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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 27, 2019) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies continued their undefeated start to the season but dropped out of first place following a 1-1 draw at home against the Charlotte Independence on Saturday night.

The Rowdies (4-0-4, 16 points) remain the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference nearly one quarter of the way through the season.

Charlotte (1-5-2, 5 points) got on the board first via a Dominic Oduro goal in the 11th minute, but Tampa Bay’s Sebastian Guenzatti tied the match just six minutes later with his team-high fifth goal of the season. Neither side would score again.

The Rowdies played the match on short rest following Wednesday night’s explosive 4-1 win over Atlanta United 2 and didn’t seem to have that same cutting edge. It was Tampa Bay’s third home draw in five matches so far this season.

“Charlotte came here with a good game plan. We went behind early and the boys reacted fantastically well,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “Heading into halftime I think both teams missed opportunities. We just couldn’t find the way through. Tonight, given effort we put in Wednesday and the effort we put in tonight, I think we can take that point and move on.”

Guenzatti’s goal came from a turnover forced by Zach Steinberger. The ball bounced to Andrew Tinari, who then threaded a difficult pass to Guenzatti at the top of the box. Guenzatti took a touch to his right as Charlotte defender Andrew Gutman slid by then finished past Independence goalkeeper Curtis Anderson.

“I saw Tinari get the ball in the midfield and my first instinct was to go forward,” Guenzatti said. “I saw the defense step a little bit. He gave me a great ball and my first touch was great. I went far post and it went in.”

The Rowdies statistically dominated the visitors, tallying 66 percent possession and out-passing the opposition by 257 passes. Tampa Bay recorded nine shots on target compared to three for the Independence. Still, the teams split the points.

Tampa Bay will be back in action this coming Wednesday when they visit the Indy Eleven at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Rowdies next home match will be in the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on May 14 against either the Lakeland Tropics or The Villages SC. Ticket information for that match will be released soon.

Scoring Summary
Charlotte: Dom Oduro – 11th minute (assisted by Steven Thicot)
Tampa Bay: Sebastian Guenzatti – 17th minute (assisted by Andrew Tinari

Caution Summary
Charlotte: Enzo Martinez – 25th minute
Tampa Bay: Dom Oduro – 30th minute

Starting Lineups
Rowdies XI (3-5-2): GK John McCarthy; D Tarek Morad, Pape Diakite, Caleb Richards (Jordan Doherty 89′); M Zach Steinberger (Antoine Hoppenot 66′), Dom Oduro, Sebastian Guenzatti (c), Dom Oduro, Leo Fernandes; F Juan Tejada, Brandon Allen (Leon Taylor 80′)

Charlotte XI (4-3-3): GK Curtis Anderson; D Hugh Roberts, Steven Thicot, Andrew Gutman, Joel Johnson; M Michael Maria, Alex Martinez (Jake Areman 84′), Afrim Taku; F Dom Oduro (Jorge Herrera 65′), Enzo Martinez (c), Abdoulie Mansally (Zyen Jones 81′)

The Basics
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Charlotte Independence
Saturday, April 27, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Follow us for live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday

Tickets
Tickets for Saturday’s match are available by calling (727) 222-2000 or clicking here. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m., 60 minutes before kickoff.

Headband Giveaway
All fans will receive a free Tampa Bay Rowdies headband while supplies last, courtesy of St. Anthony’s Hospital.

How to Watch
The match will be broadcast online on ESPN+ here. International viewers can watch online here.

Records
Tampa Bay: 4-0-3 (W-L-T), 1st place; 2-0-2 at home 
Charlotte: 1-5-1 (W-L-T), 16th place; 0-2-0 on road

Rowdies Notes
The Tampa Bay Rowdies return home following an emphatic 4-1 road win over Atlanta United 2 on Wednesday night. The Rowdies fell behind in the 34th minute and then rallied for four unanswered goals to move to first place in the Eastern Conference.

The Rowdies are the last remaining unbeaten team in the East and lead the entire USL Championship with a goal difference of +10. No other team has a goal difference better than +6.

Tampa Bay was a little shorthanded Wednesday night with four players sidelined due to injury. Malik Johnson (shoulder), Jaime Siaj (quad), Shawn Barry (ankle) and Yann Ekra (ankle) all missed out. None of those four are expected to be available Saturday night against the Independence. In addition to those four absences, the Rowdies were also without forward Antoine Hoppenot, who served a one-game suspension. He had started the previous three matches. He is eligible to return against the Independence.

With those five players unavailable, Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins made three changes to his starting lineup and adjusted the tactics slightly. The center midfield triangle was flipped with two defensive midfielders playing behind Andrew Tinari under the  strikers. Jordan Doherty and David Najem each made their first starts of the season, while Juan Tejada made his second start. 

Tampa Bay’s starting lineup Wednesday night averaged just 24.1 years old, likely the youngest starting lineup ever fielded by  the Rowdies. That stat was aided by Doherty (18), Caleb Richards (20) and Tejada (22.)

Leo Fernandes had his best game of the season against Atlanta,  scoring his first goal of the year and adding a pair of assists. He now has a team-high four assists this season, tied for second-most in the USL Championship.

Juan Tejada and Brandon Allen each scored their first goal of the  season late in the match. Tejada’s goal was his first-ever professional goal. Allen’s goal was his first for the Rowdies and came just 31 seconds after he came off the bench as a substitute.

Injury Report
OUT: F Malik Johnson (separated shoulder)
OUT: F Jaime Siaj (quad strain)
DOUBTFUL: D Shawn Barry (ankle)
DOUBTFUL: M Yann Ekra (ankle)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 25, 2019) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies scored four unanswered goals Wednesday night to down Atlanta United 2 4-1 and climb to first place in the Championship’s Eastern Conference.

Here’s Three Things from the match…

1. Goals aplenty
After an early season scoring drought in which Tampa Bay scored four total goals in four matches, the Rowdies have now scored four goals in a match twice in their last three times out, beating Hartford Athletic 4-0 on April 6 and last night’s 4-1 win.

Efficiency was one of the Rowdies strengths last night with Tampa Bay scoring four goals from just three shots on target thanks in part to an Atlanta own goal forced by David Najem’s shot off the post. Tampa Bay was just more ruthless on the night than Atlanta. The Rowdies had only 43 percent possession and were outpassed by more than 100 passes, but the match never felt out of control.

Leo Fernandes tied the match just before halftime with his first goal of the season, finishing off the inside of the post with the outside of his boot. Najem’s shot put the Rowdies ahead in the 67th minute thanks to some help from Atlanta centerback George Campbell.

Late in the match, the Rowdies got a nice emotional boost as Juan Tejada scored his first professional goal in the 87th minute after a long night of hard work and Brandon Allen scored his first goal in Rowdies colors in the 90th minute to expand the gap to 4-1. Allen’s goal came 31 seconds after he entered the match off the bench.

2. Shuffled lineup
The Rowdies were off last weekend on a bye week, a weekend that cost them a couple of regular starters. Defender Shawn Barry and midfielder Yann Ekra picked up ankle injuries during training on back-to-back days Friday and Saturday that ultimately ruled them out of Wednesday’s match. Their status for Saturday’s game against Charlotte is undetermined.

Add in that Malik Johnson and Jamie Siaj remained sidelined by injuries that have kept them off the field all season and the Rowdies were four players short. Then consider that forward Antoine Hoppenot, who had started three consecutive games, was at home in St. Pete serving a one-game suspension and the Rowdies had just 19 players available for Wednesday night.

As a result, Neill Collins made three changes to his lineup. David Najem and Jordan Doherty each made their first starts of the year in midfield while Juan Tejada earned his second start at forward. The Rowdies didn’t miss a beat though, a good sign for the depth that Neill Collins has spoken so highly of already this season.

3. Fernandes on fire
Leo Fernandes put in another incredible performance Wednesday night, scoring once and assisting a pair of goals. He now leads the team with four assists this season, all of which have come this month. Fernandes has settled well into the left wingback role and is contributing at both ends. We won more than half his duels Wednesday night while also tallying three tackles, two interceptions and a clearance.

KENNESAW, Ga. (April 24, 2019) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies climbed to first place in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference on Wednesday night with an impressive 4-1 road win over Atlanta United 2.

The Rowdies (4-0-3, 15 points) fell behind midway through the first half but then reeled off four unanswered goals to remain unbeaten and claim their second road win of the year.

Leo Fernandes, Juan Tejada and Brandon Allen all scored (plus an own goal forced by David Najem) in the victory. Fernandes also tallied two assists.

Atlanta (3-3-1, 10 points) took a lead in the 35th minute on Luiz Fernando’s finish, but the advantage didn’t last until halftime as Fernandes equalized for the Rowdies in the 45th.

The second half was all Rowdies.

A Sebastian Guenzatti ball across the face of goal in the 67th minute was smartly dummied by Andrew Tinari, allowing it to run to Najem unmarked on the back post. Najem put his shot off the post and it rebounded off Atlanta defender George Campbell into the net to put Tampa Bay up 2-1.

The Rowdies controlled the tempo of the match from there and didn’t look particularly likely to relinquish their lead apart from a Romario Williams free kick in the 81st minute that thankfully sailed over the crossbar.

Tampa Bay added a pair of insurance goals in the dying minutes with Juan Tejada and Brandon Allen each scoring their first goals of the season in the 87th and 90th minutes, respectively. Both goals were assisted by Fernandes, who now has a team-high four assists on the season.

It was Tejada’s first professional goal.

The win moves the Rowdies to first place in the East, one point ahead of Saint Louis FC. Tampa Bay is the first team to push its goal differential into double digits at +10.

Up next, the Rowdies head home to host the Charlotte Independence on Saturday night at 7:30. All fans will receive a free Rowdies headband while supplies last. For tickets, click here.

Scoring Summary
Atlanta: Luiz Fernando – 34th minute (assisted by Deon Pereira)
Tampa Bay: Leo Fernandes – 45th minute (assisted by Andrew Tinari)
Tampa Bay: Own Goal – 67th minute
Tampa Bay: Juan Tejada – 87th minute (assisted by Leo Fernandes)
Tampa Bay: Brandon Allen – 90th minute (assisted by Leo Fernandes)

Caution Summary
Atlanta: Romario Williams – 30th minute
Tampa Bay: Dom Oduro – 36th minute
Tampa Bay: Pape Diakite – 39th minute
Tampa Bay: Tarek Morad – 59th minute
Atlanta: Andrew Carleton – 63rd minute
Atlanta: Laurence Wyke – 69th minute
Atlanta: George Campbell – 85th minute

Starting Lineups
Rowdies XI (3-5-2): GK John McCarthy; D Tarek Morad, Pape Diakite, Caleb Richards; M David Najem (Mohamed Kone 79′), Dom Oduro, Andrew Tinari, Jordan Doherty (Zach Steinberger 72′), Leo Fernandes; F Sebastian Guenzatti (c) (Brandon Allen 90′), Juan Tejada

Atlanta XI (4-4-2): GK Alec Kann; D Wesly Decas (Guillermo Benitez 76′), Florentin Pogba, George Campbell, Jon Gallagher (c); M Will Vint (Bienvenue Kanakimana 70′), Laurence Wyke, Andrew Carleton, Luiz Fernando Nascimento; F Dion Pereira, Romario Williams

The Basics
Atlanta United 2 vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Wednesday, April 24, 7:30 p.m. ET
Fifth Third Bank Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia
Follow us for live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday

How to Watch
The match will be broadcast online on ESPN+ here. International viewers can watch the match here.

Records
Tampa Bay: 3-0-3 (W-L-T); 1-0-1 on road; 4th place 
Atlanta: 3-2-1 (W-L-T); 2-2-0 at home; 8th place

Rowdies Notes
The Tampa Bay Rowdies head to Atlanta after a bye week to rest  following the first six games of the season. The Rowdies last match was a 1-1 draw against Louisville City FC at home on April 13. The Rowdies led for most of that night after Andrew Tinari’s 15th minute goal, only to concede in the 88th minute and drop two points. It was only the second goal conceded by the Rowdies  this season.

The Rowdies slipped from second place in the Eastern Conference  to fourth place in the their time off, but they are now the lone  unbeaten team in the conference. Fresno FC is undefeated in 10th place in the Western Conference.

Tampa Bay will be shorthanded this week as injuries and suspensions start to pile up. Forward Antoine Hoppenot will serve a one-game suspension handed to him retroactively by the Independent  Discipline Panel after the match against Louisville. Fellow forwards Jaime Siaj and Malik Johnson remained sidelined by injuries. Neither player has feature yet this season.

A pair of key contributors could also be sidelined by ankle injuries picked up over the weekend in Yann Ekra and Shawn Barry. If neither is able to play, that would mean the Rowdies would be without five players, leaving a squad of only 19 available players.

Rowdies goalkeeper John McCarthy is tied for the Championship  lead with four clean sheets in six matches. He has conceded just  two goals all season. He made a season-high seven saves against  Louisville. He was named to the Team of the Week for that  performance.

The Rowdies have been strong away from home this season, though this will be only their third trip away from St. Petersburg this season, posting a 1-0-1 record win a win in Memphis and a draw against Saint Louis.

Injury Report
OUT: F Malik Johnson (separated shoulder)
OUT: F Jaime Siaj (quad strain)
DOUBTFUL: D Shawn Barry (ankle)
DOUBTFUL: M Yann Ekra (ankle)

Suspension Report
Suspended: F Antoine Hoppenot (one game, eligible to return April 27)

TAMPA, Fla. (April 18, 2019) – Tampa Bay United Rowdies (TBU), the youth affiliate program for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, welcomes Tiffeny Milbrett as Director of Coach and Player Development in charge of technical development and leading the organizations’ broad depth of competitive and recreational soccer teams across all five of their soccer campus locations throughout Tampa Bay. 

“After working for the last 10 years in youth club soccer, I was immediately aware that Tampa Bay United has the potential to become one of the best clubs in the country. The depth of the programming within the Elite, Competitive and Recreational sides of the club make this a one-stop destination for players; all areas of the youth game are satisfied. The opportunity to be a part of and give to this storied club was something I just could not pass up.,” said Milbrett.

Milbrett has spent the last four years in Colorado as a Director and Head Coach for the Colorado Storm and the Colorado Rapids and is known as one of the best women’s soccer players in history. She was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2018 and has achieved the pinnacle of sports success through her attitude and work ethic, inspiring a generation of soccer players with her achievements. Milbrett was part of the team that won the 1999 World Cup and played for the United States National team from 1991 to 2006, scoring the game-winning goal in the gold-medal match against China at the 1996 Olympics. She has played in three FIFA World Cups, two Olympics (winning gold and silver) and has amassed over 100 goals in her 16-year career. Her 100th international goal came on the same field she called home while playing soccer at the University of Portland. Milbrett went on to achieve the elusive 200th cap and is known for scoring the first-ever hat trick in league history for the first women’s professional soccer league, the WUSA. A founding member of the New York Power, Milbrett was considered a clutch player and recognized as League MVP and Offensive MVP in 2001.

Two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, two-time Olympic gold-medalist, fellow coach, and sports broadcaster Brandi Chastain considers Milbrett a teammate, colleague, friend, and an excellent coach. “Tiffeny’s desire to express herself and explore on the field as a player has led her to share her creative and passionate sides as a coach. Her style of coaching will guide, lead and inspire players and coaches to enjoy the pressure and delight of having the ball at their feet so as to develop as people and players with confidence and courage,” says Chastain.

In her role as Director of Coach and Player Development, Milbrett will be responsible for developing a technical standard of shared vision, coaching, player development, and methodology. Known for having a top-level coaching staff and strong programming for both boys and girls, Milbrett will be able to contribute a broad depth of technical knowledge into developing confident athletes and motivated coaches to further elevate the organization. Hired within a month of Sporting Director, Anthony Latronica, former Assistant Coach with the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team, the club seeks to provide a clear path towards reaching soccer success. 

“I am so grateful and fortunate to have had a successful career in soccer as a player. Playing at the highest levels for so many years and accomplishing so much through the opportunities to play was a dream come true. My recent 10 years as a coach have been dedicated to supporting players in their journey to reach their potential and realize their dreams. It’s so exciting personally and professionally to be a part of a young player’s path to their soccer best.,” says Milbrett.

TBU Rowdies offers boys and girls the opportunity to play in their broad-based recreational program, their competitive teams including their highly-scouted elite teams that compete in prestigious leagues such as the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) and the USSF Development Academy. This provides a comprehensive internal development pathway for players wanting to reach their full potential.

“We are very excited to add Tiffeny to our team at Tampa Bay United Rowdies. Our players, staff, and families will greatly benefit from her extensive soccer experience. We look forward to the work she will do on and off the field, in further developing our club and our players to reach maximum potential,” says Adrian Bush, Director of TBU Rowdies Girls ECNL program.

Milbrett will also be the head coach ’07 ECNL Girls U-13 team for the 2019/2020 season. 

The first date for tryouts for the ECNL Girl’s teams is April 24, to register for U13 or any other age group, visit here.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 14, 2019) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies turned in a mixed bag performance Saturday night against two-time defending champion Louisville City FC, conceding late to draw 1-1 at Al Lang.

Here’s Three Things from the match…

1. McCarthy’s big night
On so many Sundays this year, the Moffitt Cancer Center Save of the Game has been kind of a letdown. Through five matches this year, Rowdies goalkeeper John McCarthy simply hadn’t had that much work to do. Last week against Hartford, he made a then-season-high five saves, but even those were soft shots hit more or less right at him. There haven’t really been any saves that would catch your eye.

At least there hadn’t been until last night.

McCarthy had what appeared to be his toughest night of the season, setting a new season-high with seven saves. Louisville gave McCarthy a real test, forcing him into several point-blank reaction saves. He put in an amazing performance and flirted what an unlikely clean sheet before eventually conceding in the 88th minute thanks in large part to some underwhelming defending in front of him.

In his own postgame press conference, McCarthy was pretty honest about his feelings.

“I’m pretty pissed off right now,” he said. “I think in the second half they really took it to us. We did create some chances, which is a positive, but we should have been playing how they played for a little bit. That’s our style of play. I’m pretty frustrated but I thought overall it was a decent game.”

2. Tinari’s stunner
Rowdies midfielder Andrew Tinari scored his second goal in as many matches Saturday night, emphatically blasting from 22 yards off the inside of the post and into the net.

His goal against Hartford was probably not the prettiest one he’s scored in his career.

His goal last night was something else entirely.

Tinari received the ball from Yann Ekra in space a few yards outside the corner of the box. His initial thought was to play the ball to Leo Fernandes closer to goal, but Louisville’s defender dropped off to cover Fernandes, leaving Tinari in even more space.

It was enough space to take another touch or two before unleashing one of the more impressive goals we’ve seen at Al Lang Stadium in a while. Tinari said once he hit it, he knew it was going in.

3. End of the home stand
Tampa Bay would’ve had really high expectations for the now concluded three-game home stand. Opening up against Loudoun and Hartford offered two matches that would be tricky, but that the Rowdies ultimately would’ve been favored in. Had the Rowdies won both of those games, they would have then liked their chances to ride the momentum against a somewhat down Louisville City FC and a nine-point home stand was on the cards.

Instead, the Rowdies will take their five points from the three games and move on. Thanks to Saint Louis’s home loss to Birmingham on Saturday night, the Rowdies actually tightened the gap to first place, but that will make it feel like an even bigger missed opportunity to concede in the 88th minute and drop two points. Tampa Bay is still unbeaten this year.

Even though the Rowdies failed to beat Loudoun and Louisville, Collins said he likes a lot of what the team is doing and the growth is evident for all to see. Tampa Bay now heads into a slightly extended break before visiting Atlanta United 2 on Wednesday, March 24 and then hosting the Charlotte Independence on Saturday, March 27.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 13, 2019) — The first goal conceded at home by the Tampa Bay Rowdies this season proved to be a costly one as the Rowdies split the points with Louisville City FC after a 1-1 draw.

Abdou Thiam’s goal for Louisville came in 88th minute after the Rowdies have weathered an intense storm for much of the match after taking an early lead. Andrew Tinari had given the home team a lead in the 15th minute with an incredible finish to the top corner from outside the 18-yard box.

“I thought the first 40 minutes were as good as we’ve played since I’ve been head coach,” Neill Collins said. “I thought our performance had lots and lots of things that I’d like to see more of. The second half is a credit to Louisville. I thought they showed why a lot of those players have been together for three or four years and they’ve won together.”

Tampa Bay (3-0-3, 12 points) recorded two shots on target in the match, compared to eight for Louisville (2-3-1, 7 points.) Five of Louisville’s shots on target came in an intense second half in which the Rowdies relied heavily on the performance of goalkeeper John McCarthy.

“(John’s) shot-stopping tonight was fantastic,” Collins said. “I think from a lot of set pieces they caused us problems. In general play, we defended well. John stood up tall and made some fantastic saves.”

McCarthy made a season-high seven saves on the night, many of which were show stoppers.

He made back-to-back saves from point-blank range off corner kicks in the 34th and 35th minutes to ensure the Rowdies would carry a 1-0 advantage into halftime.

In the 56th minute, again off a corner kick, he was called upon to make a save right on the goal line off Louisville defender Paco Craig’s effort.

Seven minutes later he denied Lucky Mkosana from close range after a Rowdies turnover on the edge of the box.

McCarthy made a spectacular save to deny Thiam from 12 yards out.

Eventually, Louisville’s attack caught a break on a sloppy bit of play by the Rowdies backline. As Magnus Rasmussen dribbled into the box for Louisville in the 88th minute, it looked like the Rowdies had enough defenders on hand to win the ball, but it eventually deflected into the path of Thiam, who finished past McCarthy with his first touch.

“I think in the second half they really took it to us,” McCarthy said. “I’m pretty frustrated but I thought overall it was a decent game. It wasn’t our best game, but it was an okay night for us overall.

It was the first goal the Rowdies have conceded at Al Lang Stadium this season, setting a new record for longest unblemished streak to start a season at home at 358 minutes. The previous record was 310 minutes, set last year.

Up next, the Rowdies have a weekend off before visiting Atlanta United 2 on April 24 before returning home to host the Charlotte Independence on Saturday, April 27. For tickets, click here.

Scoring Summary
Tampa Bay: Andrew Tinari – 15th minute (assisted by Yann Ekra)
Louisville: Abdou Thiam – 88th minute

Caution Summary
Tampa Bay: Antoine Hoppenot – 21st minute
Louisville: Oscar Jimenez – 68th minute
Tampa Bay: Sebastian Guenzatti – 75th minute
Tampa Bay: Yann Ekra – 78th minute
Tampa Bay: Dom Oduro – 85th minute
Louisville: Devon Williams – 85th minute

Starting Lineups
Rowdies XI (3-5-2): GK John McCarthy; D Tarek Morad, Pape Diakite, Caleb Richards; M Shawn Barry (David Najem 61′), Yann Ekra, Dom Oduro, Andrew Tinari (Leon Taylor 90+2′), Leo Fernandes; F Antoine Hoppenot (Juan Tejada 71′), Sebastian Guenzatti (c)

Louisville XI (5-3-2): GK Ben Lundt; D Oscar Jimenez, Taylor Peay, Paco Craig, Sean Totsch, Shaun Francis (c) (Napo Matsoso 86′); M Niall McCabe, Devon Williams, Magnus Rasmussen; F Lucky Mkosana (Sunny Jane 90′), Abdou Thiam (Alexis Souahy 90+3′)