Tampa Bay Rowdies
Tampa Bay Rowdies
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (June 25, 2018) — Tampa Bay Rowdies midfielder Marcel Schäfer ended his playing career with an assist and was named Man of the Match by Rowdies fans for his performance in Friday’s match against Penn FC.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (June 25, 2018) — Tampa Bay Rowdies midfielder Marcel Schäfer ended his playing career with an assist and was named Man of the Match by Rowdies fans for his performance in Friday’s match against Penn FC.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (June 23, 2018) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ long regulation home unbeaten run is over and so is Marcel Schäfer’s Rowdies career. This after a frustrating 2-1 home loss to Penn FC on Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium.
Here’s Three Things to think about after the match…
1. Danke Marcel
Friday night’s match was always going to be an emotional one as the Rowdies’ mercurial midfielder played the final match of his outstanding 16-year playing career. Schäfer was accompanied onto the field by his three children for the first time ever and wore the captain’s armband.
Schäfer tallied his 15th and final assist for the Rowdies in the 34th minute, to put Tampa Bay ahead. As the match slipped away, Schäfer kept fighting to close his playing career on a positive note, but it was ultimately not to be.
After the match, Schäfer remained on the field for more than an hour, soaking in the atmosphere and signing autographs and posing for pictures with anyone who asked for one. He seemed to be in no hurry to take his uniform off for the final time.
In his postgame media availability, he spoke fondly of his time in Tampa Bay.
“I think I’ve been here one and a half, almost two years, and the relationship between me and the Rowdies family is huge,” Schäfer said. “I think this is a special relationship and this is why it makes this step so hard. I think there’s no doubt that this is a great opportunity for me to be a Sporting Director for a Bundesliga club especially at my age, especially for the club of my heart where I played over ten years. I have to say I am and was really proud to be a part of the Rowdies family and this is definitely not the end, it’s just the start of a great new relationship. It’s a great thing that I’m young, so I may be able to come back so many times. Our offseason is a different offseason than the Rowdies so I will definitely come back soon to Al Lang Stadium.”
As he steps into his new role as Sporting Director of VfL Wolfsburg, the equivalent of General Manager, Schäfer won’t linger too long on the disappointment of losing his final game, instead focusing on his joy about being able to play for as long as he did.
“We maybe lost one decision which helps the other team to win that game, but that’s part of soccer. All the feelings, winning and losing games, battling with your teammates, this is what it’s all about. It’s all about emotions, even when we lose I enjoy that every day of my career and I think it’s a privilege to be a soccer player, to do what you love every day. This is really special for me and now I’m so proud to start my next career in soccer too. I think this is really special for me and I’m happy for that.”
2. Another suspension coming
Since Neill Collins took over as head coach of the Rowdies on May 18, he’s had a handful of unexpected obstacles pop up to make his first few weeks in charge exceptionally difficult. Injuries to Kyle Curinga, Zac Portillos, Lance Rozeboom and Junior Flemmings have decimated the squad, plus the departures of Schäfer, Jack Blake and himself from the playing squad, and recent suspensions for both Schäfer and captain Joe Cole.
Now, he’ll have another speed bump to navigate as Leon Taylor and faces a suspension for Wednesday’s match against the Charlotte Independence. Taylor was shown a straight red card in the 51st minute for a high elbow. Taylor has scored in each of the Rowdies’ last two matches (his first two appearances for the club) but will now be forced to take a break.
Tampa Bay signed two players this past week in Afrim Taku and Dominic Oduro and Collins revealed after the match that he hopes more might be on the way.
“There’s hopefully going to be more (signings) to come,” Collins said. “At the same time, we need to get people back from injury, we’ve now got players suspended. It’s been a real baptism by fire for me in the first five weeks there’s been things coming at me from all angles: two sendoffs, not from over-aggressive play but just from different circumstances as well as injuries. It’s a great learning curve for me and something that we have to adapt to but we’ll try to bring in reinforcements, of course.”
3. The streak ends
Tampa Bay’s loss to Penn FC on Friday night was the Rowdies’ first regulation loss in more than a calendar year, dating back all the way to April 22, 2017. In that time, the Rowdies posted a record of 11-0-7 (W-L-T) over that period in regulation matches. It was the longest home unbeaten run in the Rowdies’ Modern Era.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (June 22, 2018) — Marcel Schäfer’s Tampa Bay Rowdies farewell started well but didn’t end that way as the Rowdies fell to a 2-1 defeat to Penn FC at Al Lang Stadium in the German star’s final match before retirement as a player.
Schäfer had an assist on the Rowdies’ goal in the 34th minute, crossing a ball for Leon Taylor to tuck into the net to give the Rowdies a lead. It was Schäfer’s 15th assist since joining the club last year.
Just a few minutes into the second half though, the shimmer started to wear off Lucky Mkosana scored a quick equalizer just four minutes into the second half.
Then it got worse as Taylor was dismissed from the match with a straight red card, reducing the Rowdies to 10 men for the final forty-plus minutes of the game.
Mkosana scored again in the 67th minute to put his side ahead and the Rowdies never found a way to reply, despite creating more than a few opportunities to do so.
“Once we got a goal we were well in control playing some good stuff,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “At halftime, we could probably have been 2-0 up. The second half we didn’t start particularly great and they got their goal. The sending off obviously makes a huge difference.”
The Rowdies’ goal was one we’ve seen so many times during Schäfer’s career at Al Lang, a perfectly weighted ball from the left flank that’s nearly impossible to defend and needs just a simple touch to redirect on frame. Taylor’s finish was his second in as many appearances for the Rowdies.
Things changed when Leon Taylor leaped to contest an aerial ball from Rowdies goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald against Penn FC left back Harri Hawkins. Taylor jumped up, while Hawkins remained on the floor and stepped into Taylor’s elbow, but Taylor was shown a straight red card and ejected from the match.
Reduced to 10 men with the score even at 1-1, the Rowdies were dealt another blow via Mkosana’s classy back heel finish in the 67th minute to put Penn FC up 2-1.
The Rowdies kept pushing though and nearly equalized just two minutes later when Georgi Hristov beat Penn’s high line and raced in alone against the goalkeeper, but Romuald Peiser made a big save to deny the Rowdies.
Alex Morrell provided a spark off the bench with dangerous runs into the box, but on every occasion, he was bumped off the ball or had his cross cleared.
Tampa Bay’s last big chance came in stoppage time when Ivan Magalhães got on the end of a Michael Nanchoff corner kick and put a header on frame, but Miguel Jaime cleared it off the line to doom the Rowdies to defeat.
“I actually thought after the sending off we played pretty well for five or 10 minutes before their goal,” Collins said. “And then after their goal, we created chances that we should score. The man difference obviously makes it tough and gives them a huge advantage, but we could have still come away with something.”
It was the Rowdies’ first home loss in regulation since April 22 of 2017, but the Rowdies will now regroup before heading to North Carolina next week for a midweek tilt against the Charlotte Independence.
Tampa Bay will return home on the Fourth of July to host Toronto FC II. For tickets, call (727) 222-2000 or click here.
Scoring Summary
Tampa Bay: Leon Taylor (Assisted by Marcel Schäfer) – 34th Minute
Penn: Lucky Mkosana – 49th Minute
Penn: Lucky Mkosana (Assisted by Freddie Opoku) – 67th Minute
Caution Summary
Penn: Ken Tribbett – 27th Minute
Tampa Bay: Marcel Schäfer – 39th Minute
Tampa Bay: Ivan Magalhães – 48th Minute
Tampa Bay: Leon Taylor – 51st Minute (Red Card)
Tampa Bay: Georgi Hristov – 55th Minute
Tampa Bay: Joe Cole – 85th Minute
Penn: Marco Franco – 88th Minute
Starting Lineups
Rowdies XI (3-4-3): GK Akira Fitzgerald; D Tamika Mkandawire, Ivan Magalhães, Hunter Gorskie; M Marcel Schäfer (c), Leo Fernandes, Michael Nanchoff, Joe Cole; F Georgi Hristov (Jochen Graf 83′), Sebastian Guenzatti (Alex Morrell 77′), Leon Taylor
TBR Subs: GK Cody Mizell; D Max Lachowecki; M Alex Morrell, Martin Vingaard, Afrim Taku; F Jochen Graf
Penn XI (4-4-2): GK Romu Peiser; D Marco Franco, Kyle Venter, Ken Tribbett (c), Harri Hawkins; M Freddie Opoku, Richard Menjivar, Dan Metzger, Saalih Muhammad (Calvin Rezende 46′); F Lucky Mkosana, Isaac Osae (Aaron Dennis 45′)
PEN Subs: GK Sean Lewis; D Haruna Shaibu, Pedro Galvão; M Miguel Jaime, Prince Baffoe, Calvin Rezende; F Aaron Dennis
The Basics
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Penn FC
Friday, June 22, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Follow us for live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday
Tickets
Tickets for Friday’s match are available by calling (727) 222-2000 or clicking here. Gates open at 6 p.m.
How to Watch
The match will be broadcast locally on thisTV Tampa Bay and online on ESPN+ (subscription required), the official streaming partner of the USL, here. International viewers in regions where ESPN+ is not offered can watch the match here. Fans in the Tampa Bay area can also listen to the game live on WHNZ 1250 AM.
Parking
There are several options for parking at Al Lang Stadium and around downtown. Parking in Lot A, right in front of the stadium, is for PASS HOLDERS ONLY and opens at 4 p.m. For more parking options, click here.
Records
Tampa Bay: 5-5-3 (W-L-T); 3-0-3 at home; T-10th place
Penn FC: 4-4-6; 1-3-4 on road; T-10th place
From the Head Coach
Neill Collins on Marcel Schäfer’s final appearance for the Rowdies
“It will be very special for Marcel (Schäfer) as it will be his final match in his very decorated career. We’re always pulling for the three points, but these three points would be extremely special if we can get them for Marcel. He’s been a pleasure to play alongside and now coach. He’s the perfect example of what a footballer should be like. We’ll miss him after he leaves, so everyone has to enjoy every second left with him on the pitch.”
Rowdies Notes
This match will also mark Marcel Schäfer’s final appearance with the club before heading back to VFL Wolfsburg. Schäfer will take on the role of the club’s Sporting Director after being an active player of the Bundesliga club for more than a decade from 2007-2017.
With the 1-1 draw two weeks ago against Nashville SC, the Rowdies maintained their undefeated 3-0-3 home record and will look to defend it against Penn FC. The odds of remaining unbeaten at home seem to be in Tampa Bay’s favor as Penn has picked up only one road win in eight matches away from Harrisburg.
The Rowdies executed a few player transactions this week. First, midfielder Jack Blake was sent on a season-long loan to Real Monarchs SLC in the USL’s Western Conference on Tuesday. Blake had made six appearances for the Rowdies in all competitions. On Wednesday, the Rowdies signed a pair of midfielders in Afrim Taku and Dominic Oduro. Taku most recently played for SkeÌnderbeu KorçeÌ in his native Albania. Oduro is a former member of the Manchester City Academy but most recently played for FC Golden State Force in the USL PDL.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (June 20, 2018) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies have strengthened their roster with a pair of new signings in midfielders Afrim Taku and Dominic Oduro, the club announced Wednesday. The new signings will be eligible to play pending the receipt of the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and/or visas.
Taku is a 28-year old central midfielder that joins the Rowdies from Skënderbeu Korçë in his native Albania. Taku has played most of his career in the Albanian SuperLiga for KF Tirana and Skënderbeu, the two biggest clubs in the country. His career has included winning three Albanian Cups and two Albanian Supercups.
Oduro is a 23-year old midfielder that joins the Rowdies from FC Golden State Force in the USL Premier Development League. Born in Ghana, Oduro made his big break as a teenager when he was identified and signed by Manchester City’s academy.
“The Rowdies are a historical team and the players we bring in will be able to help us add to our rich history,” said Rowdies Chairman & CEO Bill Edwards. “Taku will bring great game experience and a knowledge of the game that will only mix in well with the current team. Oduro is a young player who we have watched in the PDL for the last year and we think he has developed into a player that will impact this team now. It also speaks volumes to the PDL and the level of players in that league.”
While in the Manchester City academy, Oduro had loan spells with AGF in Denmark, Royal Mouscron-Peruwelz in Belgium and IK Frej in Sweden. He also made a pair of appearances for FC Nordsjælland in Denmark. He was eventually drafted with the 44th overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by the Seattle Sounders but did not sign.
Both players began training with the Rowdies last week before signing contracts.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (June 19, 2018) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies have loaned midfielder Jack Blake to Real Monarchs SLC for the remainder of the 2018 United Soccer League season, the club announced Tuesday, pending league and federation approval.
Blake joined the Rowdies this past preseason and scored a goal in a 3-1 win over North Carolina FC on opening day of the 2018 USL season. He’s played a total of seven matches for the Rowdies this season, tallying 591 minutes on the field.
Following Blake’s loan to the Monarchs, the Rowdies are planning a succession of new additions, the first of which will be announced tomorrow.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies and team dentist Dr. Kristine Marshall, DDS, want to know who YOU think has the best smile on the team! The winner will have their smile featured on Dr. Kristine Marshall’s office windows!
Look at the headshots and vote below!
Joe Cole
Kyle Curinga
Leo Fernandes
Akira Fitzgerald
Junior Flemmings
Hunter Gorskie
Jochen Graf
Sebastian Guenzatti
Georgi Hristov
Max Lachowecki
Ivan Magalhães
Cody Mizell
Tamika Mkandawire
Alex Morrell
David Najem
Michael Nanchoff
Zac Portillos
Matias Reynares
Lance Rozeboom
Marcel Schäfer
Leon Taylor
Martin Vingaard
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (June 13, 2018) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies confirmed today that they are releasing Marcel Schäfer from his contract obligation in order to allow him to return to German Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg to take the position of Sporting Director.
Schäfer signed a two-year deal with the Rowdies in February of 2017, but his time with the club has been cut short to allow him to immediately begin the next phase of his soccer career.
Schäfer will return to Germany after a formal farewell during his final appearance as a professional soccer player in the Rowdies match against Penn FC on Friday, June 22 after the upcoming bye week.
“I am extremely grateful to Bill Edwards first, for bringing me to the Rowdies, and second, for releasing me from my contract so I can pursue my dream of working for VfL Wolfsburg,” said Schäfer. “I am very proud to have been a part of this fantastic organization and to play soccer in America. It has been a gift for me and my family. The fans have been wonderful and have truly made us feel welcome. I know leaving mid-season is a hardship for the club, but Bill understands my history with Wolfsburg and my dream to be a part of their front office, and encouraged me to take this step. I will be the first official German Rowdies ambassador and I am confident the relationship between the Rowdies and Wolfsburg will grow.”
“We are very sad to see Marcel go,” said team chairman and CEO Bill Edwards. “He has been a leader both on and off the field since he arrived in St. Pete, and has been a great ambassador for the club. However, I talked to Marcel at length and told him I would not stand in his way, even though he had a contract with us for the rest of the season. It is a great opportunity for him, his family and his future. Hopefully we can continue a relationship in the future between the Rowdies and Wolfsburg in regards to player development.”
“Despite the obvious disappointment we feel about losing such a good player, we can’t begrudge Marcel this fantastic opportunity that he has for the next stage of his life,” said Rowdies head coach Neill Collins. “As a club we have been lucky to have someone with his ability. First as a player and secondly as a coach, he has been a pleasure to work alongside. The great thing about football is it always moves on and while we will miss Marcel, it will be a great opportunity for someone else to fill his important role on the field.”
To date, he has played 45 matches for the Rowdies in all competitions, scoring seven goals and tallying 14 assists. He quickly became a fan favorite thanks to his unmistakable passion for the game.
Schäfer came to the Rowdies as a Wolfsburg legend after a decade with the club. He holds the record for appearances by an outfield player and captained the side to the 2008-09 Bundesliga title, the only Bundesliga championship in club history. He also led the Wolves to win the 2014-15 DFB-Pokal Cup.
He will now return to his former club and step into a leadership role in the front office. Wolfsburg has finished in 16th place in each of the last two Bundesliga seasons since Schäfer’s departure, winning the relegation playoff on each occasion to stay in the Bundesliga.
The entire Rowdies organization wishes Schäfer the very best in his new challenge and thanks him for his contributions to the Rowdies. Fans are invited to join in a spirited farewell at the club’s next match, Friday, June 22 at Al Lang Stadium.
