2025 Tampa Bay Rowdies season
| 2025 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Stuart Sternberg | |||
| Head coach | Steve Coleman (interim) | |||
| Stadium | Al Lang Stadium | |||
| USL Championship | Conference: TBD | |||
| USL Cup | TBD | |||
| U.S. Open Cup | Round of 32 | |||
| USL Cup | TBD | |||
|
| ||||
The 2025 Tampa Bay Rowdies season is the Tampa Bay Rowdies' sixteenth season of existence, their ninth in the United Soccer League, and seventh in the USL Championship. Including the previous Tampa Bay Rowdies, this is their 32nd season of a franchise in the Tampa Bay metro area with the Rowdies moniker. Including the now-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny, this is the 37th season of professional soccer in the Tampa Bay region.[1]
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the original NASL Tampa Bay Rowdies, the club have utilized retro uniforms that take inspiration from the original team's uniforms, alongside a unique crest.[2] Co-insiding with their anniversary, the club was able to return to long-time home stadium Al Lang Stadium, having to have completed the 2024 season at IMG Academy due to damage caused by Hurricane Helene.[3][4]
During early April, due to poor performance, the club fired second year head coach Robbie Neilson, replacing him with assistant coach Steve Coleman in the interim.[5][6]
Club
Roster
- As of June 9, 2025[7]
| Squad No. | Name | Nationality | Position(s) | Since | Date of Birth (Age) | Signed from | Games Played | Goals Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||
| 1 | Dante Campisi | GK | 2025 | October 29, 1996 | Unión de Santa Fe | 0 | ||
| 35 | Caleb Klepacz | GK | 2025 | May 9, 2008 | Tampa Bay United Rowdies SC | 0 | ||
| 41 | Ethan Bandré | GK | 2025 | September 14, 1998 | Colorado Rapids | 0 | ||
| Defenders | ||||||||
| 2 | Robert Castellanos | DF | 2025 | May 11, 1998 | Sporting Kansas City | |||
| 3 | Forrest Lasso | DF | 2023 | May 11, 1993 | GIF Sundsvall | |||
| 14 | Thomas Vancaeyezeele | DF | 2025 | July 27, 1994 | Hartford Athletic | |||
| 26 | Joey Skinner | DF | 2025 | March 28, 2003 | Nashville SC | |||
| 27 | Laurence Wyke | DF | 2025 | September 20, 1996 | Phoenix Rising FC | |||
| 33 | Aarón Guillén | DF | 2020 | June 23, 1993 | North Carolina FC | |||
| 34 | Matheus De Jesus | DF | 2024 | December 16, 2005 | Tampa Bay Rowdies U23 | |||
| Midfielders | ||||||||
| 4 | Lewis Hilton | MF | 2020 | October 22, 1993 | Saint Louis FC | |||
| 8 | Ollie Bassett | MF | 2025 | March 6, 1998 | Atlético Ottawa | |||
| 10 | Leo Fernandes | MF | 2017 | December 23, 1991 | Philadelphia Union | |||
| 11 | Blake Bodily | MF | 2024 | January 13, 1998 | San Diego Loyal | |||
| 17 | Daniel Crisostomo | MF | 2024 | January 16, 1997 | Los Angeles FC 2 | |||
| 18 | Nathan Worth | MF | 2024 | February 26, 2007 | FC Tulsa | |||
| 20 | Nick Moon | MF | 2024 | May 31, 1996 | San Diego Loyal | |||
| 47 | Luis Álvarez | MF | 2025 | January 25, 2003 | Charlotte Independence | |||
| Forwards | ||||||||
| 7 | Pacifique Niyongabire | RW | 2024 | March 15, 2000 | Valour FC | |||
| 9 | Manuel Arteaga | CF | 2024 | June 17, 1994 | Phoenix Rising FC | |||
| 21 | Endri Mustali | CF | 2024 | June 7, 2007 | Tampa Bay United Rowdies SC | |||
| 28 | Eddie Munjoma | LW | 2025 | May 11, 2001 | On loan from | |||
| 36 | Alex Rodriguez | CF | 2025 | November 20, 2006 | Florida Premier FC | |||
Team management and staff
| Front Office | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Stuart Sternberg |
| Head of Soccer Operations | Nico Castillo |
| Vice President | Ryan Helfrick |
| Vice chairman | Matthew Silverman |
| Vice chairman | Brian Auld |
| Coaching Staff | |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Steve Coleman (interim) |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Stuart Dobson |
| Assistant Coach | Nicky Law |
| Assistant Coach | Russell Stirling |
| Performance Coach | Carlos Wheeler |
Competitions
Friendlies
| February 8 Preseason 1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 6—2 | Philadelphia Union II | Clearwater, Florida |
| 1:00 PM | Bassett MacPherson Arteaga Pacius , Fernandes |
Report |
| February 11 Preseason 2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0—1 | New England Revolution | Bradenton, Florida |
| 12:00 PM | Panayotou 10' | Stadium: IMG Academy |
| February 15 Preseason 3 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1—3 | CF Montréal | Auburndale, Florida |
| 6:00 PM | Pacius 66' | Vilsaint 29', 54' Ibrahim 67' |
Stadium: Lake Myrtle Sports Complex |
| February 19 Preseason 4 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3–0 | Tormenta FC | Tampa, Florida |
| 1:30 PM | MacPherson 7' Arteaga 19' trialist 2nd half' |
Stadium: Waters Training Facility |
| February 22 Preseason 5 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0–0 | USF Bulls | Florida |
| 7:30 PM | Stadium: Al Lang Stadium |
| February 28 Preseason 6 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 4–0 | Naples United | Tampa, Florida |
| 5:00 PM | Arteaga 10', 37' Bassett 23' Pacius 54' |
81' | Stadium: Waters Training Facility |
| June 11 Midseason | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0–7 | Benfica | Tampa, Florida |
| 10:00 AM | Stadium: Waters Training Facility |
USL Championship
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Miami FC | 15 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 22 | −5 | 18[a] | Playoffs |
| 9 | Rhode Island FC | 16 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 18 | −3 | 17 | |
| 10 | Birmingham Legion FC | 17 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 23 | −6 | 16 | |
| 11 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 14 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 16 | 24 | −8 | 11 | |
| 12 | Hartford Athletic | 12 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 19 | −6 | 9 |
Updated to match(es) played on July 5, 2025. Source: USL Championship Standings
Rules for classification: 1) head-to-head points; 2) head-to-head goal differential; 3) points-per game within conference; 4) total wins; 5) total goal differential; 6) total goals scored; 7) points earned against top four Conference finishers; 8) disciplinary points; 9) coin toss or drawing of lots
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) head-to-head points; 2) head-to-head goal differential; 3) points-per game within conference; 4) total wins; 5) total goal differential; 6) total goals scored; 7) points earned against top four Conference finishers; 8) disciplinary points; 9) coin toss or drawing of lots
Notes:
- ^ Indy Eleven are ahead of Miami FC on head-to-head points: Indy Eleven 3-1 Miami FC.
Match results
On December 19, 2024, the USL Championship released the regular season schedule for all 24 teams.[8]
March
| March 8 1 | Las Vegas Lights FC | 1–0 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| 7:00 PM | Pinzon 74' | Report | Stadium: Cashman Field Attendance: 3,258 Referee: Brandon Stevis |
| March 15 2 | FC Tulsa | 1–0 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Seagrist 73' | Report | Stadium: ONEOK Field Attendance: 3,621 |
| March 22 3 | Miami FC | 1–2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Miami, Florida |
| 7:00 pm EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium Attendance: 1,012 Referee: Alex Billeter |
April
| April 5 4 | Charleston Battery | 2–1 | Louisville City FC | Mount Pleasant, SC |
| Jennings 45'+1' (pen.) Myers 73' |
Report | Pacius 75' | Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex Attendance: 3,510 Referee: Joshua Encarnación |
| April 12 5 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1–2 | Loudoun United FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| 4:30 PM EDT | Pacius 90'+4' | Report | Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 6,088 Referee: Brandon Stevis |
| April 19 6 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1–2 | Louisville City FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Bassett 58' | Report | Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 6,263 Referee: Elijio Arreguin |
May
| May 3 7 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2–2 | Birmingham Legion FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 4,504 Referee: Abdou Ndiaye |
| May 10 8 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1–3 | Charleston Battery | St. Petersburg, Florida |
|
Report | Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 5,273 Referee: Gerald Flores |
| May 17 9 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0–3 | Rhode Island FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| 7:30PM | Report |
|
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 4,810 Referee: Elvis Osmanovic |
| May 24 10 | Lexington SC | 1–1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Lexington, Kentucky |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Lexington SC Stadium Attendance: 4,533 Referee: Matthew Corrigan |
June
| June 7 11 | Louisville City FC | 2–1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 8,147 Referee: Trevor Wiseman |
| June 14 12 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2–1 | Miami FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 4,717 Referee: Luis Arroyo |
| June 21 13 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 2–1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Highmark Stadium Attendance: 5,028 Referee: Natalie Simon |
| June 25 14 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3–1 | Indy Eleven | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| 9:00 PM EST | Report | Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 3,692 Referee: Jeremy Scheer |
July
| July 12 15 | San Antonio FC | v | Tampa Bay Rowdies | San Antonio, Texas |
| Stadium: Toyota Field |
| July 16 16 | Hartford Athletic | v | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Hartford, Connecticut |
| Stadium: Trinity Health Stadium |
August
| August 2 17 | Indy Eleven | v | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Indianapolis, IN |
| Stadium: Carroll Stadium |
| August 9 18 | North Carolina FC | v | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Cary, North Carolina |
| Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Parj |
| August 16 19 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | v | Phoenix Rising FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Stadium: Al Lang Stadium |
| August 23 20 | Detroit City FC | v | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Hamtramck, Michigan |
| Stadium: Keyworth Stadium |
| August 30 21 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | v | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Stadium: Al Lang Stadium |
September
| September 6 22 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | v | Sacramento Republic FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Stadium: Al Lang Stadium |
| September 13 23 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | v | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Stadium: Al Lang Stadium |
| September 17 24 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| September 20 25 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | v | North Carolina FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Stadium: Al Lang Stadium |
| September 28 26 | Loudoun United FC | v | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Leesburg, Virginia |
| Stadium: Segra Field |
October
| October 4 27 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | v | Monterey Bay FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Stadium: Al Lang Stadium |
| October 11 28 | Rhode Island FC | v | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Pawtucket, Rhode Island |
| Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium |
| October 18 29 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | v | Hartford Athletic | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Stadium: Al Lang Stadium |
| October 25 30 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | v | Detroit City FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Stadium: Al Lang Stadium |
USL Cup
The Rowdies are participating in the second edition of the USL Cup, the first edition to feature teams from both the USL Championship and League One.[9][10]
Standings
| Pos | Lg | Team | Pld | W | PKW | PKL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USLC | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | USL1 | Greenville Triumph SC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | |
| 3 | USLC | Miami FC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 5 | |
| 4 | USL1 | South Georgia Tormenta FC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | |
| 5 | USL1 | FC Naples | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 |
Updated to match(es) played on July 4, 2025. Source: USL
Group stage
| April 26, 2025 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3–3 (3–4 p) | Miami FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| 7:30 PM EDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 5,103 Referee: Benjamin Meyer | |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| May 31, 2025 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2–1 | South Georgia Tormenta FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 3,789 Referee: Atahan Yaya |
| July 4, 2025 | FC Naples | v | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Naples, Florida |
| 8:00 PM EDT | Stadium: Paradise Coast Sports Complex Stadium |
| July 26, 2025 | Charleston Battery | v | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Mount Pleasant, South Carolina |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex |
U.S. Open Cup
The Rowdies, as a member of the second division USL Championship, entered the U.S. Open Cup in the Third Round based on its performance in the 2024 USL Championship season.[11]
| April 16, 2025 | FC Naples (USL1) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (8–9 p) | Tampa Bay Rowdies (USLC) | Naples, Florida |
| 7:00 p.m. EDT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Paradise Coast Sports Complex Stadium Attendance: 3,418 Referee: Muhammad Hassan |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| May 7, 2025 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0–5 | Orlando City SC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| 7:30 p.m. EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 3,735 Referee: Natalie Simon |
References
- ^ Wiser, Nanette (February 24, 2025). "Rowdies set to celebrate 50 years in St. Petersburg". TBNweekly. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Carskadon, Bob (May 20, 2025). "Tampa Bay Rowdies celebrate 50th anniversary season in St. Pete". ilovetheburg.com. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Parker, Mark (January 24, 2025). "Rowdies anticipate return to flood-damaged Al Lang". St Pete Catalyst. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Lewis, Kevin (April 11, 2025). "Finally! The Rowdies return to Al Lang Stadium". ABC Action News Tampa Bay (WFTS). Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Burkett, Ryan (April 11, 2025). "Tampa Bay Rowdies dismiss Head Coach Robbie Neilson". FOX 13 News. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ DeYoung, Bill (April 11, 2025). "Rowdies dismiss head coach Robbie Neilson". St Pete Catalyst. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ "Roster". USL Championship. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ USLSoccer Staff (December 19, 2024). "USL Championship reveals the 2025 season schedule". USL Championship. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Lewis, Michael (December 12, 2024). "ANOTHER COMPETITION: USL adds Jägermeister Cup for Championship, League One teams". Front Row Soccer. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ Silverman, Alex (December 12, 2024). "USL expanding Jägermeister Cup to all teams". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ Lewis, Michael (April 17, 2025). "ROUND OF 32 DRAW: For the U.S. Open Cup". Front Row Soccer. Retrieved May 5, 2025.