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TAMPA, Fla. (March 2, 2019) — After eight preseason matches, the Tampa Bay Rowdies are now ready to kick off the 2019 Championship season following a 2-1 win over the USF Bulls on Saturday night.

Playing a mix of MLS, USL and college teams, the Rowdies posted a record of 5-2-1 (W-L-D) in their preseason. The regular season kicks off next Saturday night on the road against expansion side Memphis 901 FC.

“I think regardless of the wins, there’s been a lot of real positive stuff,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “We have eight returners and 16 new players. We have to have our expectations right. There’s a lot we’re happy with and a lot we need to improve. If all those guys came in and everything was perfect, I’d be a miracle worker. The guys have been brilliant. They’ve tried to implement everything we’ve asked and that’s all you want as a coach.”

After an early Bulls goal, Sebastian Guenzatti equalized the match in the 16th minute. From there, it was basically all Rowdies as they dominated possession and controlled the tempo of the match.

USF’s goalkeepers combined for at least 10 saves in a resilient performance. 

The Rowdies emptied the bench in the second half, with seven players entering the match. Only John McCarthy, Papé Diakite, Tarek Morad and Caleb Richards played the full 90 minutes.

Despite their dominance, the Rowdies couldn’t find a go-ahead goal until very late in the match when Kwadwo Poku dribbled past a set of defenders before chipping the goalkeeper for a 2-1 lead in the 85th minute.

It was the second goal of preseason for both Guenzatti and Poku. Brandon Allen finished as the preseason scoring leader with three goals.

Starting Lineup
Rowdies (3-5-2): GK John McCarthy; D Tarek Morad, Papé Diakité, Caleb Richards; M Shawn Barry (Mohamed Kone 71′), Andrew Tinari (Jaime Siaj 71′), Dom Oduro (Jordan Doherty 50′), Zach Steinberger (Yann Ekra 62′), Leo Fernandes (Kwadwo Poku 71′); F Brandon Allen (Juan Tejada 71′), Sebastian Guenzatti (c) (Antoine Hoppenot 62′)

Scoring Summary
USF: 10th minute
Rowdies: Sebastian Guenzatti – 16th minute (assisted by Leo Fernandes)
Rowdies: Kwadwo Poku – 85th minute

The Basics
University of South Florida Bulls vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, March 2, 7 p.m. ET
Corbett Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Follow us for live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday

Tickets
Tickets for Saturday’s match can be purchased here. They cost $10 for adults and $7 for youth.

Rowdies Notes
The Rowdies head into their eighth and final preseason match with a record of 4-2-1. Tampa Bay’s only defeat came in a 1-0 loss to D.C. United on Feb. 16. The Rowdies have faced two college teams already, beating the UCF Knights 4-2 on Feb. 9 and Georgia Southern University 4-0 on Feb. 21.

Brandon Allen is the Rowdies’ leading scorer in preseason with three goals. Juan Tejada has two. Ten different players have scored for the Rowdies, including an unsigned trialist and TBU Academy player Dan Wintermeier.

The Rowdies head across the bridge to Tampa with a full squad of 24 players signed to the roster ahead of next week’s season opener in Memphis. Goalkeeper Chris Konopka is the newest member of the team after signing earlier this week.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (February 27, 2019) — With 10 days to go until the start of the 2019 USL Championship season, the Tampa Bay Rowdies opening day roster is now complete with the addition of goalkeeper Chris Konopka, pending league and federation approval. 

Konopka is the third goalkeeper on Tampa Bay’s roster, joining John McCarthy and Macklin Robinson in a talented and deep group. 

“We’re really excited to bring Chris into our team,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “Chris has played for some really great clubs around the world and the leadership and experience he brings to our locker room is invaluable. I’ve spoken before about how important competition is at the goalkeeper position and we’ll have it every single day with the keepers we have.”

Konopka, 33, is the only player on Tampa Bay’s roster older than 28. He has played professionally in five countries, including finishing the 2017-18 season with promotion-winning EFL Championship side Cardiff City FC. 

Konopka has also represented six different Major League Soccer clubs: Sporting Kansas City (then the Kansas City Wizards), Columbus Crew, New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC, Portland Timbers and Minnesota United FC.

In his distinguished career, Konopka has won the League of Ireland (2008 with Bohemians), the FAI Cup (2008 with Bohemians and 2009 with Sporting Fingal) and the Scottish League Cup (2015-16 with Ross County.

With Konopka now signed, the Rowdies opening day roster of 24 is below.

Goalkeepers (3): Chris Konopka, John McCarthy, Macklin Robinson
Defenders (7): Shawn Barry, Pape Diakite, Ryan Felix, Mohamed Kone, Tarek Morad, David Najem, Caleb Richards
Midfielders (7): Jordan Doherty, Yann Ekra, Leo Fernandes, Dom Oduro, Kwadwo Poku, Zach Steinberger, Andrew Tinari
Forwards (7): Brandon Allen, Sebastian Guenzatti, Antoine Hoppenot, Malik Johnson, Jaime Siaj, Leon Taylor, Juan Tejada

STATESBORO, Ga. (February 25, 2019) — Preparations for the 2019 USL Championship season continued this weekend with opening day now less than two weeks away.

The Rowdies went north to Georgia to play matches on back-to-back days, giving more players a chance to get 90 minutes under their belts. Tampa Bay split its weekend matches, falling 3-2 to League One’s South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday before beating Georgia Southern University 4-0 less than 24 hours later.

Former Rowdies midfielder Alex Morrell had a strong showing for his new club Saturday, scoring twice against his former club. Leo Fernandes and Antoine Hoppenot had the goals for Tampa Bay, but the Rowdies were unable to overturn a 2-0 deficit just 23 minutes into the match. It was the first goal of preseason for both Fernandes and Hoppenot.

The Rowdies earned a much better result Sunday, with Brandon Allen bagging a brace, plus goals from Juan Tejada and TBU Academy player Dan Wintermeier. It was Allen’s second and third goals of preseason and Tejada’s second.

Tampa Bay has one match left this preseason, visiting Corbett Stadium in Tampa to take on the USF Bulls on Saturday, March 2. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and tickets are available here.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (February 20, 2019) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies showed some flexibility Saturday night as 20 players saw the field in a scoreless draw against the Montreal Impact at Al Lang Stadium.

It was the Rowdies second clean sheet in five preseason matches. Tampa Bay has now scored seven goals and conceded four this preseason. Three matches remain on the Rowdies preseason slate before the USL Championship kicks off March 9.

The Rowdies started the match with Mohamed Kone, Papé Diakité and Tarek Morad in a physically dominant back three ahead of goalkeeper John McCarthy, but by the end of the match, Tampa Bay didn’t have a single roster center back on the field.

Montreal had most of the scoring chances, but McCarthy stood up to every test, making a handful of saves to deny the Impact before ultimately leaving the match in the 89th minute. His replacement, Macklin Robinson, made one key kick save to keep Montreal off the board.

Offensively, the Rowdies weren’t at their best, with the starting strike partnership of Juan Tejada and Brandon Allen kept mostly quiet. Tampa Bay’s substitutions in the second half breathed a little life into the attack, but Kwadwo Poku’s shot in second half stoppage rolled just wide of the target in one of the Rowdies only real scoring chances.

By the end of the match, only Jordan Doherty and Caleb Richards had played the full 90 minutes. Doherty started the night in midfield but ended is at the right-sided center back. Richards started in the left wing back position but move to the left-sided center back spot in the 68th minute.

Shawn Barry, who played at center back in Saturday night’s match against D.C. United came off the bench and played at right wing back against Montreal.

It’s all part of the purpose of preseason as Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins tests personnel groupings and which players can use their versatility to play in multiple positions.

Now, the Rowdies will depart for a trip to Georgia with matches against USL League One side South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday and Georgia Southern University on Sunday. Tampa Bay will wrap up preseason on March 2 at Corbett Stadium against the University of South Florida Bulls.

Starting Lineups
Rowdies: GK John McCarthy (Macklin Robinson 89′); D Mohamed Kone (Dominic Oduro 68′), Papé Diakité (Ramzi Toure* 68′), Tarek Morad (Leo Fernandes 68′); M Eti Tavares* (Shawn Barry 68′), Zach Steinberger (Andrew Tinari 74′), Jordan Doherty, Yann Ekra (Kwadwo Poku 74′), Caleb Richards; F Brandon Allen (Sebastian Guenzatti 74′), Juan Tejada (Antoine Hoppenot 74′)

Montreal: GK Evan Bush; D Zachary Brault-Guillard, Rudy Camacho, Zakaria Diallo, Daniel Lovitz; M Michael Azira, Ken Krolicki, Shamit Shome, Mathieu Choiniere; F Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Clement Bayiha

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (February 20, 2019) — After a series of impressive preseason performances, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have signed forward Juan Tejada to their 2019 USL Championship roster, the club announced Wednesday.

Tejada, 22, has been training and playing with the Rowdies as a trialist this preseason. He turned a few heads in Saturday night’s match against D.C. United with his energy levels, speed and fearlessness off the bench. He was one of two trialists to score in the Rowdies’ 4-2 win over the UCF Knights on February 9.

“Juan is a great example of the youthfulness and energy we want to instill at the Rowdies,” Head Coach Neill Collins said. “He’s been around our team for a while now and has impressed us from the start. We’re excited to work with him and help him fulfill his potential. We see Juan as very much one for the future but if he continues on his same path as pre season he could force his way in even earlier.”

Originally born in Panama, Tejada has been in the Tampa Bay area for a long time. He played high school soccer at IMG Academy and then attended Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. In four seasons with the Tritons, Tejada scored 23 goals and added 12 assists.

Tejada scored seven goals in 11 matches for the Lakeland Tropics in USL League Two (then the USL PDL) last season. 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (February 16, 2019) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies made their official 2019 debut Saturday night and put on a strong showing in a 1-0 loss to D.C. United on the first day of the Rowdies Suncoast Invitational.

D.C.’s decisive goal came from United States Men’s National Team winger Paul Arriola in the 34th minute. Star striker Wayne Rooney was kept mostly quiet by a Rowdies defensive unit that looked impressive in early preseason action.

“There was lots to be positive about,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “We’ve got to consider where we are in preseason and that some of those guys haven’t played much together yet. I don’t like losing and it’s something that we don’t want to do much of, but you have to put it in perspective and you can be pleased about a lot of that performance.”

Five new Rowdies featured in the starting lineup as Head Coach Neill Collins blended fresh faces with experience at the opening whistle. Ahead of John McCarthy in goal, center backs Shawn Barry and Mohamed Kone played really well either side of Papé Diakité in a back three.

Neither side had too many scoring chances in the first half, though Sebastian Guenzatti did hit the crossbar with a rocket from the top of the box in the 33rd minute. 

Just a minute later, Arriola took advantage of his chance, receiving a pass from Luciano Acosta and putting his shot on target and past McCarthy from the near post.

Rooney appeared to score a goal in the 39th minute, but a review from the Video Assistant Referee waived it off due to offside, sending the teams into the halftime break with a 1-0 scoreline in favor of D.C. United.

“When you look at the size and athleticism of our defensive group, you expect them to perform the way they did,” Collins said.

The second half was much choppier as waves of substitutions entered the match.

The Rowdies starters played right about an hour before eight new players were inserted into the match. Only McCarthy, Diakité and Dom Oduro played the full 90.

McCarthy was texted twice in quick succession in the 69th and 70th minutes by Rooney, but stood tall and made the save on both occasions.

Tampa Bay’s only real chance came in the 84th minute when the Rowdies swept up the field in a beautiful flowing movement that ended with trialist Juan Tejada pushing a header just wide of target.

“That D.C. United team was probably the best MLS team I’ve seen at Al Lang in the last few years and I thought we gave them a really tough test.”

It was the Rowdies first loss of preseason. Tampa Bay will be back in action on Wednesday night when it hosts the Montreal Impact at 7 at Al Lang Stadium.

Scoring Summary
D.C. United: Paul Arriola – 34th minute (assisted by Luciano Acosta)

Starting Lineups
Tampa Bay: GK John McCarthy; D Shawn Barry (Jordan Doherty 63′), Papé Diakité, Mohamed Kone (Tarek Morad 63′); M David Najem (Eti Tavares* 63′), Kwadwo Poku (Zach Steinberger 63′), Dom Oduro, Andrew Tinari (Yann Ekra 63′), Leo Fernandes (Caleb Richards 63′); F Antoine Hoppenot (Juan Tejada* 63′), Sebastian Guenzatti (Brandon Allen 63′)

D.C. United: GK Bill Hamid; D Leonardo Jara, Frederic Brillant, Steven Birnbaum, Joseph Mora; M Russell Canouse, Junior Moreno, Luciano Acosta; F Paul Arriola, Wayne Rooney, Zoltan Steiber

*denotes trialist

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (February 15, 2018) — A youth movement has taken control of the Tampa Bay Rowdies roster this winter as Head Coach Neill Collins reshapes his squad for the season ahead.

Gone are some of the more senior players from years past and incoming are young, fresh faces just starting to make their way in the professional game.

Of the 22 players on the roster for 2019, none are older than 28 years old. This winter, the Rowdies have signed 20-year-old Canadian Malik Johnson and acquired 18-year-old Jordan Doherty and 20-year-old Caleb Richards on loan from Sheffield United and Norwich City, respectively. 

There are even younger faces mixing into the group, though, with some of Tampa Bay’s most talented youth players participating in preseason camp and even suiting up with the Rowdies in preseason matches.

Jack Casey, 17, joined Tampa Bay United in 2006. He played on the Tampa Bay United Rowdies 2017 U16 national championship team and plays soccer at Plant High School in Tampa. 

Robbie Soronellas, also 17, played on the national championship team with Casey in 2017 and plays high school soccer at Steinbrenner High in Lutz. He previously played club soccer with the FC Tampa Rangers.

Dan Wintermeier, 18, helped the TBU Rowdies to a U.S. Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championship in 2018 and plays for Palm Harbor University High School in Palm Harbor.

All three players were on the bench for the Rowdies’ preseason opener against Birmingham on February 2. Casey played in the match against UCF a week later and more than held his own. The Rowdies will continue to identify the top talents in the area in an ongoing process.

“One thing that we realized seven or eight months ago was that we had to get more in touch with the local youth soccer and particularly the elite players,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “We are very blessed to have some of the best talent in America on our doorstep and I think it’s our duty to provide these kids with a pathway and experience in the professional game.

“It’s been great having Jack, Robbie and Dan training with us, working with our players and seeing how professional teams work,” Collins said. “They’ve been doing really well and that’s proven by Jack Casey playing almost 40 minutes in a preseason victory over UCF and putting in a very, very good performance. Seeing the level of the professional game up close should help their development and inspire them to keep working hard in both the classroom and on the field.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies today announced single-game tickets for the Rowdies 2019 season, presented by Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, will go on sale this week according to the following schedule:

• Friday, February 15 at 10 a.m. – Single-game tickets go on sale to the general public exclusively through https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/rowdiessoccer.
• Saturday, February 16 at 10 a.m. – Single-game tickets go on sale through all outlets, including the box office at Al Lang Stadium, by calling 727-222-2000 or online at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/rowdiessoccer. 

The Rowdies will play 17 games at Al Lang Stadium this season, kicking off with the home opener on Saturday, March 16 vs. the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at 7:30 p.m. 

Five games will feature gate giveaways for fans this season, including:

• Saturday, March 16 Schedule Magnet 
• Saturday, April 27 Headband 
• Saturday, May 25 Mini Soccer Ball – Fans 14 and under, while supplies last
• Saturday, August 10 Socks 
• Saturday, August 24 Georgi Hristov Bobblehead 

Gate giveaways are to all fans unless otherwise noted. All promotions available while supplies last. Visit https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/rowdiessoccer for additional promotional details. Promotional schedule and items are subject to change.