC in June of this year and provided a game-winning assist in stoppage time of a dramatic 2-1 win over Ottawa Fury FC just one day after joining the Rowdies.

Mkosana scored six goals for Tampa Bay this season, in addition to the four he scored for Louisville City FC, making him the third double-digit scorer on the Rowdies roster this season, along with Sebastian Guenzatti and Juan Tejada. All three will be back in 2020.

After joining the Rowdies in the summer, Mkosana displayed a penchant for scoring or assisting goals late in games to change the result in favor of the Tampa Bay.

Beside that game-winning assist in his debut, Mkosana scored an 84th minute goal to earn a draw on the road in Pittsburgh and then scored a game-tying goal in the 89th minute as the Rowdies earned a 2-2 draw on the road against Louisville City FC.

In addition to the late goals, Mkosan also had a game where he scored twice in the first four minutes of a 5-0 road demolition of the Charleston Battery. His first goal came just 32 seconds into the match.

Leo Fernandes will be back with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2020 for his fourth season in Tampa Bay. To date, Fernandes has made 72 appearances for the Rowdies in all competitions, putting him on track to potentially reach 100 appearances for the club late in 2020 should he remain healthy.

This year, Fernandes was one of five players in the USL Championship to reach double-digit assists with 10 assists and four goals in 29 appearances. He notched his first goal of the season on April 24 in a 4-1 road win over Atlanta United II. He also provided two assists in that match in a stellar performance.

Fernandes was thrice named to the USL Championship Team of the Week this season, tied with Sebastian Guenzatti for the most on the team. According to the stats tracked by Opta this season, Fernandes was the fourth-best player in the USL Championship based on average match rating.