Tampa Bay Rowdies
Tampa Bay Rowdies
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 1, 2019) — Tampa Bay Rowdies defender Caleb Richards has been voted Man of the Match by Rowdies fans following his performance in Saturday’s scoreless draw against Loudoun United FC.
Richards, playing on the left side of a back three, contributed at both ends as the Rowdies posted their third clean sheet in four matches to start the season. He completed more than 85 percent of his passes and logged two clearances.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 31, 2019) – There’s no getting around it. The Tampa Bay Rowdies dropped two points at home Saturday night, settling for a scoreless draw against visiting Loudoun United FC. On paper, the Rowdies should have won. On the field, only the Rowdies ever looked capable of winning the match. Continuing the unbeaten start to the season is nice, but the frustration probably outweighs that for now.
Here’s Three Things from the match…
1. At one end, great
The Tampa Bay Rowdies kept a third clean sheet in four matches to start the season, the best defensive record in the 36-team USL Championship. Only one other team in the league (Ottawa Fury FC) has only conceded once this year, but Ottawa has only played two matches, compared to the Rowdies four.
Tampa Bay goalkeeper John McCarthy leads the league in clean sheets but is only tied for 30th in saves with four this year. The Rowdies defensive effort has suffocated opponents this year to the point that McCarthy rarely even has to make a save. The only goal the Rowdies have allowed this year came on a set piece in Saint Louis.
Loudoun United FC recorded five shots on the night, only one of which was actually on target. That effort came in the 52nd minute and was not a dangerous chance.
Tampa Bay’s center back trio of Tarek Morad, Pape Diakite and Caleb Richards combined for 14 clearances.
If the Rowdies continue to play with that defensive structure, one goal might be enough to win more games than not. Unfortunately…
2. At the other end, not so great
The Rowdies haven’t exactly lit the scoreboard up this year with four total goals in four matches. Two of those came from the penalty spot and another came in the immediate aftermath of a corner kick, meaning Tampa Bay has only scored once from open play.
For all their attacking flair, the Rowdies have only averaged around three shots on goal per match this year. Frustration is starting to set in and Head Coach Neill Collins knows it.
“At home, when you dominate and create the chances we created, it’s always two points dropped (rather than one point earned,)” he said. “I’m very, very frustrated. I’m sure the players are really frustrated and the fans most of all are frustrated because they come to see the team score goals. We’re having a different conversation if we converted our chance in the first half, but we didn’t.”
The season is young and the Rowdies are still getting results even without the offense totally clicking, so there’s hope that the team will take off like a rocket once it finds its groove. The Rowdies roster is deep and Collins has used three different forward pairings already this year.
Sebastian Guenzatti, the Rowdies leading returning scorer from last season, has started every match. Alongside Guenzatti, Juan Tejada has started once, Brandon Allen twice and then Antoine Hoppenot made his first start last night.
Sooner rather than later, the right combination of players will come together and hopefully the goals start flowing.
3. Opponents park the bus
Last night’s match offered a glimpse of something the Rowdies may see quite often in their remaining home matches this season. Loudoun United arrived in St. Petersburg with the clear intent to defend for the full 90 minutes and try to escape with a 0-0 draw. In all three of its matches this season (all on the road), Loudoun has settled for around 40 percent possession. Last night, the Rowdies limited Loudoun to a season-low 37.5 percent and outpassed the visitors by nearly 200 passes.
With a hostile crowd and challenging weather conditions, Al Lang Stadium is one of the hardest stadiums in the Eastern Conference for visiting teams to play in. For that reason, many of them opt against playing. They come with the intention of parking the bus and trying to escape with a point.
Neill Collins alluded to it in his postgame press conference, saying, “We’ve all learned something tonight. The players have experienced what it’s going to be like at Al Lang and what teams are going to come here to try to do. It’s up to us to overcome that.”
Next week’s match against Hartford again features an expansion team that is yet to pick up even a single point so far, losing all four of its matches. It’s up to the Rowdies to figure out how to break through.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 30, 2019) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies extended their unbeaten streak to four matches Saturday night and kept their third clean sheet of the season, but settled for a 0-0 draw against Loudoun United FC at Al Lang Stadium.
Tampa Bay (2-0-2, 8 points) sits in second place in the Eastern Conference after being held scoreless for the first time this season.
“At home, when you dominate and create the chances we created, it’s always two points dropped (rather than one point earned,)” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “I’m very, very frustrated. I’m sure the players are really frustrated and the fans most of all are frustrated because they come to see the team score goals. We’re having a different conversation if we converted our chance in the first half, but we didn’t.”
Tampa Bay dominated across the board statistically, but couldn’t find a way to score on Loudoun (0-1-2, 2 points) goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. The Rowdies took 11 shots on the night (three on target) compared to five (one on target) for the visitors.
The Rowdies best scoring chance of the night came in the 37th minute when Leo Fernandes served a ball across the face of goal. Sebastian Guenzatti’s first-time finish hit the post and fell into the hands of Edwards Jr. before Antoine Hoppenot could pounce on it.
Tampa Bay could’ve scored on a few occasions in the second half but just wasn’t quite sharp enough to turn a draw into a win.
Collins made three changes to his starting lineup following last week’s 1-1 draw on the road against Saint Louis FC. Midfielder Shawn Barry returned to the XI after international duty, and first starts of the year were earned by midfielder Andrew Tinari and forward Antoine Hoppenot.
“I’m a little disappointed,” Tinari said. “We could’ve moved the ball a little quicker in the final third. We got a point, so I can’t complain, but going forward we need to be a little sharper and find a way to finish the game.”
Rowdies goalkeeper John McCarthy made one save to keep his league-high third clean sheet of the young season.
Tampa Bay will be back at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday, April 6 for the second match of a three-game homestand to take on Hartford Athletic at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, click here.
Starting Lineups
Rowdies XI (3-5-2): GK John McCarthy; D Tarek Morad, Pape Diakite, Caleb Richards; M Shawn Barry, Zach Steinberger (Leon Taylor 78′), Dom Oduro (Yann Ekra 46′), Andrew Tinari, Leo Fernandes; F Antoine Hoppenot (Juan Tejada 61′), Sebastian Guenzatti (c)
Loudoun United XI (4-4-2): GK Earl Edwards Jr.; D Peabo Doue, Harri Hawkins, Donovan Pines, Akeem Ward; M Noah Pilato (Jack Jean Baptiste 65′), Allexon Saravia, Collin Verfurth, Griffin Yow (Andrew Lubahn 85′); F Shinya Kadono, Kyle Murphy (c) (Orlando Sinclair 78′)
Caution Summary
Loudoun: Noah Pilato – 16th minute
Tampa Bay: Dom Oduro – 38th minute
Loudoun: Colin Verfurth – 61st minute
Loudoun: Allexon Saravia – 82nd minute
The Basics
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Loudoun United FC
Saturday, March 30, 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.
How to Watch
The match will be broadcast online on ESPN+ here. International viewers can watch online here.
Records
Tampa Bay: 2-0-1 (W-L-T), 1st place; 1-0-0 at home
Loudoun: 0-1-1 (W-L-T), 16th place; 0-1-1 on road
Rowdies Notes
The Tampa Bay Rowdies return home to open a three-game homestand sitting atop the early season Eastern Conference Standings after a 1-1 road draw against Saint Louis FC last weekend. The Rowdies lead Saint Louis on goal differential and sit one point ahead of North Carolina FC and Louisville City FC.
Saturday’s match saw the Rowdies concede a goal for the first time this season after 206 unblemished minutes. The goal came on a free kick delivered by Lewis Hilton, meaning the Rowdies still haven’t conceded from open play in 2019. Tampa Bay is one of only four teams in the Championship to only allow one goal so far, along with Ottawa Fury FC, North Carolina FC and Real Monarchs SLC. Of those teams, only the Rowdies and Monarchs have played three matches.
A win in this match would see the Rowdies off to their best four-game start in modern club history. Tampa Bay is yet to take 10 of the first 12 available points in a season. The Rowdies picked up nine of 12 in each of the past two seasons.
The Rowdies deployed a new defensive lineup last week as regular right wingback Shawn Barry was away on international duty with Puerto Rico. Caleb Richards moved from left centerback into Barry’s spot, with Mohamed Kone earning a start in his Rowdies debut as a centerback. Barry returned from Puerto Rico earlier this week.
Rowdies forward Sebastian Guenzatti leads the team in scoring
with two goals, though both have come from the penalty spot. Shawn Barry and Zach Steinberger have one goal apiece. They both scored in the Rowdies last home match, a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh on March 16.
Injury Report: OUT: F Malik Johnson (shoulder)
FENTON, Mo. (March 24, 2019) – At some point, it was bound to end, right? The Tampa Bay Rowdies bid for a full season without conceding a single goal came up 32 games short Saturday afternoon, but a road point against Saint Louis FC actually saw the Rowdies move up a place in the standings.
Here’s Three Things from the 1-1 draw…
1. Still unbeaten
No one thought the Rowdies would go through a season with 34 wins from 34 games, but they did pass another major road test Saturday afternoon at Toyota Stadium in a matchup of perfect sides. Saint Louis FC, which had beaten preseason contenders Indy Eleven and Nashville SC in the opening weeks of the season was looking for another big scalp to add to its collection.
When the home team scored off a well-taken free kick in the 26th minute, it was the first real adversity the Rowdies have had to face this year. Prior to that goal, Tampa Bay hadn’t conceded a goal yet in 206 minutes of play in 2019. Down a goal, on the road against a skilled opponent, the Rowdies could have stalled out and fallen to a somewhat forgivable defeat.
Instead, the Rowdies didn’t skip a beat after conceding. Tampa Bay had to wait until late in the match to get its well-deserved equalizer, but the Rowdies were the stronger side for most of the match. Both teams recorded 11 total shots (three on goal apiece), but it never really felt like Saint Louis FC would add another goal. Apart from set pieces, the Rowdies didn’t look vulnerable at all, even with a retooled defensive lineup to account for Shawn Barry’s absence due to international duty.
Caleb Richards, who had played on the left side of a three centerback unit moved to right wingback, Tarek Morad switched to the opposite side of the three and Mohamed Kone made his Rowdies debut.
After Tampa Bay’s season-opening 1-0 win over Memphis 901 FC, a lot was said about how the Rowdies sat compact defensively and weathered the storm. The Rowdies used a different approach against Saint Louis, dominating the ball in the second half and controlling the tempo of the match.
2. Flexibility on display
Chasing a 1-0 deficit, Head Coach Neill Collins turned to his bench early, inserting Juan Tejada in Brandon Allen’s place in the 60th minute. Tejada joined Sebastian Guenzatti in the strike partnership, but things were shaken up again just four minutes later. Antoine Hoppenot, a forward, replaced Mohamed Kone, a centerback, and the Rowdies reshaped the positioning on the fly. Caleb Richards took Kone’s spot on the back line, Tejada moved to the right wingback spot Richards vacated and Hoppenot joined Guenzatti on the front line.
Even as players moved around, making it harder for Saint Louis FC to get too comfortable in their assignments, the Rowdies stayed on the front foot. Tejada looked totally comfortable as a wingback and made a huge impact on the match even from a position he hadn’t played yet in a match, though he has practiced there often.
Collins used all three substitutes on forwards but the Rowdies still looked secure enough defensively that it didn’t even seem risky to do away from home.
Just three weeks into the season, it looks like the Rowdies have a roster full of players that can be highly versatile, making it harder than ever to predict lineups.
3. A dominant fifteen minutes
The Rowdies needed a penalty kick to level the match in the 75th minute, but a goal was clearly coming one way or another as Tampa Bay took full control of the match from the 60th minute to the 75th.
For that quarter of an hour midway through the second half, while the Rowdies were making their first two substitutions and reshaping the lineup, it was pure dominance from the visitors.
Tampa Bay had the ball for more than 80 percent of that segment of the match and more than a third of it was spent in Saint Louis’ defensive third. The ball only came into the Rowdies end for 13 percent of those 15 minutes. That kind of aggression away from home, down a goal in the second half, tells us something about this Rowdies team.
Had the penalty kick not been given, the Rowdies may not have had to wait too much longer for an equalizer anyway.
FENTON, Mo. (March 23, 2019) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies split the points with Saint Louis FC after an early-season showdown between unbeaten sides ended in a 1-1 draw.
Tampa Bay (2-0-1, 7 points) needed a Sebastian Guenzatti penalty kick in the 75th minute leave Missouri with a point after Saint Louis defender Sam Fink scored off a set piece midway through the first half.
Fink’s goal was the first one conceded by the Rowdies all season. Lewis Hilton’s free kick from the right channel was perfectly-placed, with Fink heading it past Tampa Bay goalkeeper John McCarthy for the only goal of the first half.
The Rowdies played well after falling behind, with scoring chances in the 31st, 39th and 44th minutes.
The second half opened the same way the first half ended, with the Rowdies on the front foot. Sebastian Guenzatti forced a save in the 47th minute with a rocket of a shot from his right foot.
Tampa Bay continued chasing the match and caught a break in the 74th minute when Fink committed a clear hand ball, giving the Rowdies a chance to level the match from the penalty spot.
Guenzatti stepped to the spot and take a perfect penalty, scoring his second goal of the season. He also scored from the spot on opening weekend.
Once the match was level, the Rowdies continued to press hard for a winner, but ultimately didn’t create enough danger.
Saint Louis FC (2-0-1, 7 points) had a few chances in the final minutes of the match, particularly in the seventh minute of added time off a corner, but McCarthy made the save with the last touch of the match.
Up next, the Rowdies return home to open a three-game homestand against Loudoun United FC on Saturday, March 30. Tickets are available by calling (727) 222-2000 or by clicking here.
The Basics
Saint Louis FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, March 23, 2 p.m. ET
Toyota Stadium, Fenton, Missouri
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.
Starting Lineups
Rowdies XI (3-5-2): GK John McCarthy; D Mohamed Kone (Antoine Hoppenot 64′), Pape Diakite, Tarek Morad; M Caleb Richards, Zach Steinberger, Dom Oduro, Yann Ekra, Leo Fernandes; F Sebastian Guenzatti (c) (Leon Taylor 88′), Brandon Allen (Juan Tejada 60′)
Saint Louis XI (4-4-2): GK Jake Fenlason, D Paris Gee, Phanuel Kavita, Sam Fink (c), Bradley Kamdem Fewo; M Kadeem Dacres (Austin Jepson 85′), Lewis Hilton, Oscar Umar (Guy Abend 30′), Russell Cicerone; F Caleb Calvert (Kyle Greig 72′), Albert Dikwa
Scoring Summary
Saint Louis: Sam Fink – 26th minute (assisted by Lewis Hilton)
Tampa Bay: Sebastian Guenzatti – 75th minute (penalty kick)
Caution Summary
Saint Louis: Kadeem Dacres – 22nd minute
Tampa Bay: Pape Diakite – 63rd minute
Tampa Bay: Tarek Morad – 73rd minute
The Basics
Saint Louis FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, March 23, 2 p.m. ET
Toyota Stadium, Fenton, Missouri
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: 2-0-0 (W-L-T); 1-0-0 on road; 2nd place
Saint Louis: 2-0-0 (W-L-T); 1-0-0 at home; 3rd place
Rowdies Notes
The Tampa Bay Rowdies head to Saint Louis undefeated for an early season showdown against a fellow unbeaten side in Saint Louis FC. Only four teams in the Championship opened the year with two wins in two matches and two of them will face off in this match. A win would see the Rowdies start the year with three straight wins for just the second time in modern history, matching Tampa Bay’s start from the 2017 season.
Tampa Bay’s two wins this season have come on the back of a stingy defense that is yet to concede a goal. The Rowdies are the only team in the Championship that is yet to concede. That defensive record has more to do with the Rowdies full team defense, rather than just the performance of John McCarthy, who leads the Championship with two clean sheets. McCarthy has only been required to make one save this year though, on a weak shot from outside the box in Memphis. Tampa Bay didn’t allow Pittsburgh to take a shot on target last week.
Rowdies defender Shawn Barry was named to the Championship Team of the Week on Tuesday after scoring a goal and adding an assist in last week’s win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Tampa Bay will be without Barry this week though as he is with the Puerto Rican national team for a match against Grenada on Sunday. He has started both matches this season in the right wingback spot.
Injury Report
OUT: F Malik Johnson (shoulder)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 19, 2019) — Tampa Bay Rowdies defender Shawn Barry has earned a spot in the USL Championship Team of the Week for leading the way to a 2-0 Rowdies victory over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday night.
Barry had both a goal and an assist in the match from the right wingback position. He also contributed to a clean sheet in which the Riverhounds failed to register a shot on target.
The full Team of the Week is below:
GK – David Ochoa, Real Monarchs SLC: Ochoa posted a nine-save shutout to earn the Monarchs a point in a 0-0 draw with El Paso Locomotive FC despite the hosts being down to 10 men for almost an hour.
D – Luca Lobo, Tulsa Roughnecks FC: Making his professional debut, Lobo struck twice in four minutes as part of the Roughnecks’ run of five unanswered goals that earned the side its first road win since September 2017.
D – Shawn Barry, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Barry recorded a goal and assist while contributing to the Rowdies’ shutout defensively in a 2-0 win against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
D – Paris Gee, Saint Louis FC: Gee played a key role in locking down Nashville SC’s attack, recording three tackles and two clearances as STLFC limited the hosts to one shot on goal in their 1-0 win.
M – Santi Moar, New Mexico United: Moar scored a pair of spectacular solo efforts as New Mexico came close to spoiling Phoenix Rising FC’s home opener in a 3-3 draw at Casino Arizona Field.
M – Arun Basuljevic, Fresno FC: Basuljevic scored twice to lead the Foxes to a 2-0 victory on the road against Rio Grande Valley FC for their first win of 2019.
M – Solomon Asante, Phoenix Rising FC: Asante converted twice from the penalty spot and recorded five key passes, while also completing 27 of 33 passes overall in Rising FC’s 3-3 draw with New Mexico.
M – Kenney Walker, Indy Eleven: Walker notched a pair of assists and four key passes overall to help Indy claim its first victory of the season on the road against the Charlotte Independence.
F – Marvin Loria, Portland Timbers 2: Loria struck twice and recorded two key passes as T2 earned an impressive road victory against San Antonio FC.
F – Brian Brown, Reno 1868 FC: Brown notched both goals as 1868 FC rallied in the second half to take a 2-1 victory against Austin Bold FC for its first win of the season.
F – Augustine Williams, LA Galaxy II: Williams scored his first two goals for Los Dos as it romped to a 3-0 victory on the road against Tacoma Defiance.
Bench: Carlos Coronel (BST), Thomas Meilleur-Giguere (OTT), Zeiko Lewis (CHS), Griffin Yow (LDN), Omar Gordon (OKC), Elliot Collier (MEM), Marios Lomis (NC)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 19, 2019) — In partnership with England’s Norwich City FC, the Tampa Bay Rowdies are giving the best youth soccer players from the Tampa Bay region and beyond a once-in-a-lifetime chance to train alongside professionals and live their ‘Yellow and Green Dream.’
The Yellow and Green Dream contest will see the creation of a new soccer camp in Tampa Bay for players aged 15 to 19. The first camp is scheduled to take place in July of this year at the Waters Avenue Complex (8108 Benjamin Road) in Tampa.
Players in the camp will work under the direction of senior members of both the Rowdies and Norwich City FC soccer staff, including NCFC legend Grant Holt, over the course of one week. The camp will end with an up-close look at the Rowdies in action during their match against Saint Louis FC on July 20.
The best prospects from the first camp will be invited back for a second camp in Tampa Bay in November. The best player from the second camp will be sent with a guardian on an unforgettable trip to England for a seven-day professional Academy experience with Norwich City FC. That player will also spend two weeks in camp with the Rowdies next preseason.
Tampa Bay Rowdies season ticket holders will be able to purchase their spot in the Yellow and Green Dream camp starting March 19 before registration opens to the general public March 21. The camp costs $300 at the time of registration or $325 over three payments.
Registration includes:
