2018 Tampa Bay Rowdies season

The 2018 Tampa Bay Rowdies season was the club's ninth season of existence, and their second in the United Soccer League. Including the previous Tampa Bay Rowdies, this was the 25th season of a franchise in the Tampa Bay metro area with the Rowdies moniker. Including the now-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny, this was the 31st season of professional soccer in the Tampa Bay region.

Tampa Bay Rowdies
2018 season
ChairmanStuart Sternberg (from October 2)
Bill Edwards (until October 2)
Head CoachNeill Collins (from May 18)
Stuart Campbell (until May 17)
StadiumAl Lang Stadium
USL12th (Eastern Conference)
USL Cupdid not qualify
U.S. Open CupSecond Round
Top goalscorerGeorgi Hristov (7)
Highest home attendance7,709
(Oct. 7 vs. Charlotte)
Lowest home attendance4,876
(Aug. 11 vs. North Carolina)
Average home league attendance5,869
Biggest win5–0
(Apr. 7 vs Ottawa)
Biggest defeat0–5
(Apr. 14 vs. New York)

Club

On October 2, 2018, the Tampa Bay Rays baseball club announced their purchase the Rowdies for an undisclosed amount, pending St. Petersburg City Council approval. Once the sale was finalized, Rays presidents Matthew Silverman and Brian Auld became vice chairmen of the soccer club. They, along with Rowdies vice president and chief operating officer Lee Cohen, became the team's directors.[1][2]

Current roster
As of September 14, 2018[3]
No. Position Player Nation
1 Goalkeeper Cody Mizell  United States
2 Defender Kyle Curinga  United States
4 Defender Papé Diakité  Senegal
5 Defender David Najem  United States
7 Midfielder Junior Flemmings  Jamaica
9 Midfielder Alex Morrell  United States
10 Forward Georgi Hristov  Bulgaria
11 Midfielder Leo Fernandes  Brazil
13 Forward Sebastián Guenzatti  Uruguay
14 Forward Leon Taylor  United States
15 Defender Zac Portillos  United States
16 Defender Max Lachowecki  United States
17 Forward Jaime Chavez  United States
19 Goalkeeper Daniel Vega  Argentina
20 Midfielder Martin Vingaard  Denmark
23 Midfielder Michael Nanchoff  United States
24 Defender Tarek Morad  United States
25 Midfielder Lance Rozeboom  United States
26 Midfielder Joe Cole (captain)  England
27 Defender Hunter Gorskie  United States
28 Midfielder Afrim Taku  Albania
29 Midfielder Dominic Oduro  Ghana
50 Goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald  United States
56 Forward Stefano Bonomo  United States
88 Midfielder Kwadwo Poku  Ghana
90 Defender Kyle Porter  Canada

Technical staff
Stuart Dobson, Stuart Campbell, and Raoul Voss

Medical staff
  • Andrew Keane – head athletic trainer
  • Michelle Leget – assistant athletic trainer
  • Robert Dixon – message therapist
  • Dr. Koco Eaton – team physician and orthopedic surgeon
  • Dr. Mohit Bansal – team physician and orthopedic surgeon
  • Dr. Christopher Salud – team physician
  • Dr. Samuel Meyers – team chiropractor

Front office
  • Stuart Sternberg – owner (beginning October 2)
  • Lee Cohen – vice president and chief operating officer
  • Matthew Silverman – vice chairmen (beginning October 2)
  • Brian Auld – vice chairmen (beginning October 2)
  • Bill Edwards – chairman, chief executive officer and governor (until October 2)

Competitions

Preseason / Friendlies

The Rowdies hosted Major League Soccer teams in the Suncoast Invitational for the third year in a row.

February 10, 2018 Tampa Bay Rowdies0–1FC CincinnatiBradenton
15:30 EST (UTC−5) Gorskie  76'
Morrell  86'
Hristov  87'		 Report Walker  21'
Barrett  41'
Halfhill  63'		 Stadium: IMG Academy
February 17, 2018 Suncoast InvitationalTampa Bay Rowdies1–2Montreal ImpactSt. Petersburg
19:30 EST (UTC−5) Hristov  32'
Graf  75' (Guenzatti)		 Report Edwards  32'
Taïder  44' (Petrasso)
Petrasso  61'
Piatti  77' (Taïder)		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Referee: Sorin Stoica
February 24, 2018 Suncoast InvitationalTampa Bay Rowdies2–1Philadelphia UnionSt. Petersburg
19:30 EST (UTC−5) Graf  19' (Blake)
Nanchoff  35' (Najem)
Blake  36'		 Report Creavalle  21'
Medunjanin  84'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Referee: Ted Unkel
March 9, 2018 USF Bulls2–5Tampa Bay RowdiesTampa
19:00 EST (UTC−5) Jackson  42'
Skublak  66'		 Report Fernandes  11',  51' (Portillos)
Cole  39' (Najem)
Nanchoff  50' (Najem)
Hristov  61' (Fernandes)
Graf  75' (pen.)		 Stadium: Corbett Soccer Stadium
July 16, 2018 Closed-door scrimmageTampa Bay Rowdies2–2Lakeland TropicsSt. Petersburg
EST (UTC−5) Graf , Coutinho
Ruiz 		Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: Closed-door

USL
Main article: 2018 USL season

USL Eastern Conference table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
10 Ottawa Fury 34 13 6 15 31 43 −12 45
11 Charlotte Independence 34 10 12 12 44 57 −13 42
12 Tampa Bay Rowdies 34 11 8 15 44 44 0 41
13 Penn FC 34 9 10 15 38 47 −9 37
14 Atlanta United 2 34 7 10 17 37 72 −35 31
Source: 2018 USL standings
Rules for classification: 1) total wins; 2) total goal differential; 3) total goals scored; 4) points earned against top four Conference finishers; 5) disciplinary points; 6) coin toss or drawing of lots

Results summary
OverallHomeAway
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsWDLGFGAGDWDLGFGAGD
34 11 8 15 44 44  0 41 7 5 5 28 17  +11 4 3 10 16 27  −11

Last updated: 14 October 2018.
Source: Match reports

Results by round
Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
GroundAHAHAHAAAHAHHHAHHAHHAHHAHAAHAHAAHA
ResultWWLWLWLLLDWDDLDWLLWDLDLDLWLWWWLDLL
Position322132277978911119111210121212121213131313111011111212
Updated to match(es) played on 27 Sept 2018. Source: Match reports
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Results
March 17, 2018 1North Carolina FC1–3Tampa Bay RowdiesCary
15:30 EDT (UTC−4) Danso  17'
Miller  38' (Lomis)		 Report Fernandes  23' (Hristov)
Hristov  41' (pen.)
Blake  90' (Guenzatti)		 Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 4,197
Referee: Guido Gonzalez
March 24, 2018 2Tampa Bay Rowdies2–0Bethlehem Steel FCSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Hristov  62' (Blake)
Fernandes  68' (Najem)
Najem  90'		 Report Herbers  54' Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 7,368
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez
March 31, 2018 3Louisville City FC1–0Tampa Bay RowdiesLouisville
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) McMahon  26'
Jimenez  69' (DelPiccolo)		 Report Hristov  60'
Collins  70'		 Stadium: Louisville Slugger Field
Attendance: 6,336
Referee: Jon Freemon
April 7, 2018 4Tampa Bay Rowdies5–0Ottawa Fury FCSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Hristov  60' (Schäfer)
Mannella  71' (o.g.)
Fernandes  79'
Schäfer  81'
Cole  87' (Blake)
Portillos  90+5' (Fernandes)		 Report Dixon  11'
Obasi  90+1'
Mannella  90+3'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,059
Referee: Luis Guardia
April 14, 2018 5New York Red Bulls II5–0Tampa Bay RowdiesHarrison
16:00 EDT (UTC−4) Escobar  18' (Rivas),  25'
Cásseres  28'
Aguinaga  53' (Bonomo)
Bonomo  61' (Moreno)
White  84' (Bonomo),  90' (Stroud)
Lema  85'		 Report Cole  25'
Blake  77'		 Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Attendance: 903
Referee: Alan Kelly
April 21, 2018 6Tampa Bay Rowdies2–0Real Monarchs SLCSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Gorskie  35'
Cole  40',  51'
Hristov  70' (Cole)		 Report Ryden  45'
Portillo  59'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 6,027
Referee: Daniel Gutierrez
April 28, 2018 7Charleston Battery1–0Tampa Bay RowdiesCharleston
19:00 EDT (UTC−4) Candela  5'
Guerra  45+1'
van Schaik  46'		 Report Cole  30' Stadium: MUSC Health Stadium
Attendance: 3,462
Referee: Ismir Pekmic
May 4, 2018 8Penn FC3–0Tampa Bay RowdiesHarrisburg
19:00 EDT (UTC−4) Venter  11' (Ortiz)
Heinemann  25',  57' (Opoku), 60' (Galvão)
Metzger  32'
Peiser  89'		 Report Curinga  15' Stadium: FNB Field
Attendance: 1,281
Referee: Javier Santos Escobar
May 12, 2018 9Richmond Kickers1–0Tampa Bay RowdiesRichmond
19:00 EDT (UTC−4) Kelly  38' (Yearwood)
Shanosky  90+6'		 Report Hristov  35'
Lachowecki  65'
Rozeboom  90+6'		 Stadium: City Stadium
Attendance: 5,860
Referee: Lorant Varga
May 19, 2018 10Tampa Bay Rowdies2–2Pittsburgh RiverhoundsSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Rozeboom  3' (Morrell)
Hristov  57'
Cole  59'
Lachowecki  90+1'		 Report Kerr  17'
Lachowecki  20' (o.g.)
Parkes  30' (Forbes)
Pratzner  49'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 6,202
Referee: David Barrie
May 26, 2018 11Toronto FC II2–4Tampa Bay RowdiesToronto
14:00 EDT (UTC−4) Uccello  21'
Bjornethun  26'
Campbell  50' (Petrasso)
Johnson  63' (Uccello)
Romeo  73'		 Report Nanchoff  18',  25'
Flemmings  24' (Schäfer),  89'
Cole  40'
Gorskie  74' (Schäfer),  77'		 Stadium: BMO Field
Attendance: 141
Referee: Alain Ruch
June 2, 2018 12Tampa Bay Rowdies0–0Atlanta United 2St. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Vingaard  25'
Schäfer  44'
Cole  90'		 Report Crain  32'  40'
Metcalf  43'
Kendall-Moullin  90+2'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,953
Referee: Jonathan Bilinski
June 9, 2018 13Tampa Bay Rowdies1–1Nashville SCSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Mkandawire  68'
Taylor  84'
Hristov  90+3'
Nanchoff  90+4'		 Report Moloto  22'
LaGrassa  26'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 6,082
Referee: Daniel Gutierrez
June 22, 2018 14Tampa Bay Rowdies1–2Penn FCSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Taylor  31' (Schäfer),  51'
Schäfer  39'
Magalhães  48'
Hristov  55'
Cole  85'		 Report Tribbett  27'
Mkosana  49',  67' (Opoku)
Franco  88'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,369
Referee: Mark Allatin
Note: Match rescheduled from June 23 to avoid conflict with the St. Pete Pride Parade.[4]
June 27, 2018 15Charlotte Independence2–2Tampa Bay RowdiesMatthews
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Herrera  57' (Cato)
Cato  64' (Herrera)
Johnson  86'  89'
Smith  90+2'		 Report Gorskie  44'
Mkandawire  66'
Lachowecki  78'
Oduro  90'		 Stadium: Sportsplex at Matthews
Attendance: 1,399
Referee: Marcos de Oliveira
July 4, 2018 16Tampa Bay Rowdies3–1Toronto FC IISt. Petersburg
18:00 EDT (UTC−4) Hristov  8' (Fitzgerald)
Taylor  27',  54' (Fernandes)
Cole  79' (Oduro)		 Report Romeo  30'
Dunn-Johnson  47'
Fitzgerald  58' (o.g.)		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,221
Referee: Elvis Osmanovic
July 7, 2018 17Tampa Bay Rowdies1–2Louisville City FCSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Flemmings  71' (Bonomo) Report Smith  22' (McCabe)
Craig  41'
Williams  44'
McMahon  51'
Lancaster  76'
DelPiccolo  88'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,232
Referee: Guido Gonzalez
July 14, 2018 18FC Cincinnati2–0Tampa Bay RowdiesCincinnati
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Ledesma  54' (Bone),  63'
König  54' (Welshman)		 Report Flemmings  23' Stadium: Nippert Stadium
Attendance: 25,416
Referee: Malik Badawi
July 21, 2018 19Tampa Bay Rowdies3–1Indy ElevenSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Bonomo  12' (Flemmings)
Hristov  19' (Flemmings),  29'
Flemmings  54',  89' (Hristov)
Cole  62'		 Report Starikov  20' (Pasher)
Venegas  39'
Matern  49'
Ring  90+2'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,378
Referee: Matthew Miscannon
July 28, 2018 20Tampa Bay Rowdies2–2New York Red Bulls IISt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Bonomo  8' (pen.), 9' (Flemmings),  35'
Oduro  45+2'
Flemmings  45+9'
Mizell  88'		 Report Stroud  2' (Barlow)
Ndam  17'
White  62' (Lema)		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,784
Referee: Elvis Osmanovic
August 3, 2018 21Ottawa Fury FC2–0Tampa Bay RowdiesOttawa
19:00 EDT (UTC−4) Taylor  1' (Duba)
Reid  45+1'
Attakora  53' (Oliveira)		 Report Gorskie  79'
Diakité  83'		 Stadium: TD Place
Attendance: 4,226
Referee: David Barrie
August 8, 2018 22Tampa Bay Rowdies0–0Charleston BatterySt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Oduro  58'
Cole  86'		 Report Candela  23' Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,028
Referee: Guido Gonzalez Jr.
August 11, 2018 23Tampa Bay Rowdies0–2North Carolina FCSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Diakité  13' Report Tobin  6'
da Luz  51'
Kandziora  65' (Miller)
Ríos  78' (Bekker)		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 4,876
Referee: Luis Guardia
August 22, 2018 24Pittsburgh Riverhounds1–1Tampa Bay RowdiesPittsburgh
19:00 EDT (UTC−4) Dabo  45+2' (Brett)
Vancaeyezeele  62'		 Report Flemmings  72' (Vingaard)
Vega  90+4'		 Stadium: Highmark Stadium
Attendance: 1,910
Referee: Marcos de Oliveira
August 25, 2018 25Tampa Bay Rowdies1–2FC CincinnatiSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Taku  1'
Cole  15'
Poku  43',  75'
Portillos  68'
Oduro  80'
Diakité  82'  85'		 Report Ledesma  2' (pen.), 86' (pen.)
Smith  50'  62'
Barrett  88'
Newton  90+2'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 5,963
Referee: Kevin Broadley
September 1, 2018 26North Carolina FC0–3Tampa Bay RowdiesCary
19:00 EDT (UTC−4) Guillen  61'
Lomis  76'
Tobin  81'
da Luz  90+2'		 Report Guenzatti  23' (Flemmings),  43' (Flemmings),  56' (Fernandes)
Oduro  48'		 Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 4,102
Referee: Matthew Franz
September 8, 2018 27Charleston Battery1–0Tampa Bay RowdiesCharleston
19:00 EDT (UTC−4) Okonkwo  22'
Bolt  55'
Archer  90+6'		 Report Guenzatti  81' Stadium: MUSC Health Stadium
Attendance: 2,949
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez
September 15, 2018 28Tampa Bay Rowdies1–0Atlanta United 2St. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Guenzatti  30' (Poku)
Oduro  45+1'
Cole  87'		 Report Kissiedou  44'
Kendall-Moullin  51'
Shannon  79'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 6,045
Referee: Daniel Gutierrez
September 18, 2018 29Nashville SC1–2Tampa Bay RowdiesNashville
20:30 EDT (UTC−4) Moloto  20' Report Hristov  6' (pen)
Morad  46'
Woodberry  69' (o.g.)
Guenzatti  90+7'
Vega  90+7'		 Stadium: First Tennessee Park
Attendance: 7,269
Referee: Malik Badawi
September 22, 2018 30Tampa Bay Rowdies3–0Richmond KickersSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Gorskie  49' (Hristov)
Chavez  57' (Taku),  58'
Flemmings  90+3' (Cole)		 Report Umar  9'
Hlavaty  18'
Williams  87'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 6,472
Referee: Lukas Szpala
September 26, 2018 31Indy Eleven2–0Tampa Bay RowdiesIndianapolis
19:00 EDT (UTC−4) Ouimette  37' (Ayoze)
Fôn Williams  74'
Collier  75'		 Report 9,123 Stadium: Lucas Oil Stadium
Referee: Daniel Radford
October 3, 2018 32Atlanta United 21–1Tampa Bay RowdiesLawrenceville
19:00 EDT (UTC−4) Robinson  60',  90+3'
Wheeler-Omiunu  62'
Shannon  65'
Carleton  83'
Kendall-Moulin  90+2'		 Report Morad  20'
Guenzatti  68'
Oduro  75'		 Stadium: Coolray Field
Attendance: 1,269
Referee: Jon Freemon
October 6, 2018 33Tampa Bay Rowdies1–2Charlotte IndependenceSt. Petersburg
19:30 EDT (UTC−4) Gorskie  75'
Taylor  80' (Guenzatti)
Vega  90+7'		 Report Voser  26' (Zayed),  84'
Gebhard  32' (Cato)
Miller  82'		 Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 7,709
Referee: Luis Guardia
October 14, 2018 34Bethlehem Steel FC1–0Tampa Bay RowdiesBethlehem
15:00 EDT (UTC−4) Ngalina  13' (Aaronson)
Chambers  44'
Herbers  76'		 Report Stadium: Goodman Stadium
Attendance: 262
Referee: Sergii Demianchuk


U.S. Open Cup
Main article: 2018 U.S. Open Cup
May 16 2nd roundJacksonville Armada FC 1–0 Tampa Bay RowdiesJacksonville, Florida
7:00 PM EDT Melvin  27'
Banks  58'
Beckie  90+'		 Report Fernandes  14'
Blake  62'
Nanchoff  69'		 Stadium: Southern Oak Stadium
Attendance: 374
Referee: Matthew Miscannon

References
  1. https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rowdies/2018/10/01/tampa-bay-rays-to-purchase-rowdies-soccer-club/
  2. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24875801/the-tampa-bay-rays-purchase-tampa-bay-rowdies
  3. "Roster". Tampa Bay Rowdies. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  4. "ROWDIES MOVE JUNE 23 MATCH TO JUNE 22". RowdiesSoccer.com. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
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