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The Tampa Bay Rowdies opened the 2021 USL Championship season in perfect fashion on Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium. In front of 1,870 fans, the longest serving Rowdies, Sebastian Guenzatti and Leo Fernandes, notched three goals between them to help the Rowdies knock off the Charlotte Independence 3-0 after a sluggish start.

“I think as a player you have so much time off, you’re so eager, you’re out in front of fans. There can be a lot of nervous energy leading up to that,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “You can end up being a little flat. It took a little bit of the anxiety away to get that first goal and Charlotte had to change their game plan. First game – win, lose or draw you know you’re going to come away thinking there’s lots to work on. I’m just glad we got the result. We move on and we learn the same lessons without having dropped 3 points.”

There wasn’t much action in the opening 45 minutes, as both sides struggled to develop much in the final third. Newcomer Laurence Wyke had the first shot on goal of the night for the Rowdies with a low strike from outside the box that forced Charlotte’s Brandon Miller into a diving save.

Wyke’s probe remained the only serious challenge for the Rowdies in the first half. A big issue for the Rowdies in the first half was the inability to feed Guenzatti quality passes to work with and get the club captain involved. That was not a problem in the second half.

Guenzatti grabbed his first tally of the night with a penalty conversion in the 58th minute after Wyke was clipped down by a Charlotte defender as the Rowdies charged into the box. Guenzatti went to his left and Miller went the opposite direction.

19 minutes later, Guenzatti doubled Tampa Bay’s lead as the Rowdies capitalized on a set piece opportunity. Lewis Hilton, who entered at halftime as a replacement in midfield, sent a free kick into the box that was headed on along to the left edge of Charlotte’s box, where the Rowdies’ Forrest Lasso was waiting. Lasso redirected the ball back across goal with a header straight to an unmarked Guenzatti, who headed the ball into the back of the net.

Guenzatti played set up man for Tampa Bay’s third goal and final goal. Just two minutes after Guenzatti’s second goal, he fed substitute Leo Fernandes a pass to the top of the box and the midfielder slotted it past Miller to seal the match.

“We weren’t great for the first 50 or 60 minutes of the game, but I don’t think they were the better team,” said Collins. “It was disappointing from a collective group that we didn’t bring more tempo and intensity. But I think there’s such a buildup to that first game, a bit of nervous energy too. There were definitely a few moments of concern. A lot to improve on, no doubt about that, but I think the players came through. Once we got the first goal, we certainly started to play the way we expect.”

The Rowdies are back at Al Lang again next Saturday to face Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at 7:30 pm.

Lineups:
Rowdies: Louro; Scarlett, Lasso, Guillen; Antley (88′ Harris), Wyke, Doherty (46′ Hilton), Dalgaard (65′ Fernandes); Dos Santos (88′, Adebayo-Smith), Steinberger (88′ Srbely), Guenzatti (C)

Charlotte: Miller (C); Dean, Roberts, Riasco; Etou, Bronico, Palomino, Areman; Parra (62′ Mbuyu), Dimick (78′ Pope), de Villardi (62′ Paravicini) 

 Scoring Summary:
TBR — Guenzatti, 59′ (Penalty)
TBR — Guenzatti, 77′
TBR — Fernandes 79′

Full stats for the match can be accessed here.

Gameday Info:

Tampa Bay Rowdies host Charlotte Independence
Saturday, May 1, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St Petersburg, Florida
 

Watch: The match will be broadcast online through ESPN+, with commentators Drew Fellios and Ryan on the call.

Follow Along: Live updates for the match will be posted on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday. Score Updates will also be posted on the Rowdies’ Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Rowdies Notes:

The long offseason is finally over for the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

By the time they take the field against the Charlotte Independence this Saturday at Al Lang Stadium it will have been 189 days since the Green and Gold played a competitive match. The players are especially eager to get back in action and after the cancellation of last year’s USL Championship Final a day before the match.

“For me I’m just looking forward to watching the players. I trust them a lot,” said Tampa Bay Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “For me, when you’re prepared well you go out and let it go. That’s what I want to see from the players, just going out and enjoying it. You look forward to it for so long, so when you get the opportunity, just go out and enjoy it. You never know with the first game of the season, lots of things can happen but I’m looking to watching the lads.”

With their first Eastern Conference title under their belt, the Rowdies enter the 2021 season in a different position than years past. The rest of the league will be aiming to knock them off their perch after such a successful season.

To defend their conference championship and build on the success of last year, the Rowdies have retained 15 players from the 2020 squad. The list of returning players is full of key contributors from last year. Starting keeper Evan Louro is back after playing every minute in goal for the Rowdies last year. In front of Louro will be all three of last year’s starting center backs – 2020 USL Defender of the Year, Jordan Scarlett, and Aaron Guillen. The Rowdies have also brought back all but one of their forward form last year, including leading scorer and captain Sebastian Guenzatti. On top of that, fan-favorite attackers Leo Fernandes, Juan Tejada, and Lucky Mkosana are all back for another campaign.

Eight new players have been added as well to fill out Tampa Bay’s 23-man roster. Exciting, attack-minded players such as Dayonn Harris, Matt Srbely and Jordan Adebayo-Smith fit Collins’ mold of young players on the cusp of reaching their full potential. Veteran forward Steevan Dos Santos doesn’t fit that description one of the older guys on the squad, but his track record of over 50 goals in USL Championship play since 2015 is a definite boon to the Rowdies attack.

The Rowdies will need every player to stand ready as the league increases to a 32-match slate. This year the Rowdies have been placed in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division. This week’s opponent Charlotte is in the Atlantic Division, as are Miami FC, the Charleston Battery, Hartford Athletic, Loudoun United FC, New York Red Bulls II, and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

Opposition Notes:

The Rowdies did face off against Charlotte in 2020 due to the shortened season. Head Coach Mike Jeffries returns for his seventh year in charge of the Independence. Last year Jeffries led his team to first place in its group during the regular season to earn a sport in the postseason. The Independence crashed out in the first round, though, falling to the Charleston Battery. Charlotte has retained a handful of core players from 2020 but have also added striker Irvin Parra, who had a quiet year with San Diego Loyal last year but notched an impressive 15 goals for Las Vegas Lights FC during the club’s inaugural season.

ST PETERSBURG, Fla (April 26, 2021) – April 26 is a special day in Tampa Bay Rowdies history. On this day in 1975, the Rowdies played their first match, knocking off the Rochester Lancers 2-1 at Tampa Stadium.

Rowdies ownership hoped for 10,000 fans to show for the match that night. NASL leadership expected around 7,000 to come. Both underestimated the excitement for the debut, as just over 12,000 ended up filing in to watch the Rowdies win their inaugural match.

 “I’m thrilled, really overjoyed. People said we had rocks for bringing a team down here,” Rowdies co-owner George Strawbridge told the media that night.

The buzz for the match was apparent to forward Smethurst and the other players as they arrived at the stadium and saw an unfamiliar sight, a parking lot full of tailgating fans.

“You’re out there and it’s like a festival,” said Smethurst. “When you’re coming in, people have got their truck tailgates down and partying. We’re thinking ‘wait a minute, you guys go play the game. I’m gonna go to that party over there.’ It was a festival, and it stayed that way with the Rowdies every game.”

Smethurst helped keep that atmosphere alive by recording the first Rowdies goal in history, receiving a pass from teammate John Sissions and burying the ball into the net in the 14th minute. The goal was a relief to Smethurst, who had only arrived in Tampa Bay a couple weeks before the opener and had been out of action for over a year while dealing with injury struggles at Millwall FC in England.

“I put the goal away and it relaxed me for the coming games and everything,” recalled Smethurst. “I finished that game and I didn’t even feel my injury at all. That was almost as encouraging as the goal.”

Rochester equalized shortly after Smethurst’s opening goal and the match stayed that way until Scottish defender Alex Pringle gave the Rowdies a winner four minutes into overtime. Before Pringles’ winner, fans were treated to another memorable moment when Rowdies head coach Eddie Firmani entered the match as a second-half substitute. Firmani, 41 at the time, slotted in at center forward but his biggest impact as a player was getting into to scuffle with one of Rochester’s center backs. It was Firmani’s only appearance as a Rowdies player.

After the match, Smethurst and the others had a postgame meetup with the fans. As part of their contracts, all players were required to attend these types of events where fans and players would mingle. This was entirely foreign to what Smethurst was used to as a player in England or his home country South Africa.

“I haven’t witnessed anything like those fan interactions after the game anywhere I’ve played and I’ve played on three continents. I loved it. I don’t think the fans had ever seen that either. That accessibility was probably the best advertisement for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, apart from kick in the grass and all of that. This was their best advertisement.”

The 1975 Rowdies went on to win 16 of their 22 regular season matches and clinch a postseason spot. They then bested Toronto Metros-Croatia and the Miami Toros in the playoffs before dispatching the Portland Timbers in the NASL Championship Final.

“The Rochester game, we didn’t know but that was the roll out of what was going to come afterwards -winning. All the games that we had to win we won. Eddie Firmani, what he was really good at was letting players be players. He’d say you’re a goal scorer, go score some goals. He didn’t put any more pressure on guys. He played me in my right position, inside forward. It was the same with others. He put the players together that could combine together.”

Smethurst played a huge part in the Rowdies success that season as the team’s leading scorer with 18 goals. By the time he left the club midway through the 1978 season, Smethurst had scored 57 total goals, a record that stood until Georgi Hristov finally surpassed it in 2018.

Sticking around Tampa Bay long enough to set any kind of records wasn’t the plan for Smethurst when he landed in April of 1975. It didn’t take long at all for those plans to change, though.

“To me I was home again. When I came over, I was coming for one short season. Then I was going back to England,” he said. I also had the option to go back to South Africa. I wanted to come out, get fit and go back to England. It took me five minutes to decide I was staying here. When I got here, I decided I didn’t want to go back to England or South Africa, period.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 22, 2021) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies are opening their doors to Florida Youth Soccer Association (FYSA) recreational and competitive programs. This summer, FYSA teams are invited to practice at Al Lang Stadium and the Al Lang mini field on select dates.  

This initiative is just one part of the Rowdies two-year partnership with the FYSA, a nonprofit organization focused on igniting a lifelong passion for soccer. 

“As part of our partnership with FYSA, we just want to give all clubs in the community an opportunity to see what it’s like at a professional level,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “Obviously, Al Lang’s facilities are fantastic. If we can gets kids even more inspired to improve and progress to being a professional soccer player someday, it’d be fantastic.” 

The following dates are available for booking training at Al Lang:  

May 7 from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.  

May 21 from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.  

June 18 from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. 

July 9 from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. 

July 23 from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. 

The Rowdies will provide all the necessary training equipment for the practice sessions. For more information and booking, please contact RowdiesYouth@https://www.rowdiessoccer.com. 

ST PETERSBURG, Fla (April 20, 2021) – The USL Championship announced today its playoff structure for the 2021 season, which will feature 16 teams when the regular season concludes in the last weekend of October. The Tampa Bay Rowdies will be aiming to reach the postseason for the third straight season and build on the success of last year’s Eastern Conference title win.

Following the announcement of the Championship’s divisional alignment in March, the top four teams from each division in the regular season will advance into a regionalized single-elimination bracket. The top two clubs in each of the Atlantic, Central, Mountain and Pacific Divisions will earn hosting rights in the Eastern and Western Conference Quarterfinals, regardless of total points.

Division winners will be matched with the fourth-place team, while second-placed teams will meet third-placed teams from the opposing division in the Conference Quarterfinals, matching up teams from the Atlantic Division and Central Division in the Eastern Conference and the Mountain and Pacific Division in the Western Conference.

Following the Conference Quarterfinals round, home advantage will be determined by total points earned, regardless of division rank, for the remainder of the postseason.

The Rowdies are in the Atlantic Division, which includes 2020 postseason participants Hartford Athletic, Charleston Battery, Charlotte Independence, and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. New York Red Bulls II, Loudoun United FC, and in-state rival Miami FC are also Tampa Bay’s direct competition for postseason spot. Each team will be play divisional opponents twice at home and twice away in 2021, as well as four additional matches against non-divisional opponents.

The USL Championship also announced that the season will culminate with the USL Championship Final on Sunday November 28. Kickoff for that match is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN or ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies got back on the winning track in preseason action on Saturday night with a 5-0 victory over NPSL side Naples United FC at Al Lang Stadium. Five different players scored in the match, with four of those being newcomers to the Rowdies.

Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins went heavy on new players in the starting lineup, inserting six of them. Keeper Raiko Arozarena made his preseason debut and dealt well with the couple shots that came his way before being subbed out at halftime.

After pressing and earning a handful of corner kicks in the opening half hour, Dayonn Harris pushed the Rowdies ahead with his second goal of the preseason. Sebastian Dalgaard initiated the sequence with an accurate cross from the left wing that found captain Sebastian Guenzatti, who laid the ball off for Harris as he charged forward into the box. The winger then powered the ball past Naples’ keeper.

Harris’ goal remained the only score until the 50th minute when the Rowdies finally took advantage of a corner. Lewis Hilton’s delivery found the head of Max Lachowecki, whose header beat the keeper but was thwarted by the crossbar. Midfielder Laurence Wyke was the in the area to clean up the rebound opportunity, though. The tally was also Wyke’s second of the preseason.

Substitute Jordan Adebayo-Smith played a part in the next two Rowdies goal. Within seconds of entering in the 62nd minute, Adebayo-Smith earned the Rowdies a penalty which was then converted by Steevan Dos Santos (also his second goal of the preseason). In the 74th minute, Adebayo-Smith produced a spectacular goal through individual effort. The young striker drove down the right wing past a defender and flicked the ball just over the keeper as he rushed off his line. Once it was past the keeper Adebay-Smith was able to finish his second goal of the preseason.

Another substitute recorded the fifth goal of the night. In his first appearance of the preseason, midfielder Leo Fernandes fed the ball to Zach Steinberger, who was left with yards of space to bury the ball into the net.

The match was the sixth of the preseason for the Rowdies. Next week’s matchup with the University of Tampa on April 24 will be the final contest of the preseason before the Rowdies kick off the USL Championship Season on May 1 against the Charlotte Independence at Al Lang.

Rowdies Starting XI: Raiko Arozarena (Ian McGrane 46’); Conner Antley, Jordan Doherty, Max Lachowecki (Forrest Lasso 74’; Dayonn Harris (Aaron Guillen 66’), Laurence Wyke (Zach Steinberger 74’), Matt Srbely, Lewis Hilton, Sebastian Dalgaard (46’ Jordan Scarlett); Sebastian Guenzatti (Jordan Adebayo-Smith 62’), Steevan Dos Santos (Leo Fernandes 74’)  

ST PETERSBURG, Fla (March 31, 2021) – Late in the 2020 USL Championship season, Tampa Bay Rowdies forward Juan Tejada finally got the call he’d been waiting years for. The young striker had been called in to Panama’s senior national team camp for a pair of October friendlies. Unfortunately, the timing just wasn’t right.

At the time, Tejada was not quite back to full strength after a month-long injury sidelined him from USL Championship play and the Rowdies didn’t want to risk sending the valuable attacker away right as they were gearing up for the postseason. This was the moment Tejada had been hoping for and expecting since he scored in his first match with Panama’s U23s in 2019 and now it seemed to be slipping away.

“I thought my options were over, to be honest.” Tejada admitted. “I didn’t know if I’d ever get the chance again. After everyone talked me down I accepted it and was able to focus on my rehabilitation with the Rowdies.”

His doubt proved to be needless when just a couple weeks later Panama reached out again. This time he’d been invited to camp in Panama ahead of the team’s November friendly against the U.S. National team in Europe. When that day finally came, Tejada made his long-awaited debut for Panama as a starter. The friendly ended with a 6-2 U.S. victory, but the experience was more than worth the wait for Tejada.

“I learned a lot during that game,” he said. “Since I was 4 or 5, when I started playing football, playing football for your national team is an experience I think everybody as a footballer wants. Even though it was a friendly, just to listen to the national anthem and just knowing that my friends and family and fellow Panamanians were watching me play; that was just a very happy experience. My heart was feeling very full. I will never forget that.”

It was a happy coincidence that the moment years in making for Tejada came against the U.S., where he’s lived and developed as a player since moving to Florida as a teenager to attend High School at IMG Academy. The chance to also play against young players such as Sergiño Dest and Weston McKennie, who are excelling at the highest levels in Europe, has only motivated Tejada to keep work even harder.

“This country that has also meant a lot for me,” Tejada said. “Knowing the evolution of the team in the U.S., it was very exciting to play against players that are now at the very top in Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus. It was a very good experience. Some of my friends and some of my teammates were talking to me about how crazy is it that Sergiño Dest and Weston Weston Mckennie were playing with Ronaldo and Messi and I was getting a chance to play against them. The focus now is to get better and beat them. As a Panamanian, we always want to do better and go to the World Cup.”

Even outside of the U.S. match, Tejada took a ton away from his training with Panama in November and the second camp in January he participated in. He’s had an easy time relating to Panama’s coach Thomas Christiansen, who took on the job in July of 2020. Christiansen came up through Barcelona’s academy system and Tejada, a diehard Barcelona supporter, enjoys soaking up the knowledge the coach has from those exeriences.

“Coming into an environment you don’t know, you’re a little bit anxious but I was ready to go and train with them, these guys I grew up watching and of course these other youngsters that were excited to make their debut,” he said. “Of course I was a little bit nervous, but as soon as we started the first training session I knew there’s a reason I was there. I know what I can do and what I can do for the team. I enjoyed it a lot and learned a lot those few weeks there. Some of the guys have played in Euros in Champions League. I just enjoyed it so much. That’s what Neill and the guys told me. Just enjoy it because you have ability and just your attitude will bring you a lot of opportunities.”

The callup from Panama in the offseason also meant Tejada got an extended stay in his home country for the first time in many years.

“It’s probably the longest I’ve spent at home since Freshman year of college, because of all the summers and vacations I’ve had here have been playing PDL and other leagues. To be back home and see my family, especially during these times, it was so nice. I just hope they can come and visit soon and see some of the games. They came in 2019, so I’m just excited for them hopefully to be able to come. Hopefully they can remain healthy and the protocols allow people at Al Lang.”

Before Panama went into stricter lockdowns at the end of the year, Tejada got to recharge and indulge in one of his favorite hobbies.

“I love off days because I love hiking, I love nature, especially in Panama. We have a lot of rainforests and waterfall,” he said. “I really love doing all of that. Some people call me Tarzan there because I just go into the jungle, usually places people won’t go because they’re like so off the path and weird. I love it.”

Tejada turned 24 in January and is entering his third year with the Rowdies. The abbreviated 2020 season and his injury meant he was only able to bag two goals for the Rowdies after scoring 10 the year before. With more games to play in 2021, the striker is hopeful it means more goals and another successful Rowdies season. He’s even taken on the number 9 jersey this year, a number typically worn by a team’s main goal scorer.

“I hope it’s gonna be the best season yet,” Tejada said. “We’re always looking every day to improve and be better and I’m so excited to get a full season. It’s gonna be more realistic this time compared to 2020. Our team every year gets better and the competition gets stronger. The competition we’ve got here, training is so tough that it makes the games easier. That’s what we want to do. I want to do my best. That’s what I really like, to play exciting football as a team and score a lot of goals.”

TAMPA, Fla. – The United Soccer League (USL) today announced the creation of the Forever Proud Project, an ongoing, year-round initiative designed to increase inclusivity, education and awareness for the LGBTQ+ community. 

The Forever Proud Project aims to create opportunities and promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity across all USL communities. The project, which aims to kick off on May 17 – the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia – will activate especially around key awareness dates, and shine the spotlight on community members, fans and businesses across the USL.

“The Forever Proud project is a good first step in a long-term journey towards creating a more inclusive soccer community,” said USL Senior Vice President Lizzie Seedhouse. “It’s our hope that this project can make a difference and increase visibility, awareness and inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community. We will work hard to ensure that their voices are heard and valued.”

The Forever Proud Project launches with a collection of key partners already established as leaders in LGBTQ+ inclusivity in sport.

• You Can Play Project: Rooted in the mission to ensure the safety and inclusion of all LGBTQ people throughout the sports ecosystem, USL will work alongside the You Can Play Project to provide League Staff and Clubs support through educational resources, advocacy, experiential marketing consultation, and community management support.

• Football v Homophobia: The USL and Football v Homophobia’s partnership will develop cultural comprehension and grassroots programming to help remove discrimination and prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The programming will be utilized throughout the USL Youth ecosystem, impacting 12,000+ young USL athletes across the country.

• HomeField Alliance: As the first LGBTQ affinity group aimed to create a voice and resource for LGBTQ professionals in the business of sport and entertainment, HomeField Alliance and the USL will amplify the group’s purpose and mission throughout the USL ecosystem, with focuses on membership relationships, networking, workshops, and mentoring programming.

• PUMA x The Trevor Project: A strategic partnership between PUMA, The Trevor Project and the USL will deliver educational resources to support the mental health of LGBTQ young people and promote inclusive sports participation, which can help reduce risk of suicide. This initiative will be amplified by custom apparel collaborations and ladder up into PUMA’s social justice platform, #REFORM. Grounded in three core pillars — ending racial, LGBTQ+ and gender discrimination — #REFORM drives and supports social change by partnering with like-minded activists and organizations around the world.

In addition to the aforementioned partnerships, the USL, in collaboration with the USLBPA and the USL Players’ Association, is working with the Institute for Sport and Social Justice to conduct comprehensive sensitivity and unconscious bias training for all USL HQ and club staff, players, and other full-time employees.

In providing more access to educational and informational resources and tools across the USL, the league seeks to impact its athletes, coaches, family members, personnel, and fans as it raises year-round awareness for the LGBTQ+ community.