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ST PETERSBURG, FL – The Tampa Bay Rowdies roster grew again on Tuesday with the announcement that midfielder Brunoallergene Junior Etou has signed with the club for the upcoming 2022 USL Championship season.

Etou is the second former member of the Charlotte Independence to join the Rowdies this off-season, following the addition of ex-Independence midfielder Jake Areman on Monday. The 27-year-old central midfielder joined Charlotte in early 2020 and was a regular in the lineup that year, starting in all 17 of his appearances. He then made 6 appearances for Charlotte in 2021, and even recorded a game-winning goal against the Rowdies.

Etou made himself an important cog in Charlotte’s system with his sound technical abilities and sturdy defensive work to hold the team together in the center of the field. These are the skills Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins hopes to see Etou bring to the Green and Gold.

“When you play against players, it’s obviously easy for them to catch your eye. It can also happen when you’re scouting teams and watching so much of their footage playing against other teams. People catch your eye with the things that they do and Junior was one of those players,” said Collins. “I felt that when we played Charlotte, he was annoying. He was annoying because he kept disrupting the game, winning the ball and never really giving it away.”

Born in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, Etou moved to France as a young child and steadily worked his way up the ranks of the country’s amateur soccer scene. As a teenager, he landed at J.A. Drancy in the lower tiers of French soccer. He remained with the club for five years before eventually moving on to Monts d’Or Azergues in 2017. The following season, Etou made his professional debut for AS Béziers, making 17 appearances for the second division side. Shortly after making his debut, Etou was called up by the Republic of Congo’s national team for an Africa Cup of Nations qualification match.

With his skillset, Etou provides the Rowdies positive competition in midfield. His work rate and ability to operate from box to box makes him an ideal player for the middle of the field.

“Junior can carry the ball quite similar to Yann,” Collins noted. “They’re both French, so maybe it’s something in the water in France. He drives the ball forward into space and carries the game up the field. So I think he can compliment our midfielders and give them competition. He gives us someone that can play as a number six, or play as a number eight, and then he also knows the league. Again, that’s a big thing for me. He’s played overseas in France and he’s played in the USL as well. He’s someone that we’re excited about. We looked into bringing him in last year and couldn’t make it happen. I’m glad we were able to bring him home now.”

Confirmed 2022 Rowdies Roster so far:

Goalkeepers: Raiko Arozarena.
Defenders: Jordan Scarlett, Timmy Mehl.
Midfielders: Conner Antley, Yann Ekra, Sebastian Dalgaard, Dayonn Harris, Jake Areman, Junior Etou.
Forwards: Steevan Dos Santos, Lucky Mkosana, Jordan Adebayo-Smith.

Stay tuned to the Rowdies social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram for more new additions to the roster as well as more announcements regarding returning players.

The USL Championship recently announced that the Rowdies home opener is set for Saturday, March 19 versus Indy Eleven. Tampa Bay will kick off the season the prior week at Birmingham Legion FC. The full 34-match regular season schedule will be revealed on Wednesday, January 12. Season tickets for 2022 start as low as $170 for the slate of 17 home matches set to be played at Al Lang. Fans can lock in their season tickets today to ensure they don’t miss a moment of action by calling 727-222-2000 or by visiting https://www.rowdiessoccer.com/tickets.

ST PETERSBURG, FL – Following last week’s announcement that the Tampa Bay Rowdies have added former Loudoun United center-back Timmy Mehl as the first new signing of the off-season, the club is starting this week off with the addition of a player from another team the Rowdies faced often in 2021. Longtime Charlotte Independence midfielder Jake Areman has signed a deal to join the Rowdies for the upcoming USL Championship season, instantly adding valuable experience and versatility to Tampa Bay’s midfield.

“We’re really pleased to get Jake on board,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “We’ve watched him a lot, having played against Charlotte four times this past season. We always knew Jake was a real threat for Charlotte heading into those games.”

Areman has spent his entire professional career up to this point with Charlotte. A native of New Jersey, Areman played two seasons for the University of Maryland before transferring to play his last two years of college soccer at Monmouth University. He also played one season with New York Red Bulls U-23s in between college semesters in 2017.

Since signing with Charlotte in 2018, Areman has been a regular fixture in the club’s gameday lineups. The 25-year-old midfielder amassed 86 appearances in all competitions with Charlotte over the last four years. A natural left-footed player, Areman is capable of filling different roles in the midfield and is know for delivering quality service from set pieces. Areman’s contributions in the attack have increased in recent seasons, with the midfielder notching 8 assists over the last two years.

“Jake can carry the ball, he’s good at playing in tight spaces, and he’s got a great left foot,” said Collins. “One thing we’ll be looking to get out of our team and Jake this year will be a few more goals, a few more assists, and I think he’s got the quality to do that. He’s played a lot of games at this level, something that we also like. He’s quite versatile as well. He can play in the middle and out wide. Jake has a really great dead-ball delivery from out wide as well. It’s one of his strengths.”

Confirmed 2022 Rowdies Roster so far:

Goalkeepers: Raiko Arozarena.
Defenders: Jordan Scarlett, Timmy Mehl.
Midfielders: Conner Antley, Yann Ekra, Sebastian Dalgaard, Dayonn Harris, Jake Areman.
Forwards: Steevan Dos Santos, Lucky Mkosana, Jordan Adebayo-Smith.

Stay tuned to the Rowdies social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram for more new additions to the roster as well as more announcements regarding returning players.

The USL Championship recently announced that the Rowdies home opener is set for Saturday, March 19 versus Indy Eleven. Tampa Bay will kick off the season the prior week at Birmingham Legion FC. The full 34-match regular season schedule will be revealed on Wednesday, January 12. Season tickets for 2022 start as low as $170 for the slate of 17 home matches set to be played at Al Lang. Fans can lock in their season tickets today to ensure they don’t miss a moment of action by calling 727-222-2000 or by visiting https://www.rowdiessoccer.com/tickets.

ST PETERSBURG, FL – On Friday, the Tampa Bay Rowdies announced the club’s first new addition to the roster ahead of the 2022 USL Championship season. The club has added the talents of center back Timmy Mehl, making him the tenth player confirmed to the roster so far.

Mehl, 26, joins the Rowdies after spending the past two seasons with Loudoun United. Mehl made ten appearances in his first season with Loudoun, but in 2021 took on more responsibility as he started in 29 matches and wore the captain’s armband. He bolsters a Tampa Bay defense that led the league with 16 clean sheets last year.

“The defense was one area where we were blessed last year with the center backs who played regularly staying fit and stayed in form, by and large,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “Conner Antley also stepped in and did really well on occasion, but he played mostly at right wingback. So with Timmy we were looking for someone who could come in and compete with those center backs. Timmy showed himself really, really well this past season. He’s got good attributes. He wins the ball, he wins headers, he wins tackles, he makes great recoveries. He’s also very good in possession.”

A native of southern California, Mehl played four years of college soccer at Indiana University, appearing in 72 matches for the Hoosiers and earning selection to the All-Big Ten Team in two seasons. After graduating, Mehl made his professional debut with North Carolina FC in a US Open Cup match in 2019 before being loaned out to USL League One side Chattanooga Red Wolves later in the year.

As a former center back himself, Collins was impressed by what he has seen from Mehl. 

“Timmy is someone that in difficult circumstances at Loudoun, obviously a much younger team, I thought he really held them together well and showed some really good defensive instincts,” noted Collins. “I think he’ll come in and give us really good competition in that area of the field and also give those guys a rest if we need to. As we look to improve every year, these guys need competition. Timmy will come in and compete and, as always, the best people will play.”

Confirmed 2022 Rowdies Roster so far:

Goalkeepers: Raiko Arozarena.
Defenders: Jordan Scarlett, Timmy Mehl.
Midfielders: Conner Antley, Yann Ekra, Sebastian Dalgaard, Dayonn Harris.
Forwards: Steevan Dos Santos, Lucky Mkosana, Jordan Adebayo-Smith.

Stay tuned to the Rowdies social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram for more new additions to the roster as well as more announcements regarding returning players.

The USL Championship recently announced that the Rowdies home opener is set for Saturday, March 19 versus Indy Eleven. Tampa Bay will kick off the season the prior week at Birmingham Legion FC. The full 34-match regular season schedule will be revealed on Wednesday, January 12. Season tickets for 2022 start as low as $170 for the slate of 17 home matches set to be played at Al Lang. Fans can lock in their season tickets today to ensure they don’t miss a moment of action by calling 727-222-2000 or by visiting https://www.rowdiessoccer.com/tickets.

ST PETERSBURG, FL (January 4, 2022) – The Tampa Bay Rowdies offseason moves continued on Tuesday with the announcement that Jon Stead and Eric Wilde have joined Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins’ staff as Assistant Coaches.

Stead enjoyed a lengthy and productive career as a striker in England, tallying over 165 goals in more than first 700 first-team appearances. His career included stints in the Premier League with Sunderland, Sheffield United, and Blackburn Rovers. Like Collins, Stead’s transition from playing to coaching was a swift one. A few weeks following his retirement in May of last year after several seasons at Harrogate Town, Stead jumped head first into the role of Assistant coach at USL Championship side Hartford Athletic.

“There’s always so many factors when you’re considering staff,” said Collins. “I think with Jon, first and foremost was the fact that he showed the willingness to come out here last year and start his coaching career in the USL. To come out on his own without his family and just grasp that opportunity certainly grabbed my attention. I spoke to him when we played Hartford and saw the passion he was developing for coaching. I think some players know they want to be coaches and some players think they might but when they do it they find they might not. I think Jon is one of those people that has prepared himself for coaching and now that he’s in it is really enjoying it and he’s passionate to do it more. So he’s ticked a lot of the boxes.”

Collins has some familiarity with Stead, as the two were teammates for a short while at Sunderland. They also played against each other often throughout their careers in England, developing an understanding of one another’s tendencies over the years.

“As you can imagine, there’s been so many candidates that are good coaches that we obviously considered, but I think with Jon, he also knows me and my personality. And I know Jon’s, and it’s different to mine,” Collins noted. “For me, that’s the single most important thing about that particular assistant role; having someone that knows what I’m like and can compliment that with different things. I think Jon will do that.”

Wilde’s journey to Tampa Bay has been different from Stead and the rest of the Rowdies coaching staff, yet his experience offers a fresh perspective in the coaches’ locker room. A graduate of Marquette University in 2016, Wilde has been a member of USL League One side Forward Madison’s technical staff since the club’s first season in 2019. While in Madison, Wilde specialized in video analysis, opposition scouting and data analytics. 

“Eric’s the first member of the staff that has not played professionally, but I think that’s neither here nor there really because I think it’s about getting the best person for the job,” said Collins. Eric showed really well in his application for the role. He has great experience putting himself forward at Forward Madison. Again, if you look through a lot of the staff that are at this club, they’ve all put themselves out there and extended themselves by trying to grasp an opportunity. Eric did that at Forward Madison. He worked there for three years and gradually got more and more responsibility.”

While still a young coach, Wilde has gained a reputation for the value he brings to the squad through his work ethic and analysis skills.

“You speak to the coaches that work with Eric and I think the biggest endorsement they gave was if they were getting another job tomorrow they’d be taking him with them,” said Collins. “The work he put together in applying for this job I thought showed great diligence. The skills he brings are an important part of what we’re looking to improve, that analytics side and analyzing not just our opponents but ourselves and our individual players. I think Eric will help our individual players get better by being able to give feedback on their game.”

Stead and Wile join returning Assistant Coach Stuart Dobson and Performance Coach Pete Calabrese.

Stay tuned to the Rowdies social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram in the coming days for news on more announcements regarding returning players, new players, and schedule related news.

Fans can secure tickets for the 2022 season now by calling 727-222-2000 or clicking here. Seasons tickets start as low as $170 for the slate of 17 home matches at Al Lang Stadium.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – On Tuesday, the USL Championship announced its competition structure for the 2022 season. The league’s 27 teams will be divided into an Eastern Conference and a Western Conference again, with the Rowdies competing in the East’s 14-team conference. Along with the traditional Eastern Conference foes of the past few seasons, the Rowdies will also face a newcomer to the USL, Detroit City FC.

A 34-match regular season awaits each team in 2022, set to kick off on March 11 and culminate on October 15. The home openers and full schedule for the 2022 season will be announced in January.

In 2022, each team will face off with their conference opponents twice – once at home and once away. The remaining eight matches for all Eastern Conference teams will be against Western Conference opposition – four at home and four away. For the 13 teams of the Western Conference, they will fill out their ten remaining matches with a combination of five interconference and intraconference matchups – five at home and five away.

The top seven teams from each conference in the regular season will qualify for the 2022 USL Championship Playoffs. The top seeds from each conference will earn a bye to the Conference Semifinals of the playoffs. Following the Conference Quarterfinals, the bracket will be reseeded to ensure the first overall seed in each conference plays against the lowest-seeded remaining opponent. The USL Championship Playoffs will remain a single-elimination format, culminating in the 2022 USL Championship Final on a to be determined date between Nov. 10 and Nov. 14, 2022.

“We are pleased and eager to see the Championship in a traditional two-conference alignment in 2022,” said USL President Jake Edwards. “This regular season format increases the importance of each intra-conference match while also providing the variety and intrigue of more cross-conference matchups. The schedule footprint allows our teams time to compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and finish the playoffs prior to call-ups for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”

2022 USL CHAMPIONSHIP CONFERENCE ALIGNMENT

EASTERN CONFERENCE 
Atlanta United 2
Birmingham Legion
Charleston Battery
Detroit City FC
Hartford Athletic
Indy Eleven
Loudoun United FC
Louisville City FC
Memphis 901 FC
The Miami FC
New York Red Bulls II
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Tampa Bay Rowdies 
FC Tulsa

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
El Paso Locomotive FC
|LA Galaxy II
Las Vegas Lights FC
Monterey Bay F.C.
New Mexico United
Oakland Roots SC
Orange County SC
Phoenix Rising FC
Rio Grande Valley FC
Sacramento Republic FC
San Antonio FC
San Diego Loyal SC

Tampa Bay Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins has stayed busy since the 2021 USL Championship season ended. As bitter as the loss to Orange County SC in the championship final was, it didn’t stop Collins and his staff from getting straight back to work the day after to ensure next year ends on a much higher note. Below is an interview with Coach Collins looking back on 2021 and looking ahead to 2022.

With some time to reflect, what’re your thoughts on the way the season ended?

I’ve had some time to reflect, but I think it’s going to take a long time to digest just the game itself. It’s not like another game where you can maybe move on quickly and get it out of your system by playing. Because it’s the final, we’ll think about it for a long time. On Tuesday after the game, you start looking to next year and start having to finalize decisions that you’ve thought about for a long time and making tough decisions about players that have been fantastic for the club, securing players so that we can get ready for next year, and then adding players. Straight away we’re already just excited by what we can build on. That was the great thing, we gave ourselves a lot of platforms to build on. When you’re regular season champions and Eastern Conference champions, we just want to keep building on that and going from strength to strength and make that last step. A lot of great building blocks are in place and it’s my job to make those small adjustments so we can improve again.

How do you find the balance and perspective of dealing with the disappointment of reaching two straight championship finals and not achieving that ultimate goal while still taking the positives away from all the progress and successes the team has achieved?

It’s really hard to have perspective in the immediate aftermath because the disappointment is there. But then you speak to people you’re close to and they start giving you a little more perspective. Then when you try and analyze what the club’s achieved and where we’re at, you’ve gotta have perspective all the time. Balance that against what we want to achieve, which is the main trophy that we missed out on. There’s loads and loads to be positive about. What really excites me is we can all still see real potential. It’s not like we think we got there and we can’t do that again. I think we all know we can do even better, as difficult as it might be. We still see room to improve and the players are the same. That was one of the biggest things for me, speaking to the players that following week, seeing that same hunger and desire in them and obviously still a little bit of disappointment. That’s what gives me a lot of excitement. These guys are a special bunch in terms of their personality and character. So we’ll get them back in here and they’ll be as motivated as ever. One game can’t define what they’ve put into it. We won’t let that happen.

Every season is different, every team is different. What would you hope fans remember about this 2021 team?

They’ve definitely done their talking on the field with the results that they’ve had, but I think on top of that the performances that they’ve had as well. So the people that have come and watched, the players have brought them a lot of enjoyment by the way that they’ve played. But I think ultimately, it’s about the fantastic nights we’ve had at Al Lang. They should be remembered for that part, particularly that one against Louisville. I think that one reflects everything about this group. You ask the players, you ask the staff, I don’t know if I’ve ever been a part of a group where every one of them has been so committed to the team, the greater good of the team. At times they’ve taken me aback by just how much they put the team first. That’s what they should take away. It’s a special team and I think the great thing is we’re keeping a majority of those guys and we just want to make them more special.

You’re losing two key pieces of your staff in Assistant Coaches Chad Burt and Kevin Foley. What have they meant to the success of this club and to you as a young coach still developing?

The players always get the most credit, and rightfully so because the players are the ones that have to go out on the field and perform under circumstances that can be very difficult, but the staff behind the scenes deserve so much credit. I think the players would say the staff do everything they possibly can to give them the best possible chance to perform. Chad and Kev have both helped take this club to another level. They’ve certainly helped me as a coach to really support me in everything I’m trying to do. People that get to work with these guys day-to-day, not just the players but the staff, can see they’re 100 percent bought into what we’re trying to do. They’re just great people, and you can’t underestimate the impact they’ve had on not just the players but everyone around them. They’re just willing to do whatever it takes. They’ll be missed, but it’s part and parcel of being part of a professional organization. Good people come and good people go, and you’ve got to just try and find people to replace them so that we can keep moving forward. From a personal point of view and then a team point of view, we’re better off having had them for two years. There’s no doubt about that.

Where are you in the process of adding those new assistant coaches? 

We’re very close. It’s difficult replacing good people, especially when you’re coming off the success we’ve had. But it also brings the added advantage of people wanting to come here. People want to work with these players at this club. So that means we get good candidates. It’s not just about finding good coaches, it’s about finding good people that are bought into everything we’re about. Are they willing to help roll the tarps out on a Friday? Because our President is. We need people that are willing to go above and beyond to make the club work and I think we’ll find two people that’ll help us do that.

Where has your energy been focused since the season ended?

Meeting with every player that has been part of the team. I always felt as a player myself that coming into and out of the season, even just a two-minute chat with the coach, even if it’s some hard words, I think it goes a long way. I went through that process and it’s good to see where everyone is off to in their offseason, review their season individually and the expectations for next year. As you can imagine, we’ve also been finalizing some recruitment. That’s important. In some respects, teams are three or four weeks ahead of us. I think we’ve been able to add two or three new players that are going to move us on next year.

You’re now committed to continuing to lead the Rowdies with a new contract extension? How excited are you to know you get to keep building on all the progress the club has achieved the last three and a half seasons? 

The first three and a half years have gone by really, really quickly. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, apart from maybe a couple of months in 2018 that were particularly difficult. I think that time has been invaluable for me to improve but also for us to really improve this team and this club. I’m just delighted to get the opportunity to keep getting that time to improve the team, improve the club for the people that work here and get the people that support the club the success that they deserve. It doesn’t happen overnight. We’re just gonna keep taking it one step at a time, but we’re really excited about what’s ahead.

You stepped into this job not really knowing what you were getting into. With a few years under and a couple successful seasons under your belt, was it an easy decision to remain here in Tampa Bay?

Yeah, it was. It was Bill that showed his faith in me to begin with and Lee Cohen has obviously been supportive and when the new owners came in they’ve been supportive. I’m just grateful I’ve got people that see me as the best person to keep moving the club forward in the right direction. I see myself as a young coach in the best environment to be successful and to keep improving. That’s no different to some of our young players and some of our old players. We can all improve and that’s what we’re striving to do. If I didn’t think we could still improve and I couldn’t still get better, then I would have looked at another opportunity. For me here, I wouldn’t say we’ve just scratched the surface, I think we’ve maybe done a little bit more than that, but we’ve still got lofty ambitions that we want to achieve and that’s what we’ve started working on pretty much immediately once the final finished. 

What excites you when you start to think about 2022? 

The team’s always adapting and evolving. For me as a young coach, you learn every year about what does a team need more of, what does a team maybe not need as much of. Our style is constantly evolving. I think what excites me is just the possibility of adding a couple of new players, making the players that we’ve got better. I think a great example of that is Dayonn Harris. An excellent first year and you see him progress as the season goes on to showing in the final two  games what he’s capable of. Can we make him better next year? That will make us better as a team and hopefully bring more success.

Top team in the regular season. Back-to-back Eastern Conference champions. When you have that kind of success, does it make your job more difficult when you’re looking for those areas of improvement?

It does make it more difficult, there’s no question about that. When I look back at 2018, it was a blank sheet of paper and it was like if we get some of these basics right we’re going to improve. I think we did that and we’ve done that incrementally every year. I think now we’re at a point where we can’t forget the basics. We’ve still got to have all the same things, the hunger, the desire that we’ve shown. That’s up to me to keep maintaining that. But then can we just add different details for the players? The players know how we want to play. They know the standard. So it’s constantly just looking at improving individually and collectively, and looking at how the league is changing as well. It definitely gets more difficult, but I’d much rather be in this position of refining the final points and trying to keep getting better as maybe just one or two percent at a time as opposed to 20 or 30 percent at a time. That’s where you’ve just got to get into the details.

ST PETERSBURG, FL (December 17, 2021) – With Head Coach Neill Collins locked into a multi-year extension to remain in charge of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the club’s focus has shifted to ensuring the team on the field can match and improve upon a record-breaking 2021 season. To start off on that task, the Rowdies announced on Friday the return of nine valuable contributors from this year’s squad, which finished the regular season with the best record in the league and claimed the club’s second straight Eastern Conference title.

The group of returning players includes a mix of Rowdies veterans and young players who impressed in their first season in Tampa Bay. Attackers confirmed to return include fan-favorite Lucky Mkosana, speedy youngster Jordan Adebayo-Smith, and the club’s second leading scorer Steevan Dos Santos. While veteran Yann Ekra, the versatile Sebastian Dalgaard, the dynamic Dayonn Harris, and one of the club’s top assisters Conner Antley are all set to return for the Green and Gold in midfield. Experienced center back Jordan Scarlett and promising goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena have also been retained to protect the Rowdies’ net next year.

“Over the past two years a big part of our success has been being able to retain the core of our squad and we aim to do the same again,” said Collins. “All of these players played a key part on and off the field last year and are returning in 2022 as I believe they are as hungry as ever to improve and make the team better. Our squad has a great balance of younger and more experienced players and this group of guys shows that. Players like Conner and Dayonn showed fantastic improvement last season and will continue to get better. Players like Yann and Lucky, while at a different stage in their careers, also continue to improve and make the team better.”

Despite missing a significant chunk of the season due to injury, Dos Santos was a reliable weapon up top for the Rowdies as he bagged 12 goals, including the game-winning goal in extra-time of the Eastern Conference Championship Final. Adebayo-Smith joined the Rowdies shortly after turning 20 years old and went on to notch four tallies, highlighted by two game-winners. Mkosana was only available for the last few months of the season this year, but the crafty striker made the most of his time on the field. While being primarily utilized as a substitute, Mkosana scored four goals and recorded two assists in just 340 minutes of play. Two of those goals were scored in the dying moments of the Eastern Conference Championship Final versus Louisville City to push the match into extra-time.

In his third season with the Rowdies this year, Ekra found his most consistent form for the club yet, appearing in 27 matches and recording a game-winning goal in the Eastern Conference Semi-Final against Birmingham Legion FC. Ekra is also one of the most experienced players in league history, with 229 USL Championship appearances under his belt since 2012. Dalgaard returns for a third season in Tampa Bay after another strong campaign as he was just one of three Rowdies players to appear in all 36 matches. The Danish midfielder’s contributions can often go under the radar, but his technical quality and ability to step into multiple midfield roles makes him a key asset. Meanwhile, Harris is poised for a productive second season after growing into a formidable force out on the right wing with his tremendous pace and dribbling skills. Antley earned the trust of Collins in his first year to become a regular starter in the right wingback role and finished tied with two teammates with a club-leading six assists.

Scarlett brings his stalwart defensive abilities back to the Rowdies after two straight seasons of consistent performances on one of the best back lines in the league. The Jamaican-born defender has missed just one match in his time with the Rowdies. Arozarena only had the chance at two starts in net in his debut season for the Rowdies, yet the young keeper earned the confidence of Collins with his efforts in those matches as well as in training week in and week out.

In addition to the players confirmed to return, the Rowdies also announced the departure of the following players:

• Players whose contract options were declined – Ian McGrane, Luiz Fernando.
• Players whose contracts expired at the end of the season and are now free agents – Evan Louro, Max Lachowecki, Jordan Doherty, and Zach Steinberger.

“On behalf of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, I want to thank every one of the players departing for their dedication to our club and our supporters,” said Rowdies President Lee Cohen. “We have been fortunate to have players of such high character represent the Rowdies, and each of them contributed to a season of Rowdies soccer that no one within our organization or any of our supporters will forget anytime soon.”

Steinberger, Doherty, and Lachowecki have all played integral parts in helping the Rowdies to reach new heights over the last few seasons through their contributions both on the field and in the locker room.

“Zach, Max, and Jordan have been fantastic servants to the club and played a key role in improving standards on and off the field,” said Collins. “Their impact cannot be understated and they will always be welcome at Al Lang Stadium.”

In just two seasons, Louro established himself as one of the best ever to mind the net for the Rowdies. He leaves Tampa Bay having recorded 23 clean sheets in 53 appearances, the second highest shutout tally in the history of the club. Sadly, Louro’s 2021 season was cut one match short due to a knee injury which eliminated him from the USL Championship Final.

“No one on our team deserved for the season to end the way it did, but Evan in particular did not,” said Collins. “His desire and winning mentality has been an inspiration over the past two years. If anyone can recover from this injury, it will be Evan.”

Stay tuned to the Rowdies social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for announcements of more returning players, new players to the squad, as well as news on the schedule for the 2022 season.

Fans can jump aboard as a season ticket member and catch every moment of action at Al Lang Stadium for the upcoming season at https://www.rowdiessoccer.com/tickets.

ST PETERSBURG, FL – The Tampa Bay Rowdies are ready for a new look next season. On Wednesday, the Rowdies announced a multi-year agreement for PUMA to become the official soccer apparel partner of the club starting in 2022. PUMA will produce apparel for fans, as well as gameday and training apparel for Rowdies players, coaches and front office staff.
 
The Rowdies join a growing list as the 17th club within the USL’s network of leagues to partner with PUMA, which also represents top clubs around the globe such as Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, and Chivas.
 
“We are elated to join our iconic Rowdies brand with PUMA, a dynamic company that has shown great commitment to the sport of soccer around the world and within the US,” said Rowdies President Lee Cohen. “Our fans can look forward to a creative refresh for our club while still maintaining what they all love and value about our historic club.”
 
New Puma branded Rowdies apparel will be available to purchase for fans early in the new year. Primary, secondary, and third kits will also be revealed in the new year as well.
 
The Rowdies are already hard at work preparing for the 2022 USL Championship season. Head Coach Neill Collins recently signed a multi-year extension to remain at the Rowdies. Stay tuned to the club’s social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for forthcoming announcements regarding next year’s home opener, the full schedule release, as well as returning players and new players for the upcoming season.
 
Fans can jump onboard to become season ticket members for 2022 season at https://www.rowdiessoccer.com/tickets.