The Basics
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Orlando City B
Saturday, March 25, 2017, 7:30 p.m. ET.
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Follow us for live updates on Twitter @RowdiesGameday
Tickets
A limited number of tickets remain for Saturday’s season opener, so get yours while you still can. To purchase tickets, call (727) 222-2000 or click here.
How to Watch
The match will be broadcast on thisTV Tampa Bay and on the USL’s Youtube channel here.
Parking
There are several options for parking at Al Lang Stadium and around downtown. Parking in Lot A, right in front of the stadium, costs $5. For more parking options, click here.
Rowdies Notes
The Rowdies are set for their United Soccer League debut Saturday night, marking the start of their first season in the league. Stuart Campbell brings a roster of 22 players into the season opener, including several key returning players from last season in Joe Cole and Georgi Hristov, plus notable additions in midfielder Marcel Schäfer and defender Luke Boden.
Tampa Bay has never lost a home opener in the modern era, though the last three years have seen the Rowdies held to a draw. The Rowdies’ record in home openers is 2-0-5 (W-L-T).
Luke Boden could make his formal Rowdies debut against the organization he played six seasons for before joining Tampa Bay this offseason. Boden joined Orlando City’s USL team in 2011 and made the jump to MLS with the club, making 151 total appearances between Orlando City (USL), Orlando City (MLS) and Orlando City B. Boden played once for OCB last year. Rowdies forward Martin Paterson, who played for Orlando City in 2015, is unlikely to be included in the 18-man matchday squad.
Scouting Orlando City B
Orlando City B could arrive in St. Petersburg with a few familiar faces in Assistant Coach Rob Valentino and defender PC. Valentino played for the Rowdies, then known as the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies, in 2010. PC signed with Orlando City’s first team this winter, but reports suggest he could appear for OCB this weekend.
Orlando City B made its debut last season and squeaked into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference before being bounced 4-0 in the first round of the USL playoffs by the eventual champion, New York Red Bulls II.
