TAMPA BAY ROWDIES – 2019 ROSTER BREAKDOWN

BY BRIAN MCLAUGHLIN

THE ROWDIES OBSERVER

The Rowdies have announced a ton of signings in recent weeks and will be in preseason action on Saturday (Feb. 16) at Al Lang Stadium against the MLS’ D.C. United and some guy named Wayne Rooney. The match is set to start at 7:30 p.m.

ROWDIES QUESTIONS: Who is going to provided the needed offense?

The roster is made up mostly of new faces, at this point. Many of the familiar Rowdies names of the past few seasons have moved on or retired, but familiar faces like two-year Rowdies veterans Leo Fernandes and Sebastian Guenzatti will be back to kick off year number three.

Second-year signees Tarek Morad, David Najem, Dominic Oduro, Leon Taylor, Pape Diakite and Kwadwo Poku combined for 79 Rowdies caps in 2018 and are back, but 14 new faces will play for Tampa Bay this year.

ROWDIES/NATIONAL TEAM?: Which Rowdies have represented a nation internationally?

Native Scot Neill Collins is back to manage the side.

Here’s a look at the roster, which includes past club experience and top “stops” in their careers. Below this roster is a look at their personal background, and even a look at some who have international experience.

NO	NAME	POS	AGE	TOP PREVIOUS STOPS
1	John McCarthy	GK	26	MLS (Philadelphia), USL (Bethlehem)
3	Ryan Felix	DEF	25	USL (San Antonio, Orange County)
4	Tarek Morad	DEF	26	USL (Louisville City, Oklahoma City)
5	David Najem	DEF	26	Germany (6th Tier), New York Red Bulls 2
7	Yann Ekra	MID	28	Hull City, MLS (Philadelphia), USL, Lyon youth
8	Zach Steinberger	MID	26	MLS (Houston) for 3 games
10	Brandon Allen	FOR	25	MLS (Red Bulls/Minnesota FC), USL
11	Leo Fernandes	MID	27	MLS (Philadelphia), USL (Bethlehem)
13	Sebastian Guenzatti	FOR	27	NASL, Uruguay (3rd tier)
14	Malik Johnson	FOR	20	USL Toronto FC 2 (one App in MLS last year)
15	Andrew Tinari	MID	23	USL (Red Bulls II)
18	Dominic Oduro	MID	23	Man. City, Denmark (1st tier), Sweden (2nd tier)
19	Shawn Barry	DEF	28	MLS (Salt Lake City), Austria & Poland (1st tiers)
20	Caleb Richards	DEF	20	Norwich City U23 (on loan)
21	Mack Robinson	GK	24	USL, NASL
22	Jordan Doherty	MID	18	Sheffield United U18 (on loan)
23	Leon Taylor	FOR	25	Sweden (2nd Tier), NPSL (Midland-Odessa)
29	Antoine Hoppenot	FOR	28	MLS (Philadelphia ), USL
32	Jaime Siaj	FOR	23	USL , Real Madrid U-18
42	Mohamed Kone	DEF	25	Moldova (1st tier), Uzbekistan (1st), Cyprus (1st)
44	Pape Diakite	DEF	26	Belgium (2nd tier), Slovakia (1st tier), Canada
88	Kwadwo Poku	MID	26	MLS (NYC FC), Russia (1st tier), NPSL

 

MLS Spring Training Info – Locally

MLS TEAMS

Spring Preseason Plans

PHILADELPHIA UNION
TRAINING: Clearwater – DiMaggio Complex
Jan. 28 – Feb. 7
Feb. 11 – Feb. 24

MATCHES (more will be added to the 2nd stint)
Wednesday, Jan. 30 – vs. New York Red Bulls, 3 p.m. (DiMaggio Complex)
Saturday, Feb. 2 – vs. University of South Florida, 7 p.m. (DiMaggio Complex)
Wednesday, Feb. 6 – vs. Birmingham Legion FC, 7 p.m. (DiMaggio Complex)
Saturday, Feb. 16 – vs. Montreal Impact, 4 p.m. (Al Lang)

OTHER EVENTS
Youth Clinic – Tuesday, Feb. 19, 6 to 8 pm (sign up https://www.philadelphiaunion.com/2019-clearwater-youth-soccer-clinic)
Fan Event/Open Practice/Fan Lunch – Thursday, Feb. 21 (lunch Noon to 1:30 p.m., training 10 am-12 p.m.)

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D.C. UNITED
TRAINING: Clearwater – DiMaggio Complex
Jan. 27 – Feb. 7
Feb. 13 – Feb. 24

MATCHES
Friday, Feb. 1 – Bethlehem Steel, 4 p.m. (at Joe D)
Thursday, Feb. 7 – FC Cincinnati (at IMG Academy)
Friday, Feb. 8 – Malmo FF (Sweden – top club there — may have been CCD, no word)
Saturday, Feb. 16 – Tampa Bay Rowdies, 7:30 p.m. (at Al Lang)
Wednesday, Feb. 23 – Montreal Impact, 7 p.m. (at At Lang)

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MONTREAL IMPACT
1ST TRAINING: Sarasota/Bradenton at Premier Sports Campus (Jan. 21-Feb. 7)
2ND TRAINING: St. Petersburg at Al Lang Stadium with Rowdies (Feb. 11-Feb. 24)

MATCHES
Wednesday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. – vs. FC Cincinnati (IMG)
Wednesday, Feb. 6 – Nashville SC (Premier Sports Campus, Lakewood Ranch)
Sat., Feb 16 – vs. Philadelphia Union, 4 p.m. (Al Lang)
Wed., Feb. 20 – vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies, 7 p.m. (Al Lang)
Sat., Feb. 23 – vs. D.C. United, 7 p.m. (At Lang)

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FC CINCINNATI
TRAINING: IMG Bradenton
Jan. 26-Feb. 9 (15 days)
2nd stint won’t be in Florida

Wednesday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. – vs. Montreal Impact (at IMG)
Saturday, Feb. 2, 10:30 a.m. – vs. Colorado Rapids (at IMG)
Thursday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. – vs. DC United (at IMG)

The 2019 Tampa Bay Rowdies Season Is Upon Us

EMAIL: Brian@therowdiesobserver.com

TWITTER: @RowdiesObserver (play) and @BrianMacWriter (work/play)

JAN. 11, 2019

I remember well when I was working for one of my newspaper editors and he told me he didn’t “get” soccer.

“There are not enough points!!!!,” he exclaimed. “There’s not enough scoring in it, it should be more like hockey.”

My reply? — “A goal in soccer isn’t a point, it’s a moment … a moment in time that you cannot predict the timing of.”

Next thing I know, I’m fired.

Kidding.

Like most of you, soccer’s been a major part of my life since being a little kid. My first coach was my dad, just like many of you. Did the HS soccer thing, played against guys who made it to the MLS and ACC etc. That was many, many pounds ago.

But I’ll tell you when I really learned the game — writing about it, for years. First at the high school stage, where no other reporter wanted the winter beat in Florida. Learning the teaching aspect of soccer by getting to know coaches who played in college and professionally.

The beautiful game is beautiful because it is its own language. You can go to Cameroon or Ghana or Korea or Paraguay and they’re all playing it the same way in pursuit of the same prize … a cup, a title, what have you. Everybody plays it. Not everybody plays American football or basketball or baseball, but everybody plays soccer.

And how lucky are we? All of us within a quick drive down to Al Lang Stadium to watch a USL team play with a gorgeous backdrop of Tampa Bay. Last year we watched a guy (Joe Cole) who once scored one of the prettiest goals ever in World Cup history. We had Rowdies players who’d represented Germany, Scotland, Denmark, Jamaica, etc in international play.

Folks, this isn’t minor league baseball, this is high level soccer. Right down the street. Yet you wouldn’t know it by the players’ behavior towards the fans and especially the kids. There are no massive egos. I watched Joe Cole talk to kids as if they were his long lost friends.

I watched David Villa sign autographs and take selfies with fans for more than 30 minutes last year after notching a Hatty for New York City FC in an MLS friendly at Al Lang. He’s one of the era’s greatest players in the world, and he’s giving of his time.

This is a sport that “gets it” and is growing by leaps and bounds after only a trickle from the 1990s through its first 15 years or so. Trust me, we made the pilgrimages to Mutiny games back then. Even with US national team players coming through town and players like Valderrama playing here, the energy was missing.

But now, 15 to 20 years later that energy is now here. You can sense it, going hand in hand with a slight decline of interest in other sports. Americans are finally wising up to it.

Really looking forward to blogging about our local team — the Tampa Bay Rowdies. We’re lucky to have one here and my family can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store.

 

 

 

Looking To TB Rowdies 2020

AN OPEN LETTER TO TBR MANAGEMENT FROM A DIEHARD PAYING FAN:

Look … I don’t think anybody who has been paying attention this year could possibly be disappointed with this year’s group, which was built from scratch in the spring.

Coach Collins, Mgt., the team? They’ve done an outstanding job putting this team together.

Chemistry is such a special thing — and it isn’t easy to achieve but look what has happened this season? In the early going it was all defensive chemistry … then this group found it’s offensive groove too. It has been a wonderful metamorphosis. This household watches every … single … match on ESPN+. Always will.

Now, as I teeter the decision of purchasing 5 season tickets for my family for 2020, I would love to know if we could keep this team together? Or at least try. And Tampa Bay Rowdies (Rays?) Management … I know this is a tough task to ask of a USL team, but you started from scratch this year. Why can’t we at least attempt to keep the guys together here who want to be here? Can we pay these guys what it takes to stay and win in 2020, maybe after we capture the USL Cup in 2019?

Can we please insure we get to see these guys again in 2020 and they feel wanted here? What can we as fans do to make sure of it?

I know we have some loaners who are young and may want to go home to Europe, and that’s a testament to them. Why would anybody question somebody in that situation?

But … can we make a massive attempt to keep these cornerstone players in Tampa Bay? Can we pay them what they’re worth to make that happen so we can take the 5K fans per game who come to maybe 7 or 8K?

We need McCarthy. We need Diakite. We need Leo and Seba and Tejada and Steiny and Poku and Oduro, want me to go on, because really the list is endless … shit, we need and want all of them. Nothing would make us stand up and cheer more than to see this roster, as intact as possible, come back in 2020. We want to see these guys beat the shit out of a couple of MLS teams training in the spring and then take it from there. They ARE that good. All of us know it!

We know they’re about to do some serious damage in the 2019 postseason too. But continuity is a special thing. This is the USL where there are a lot of moving parts, but man-oh-man … bring this roster back mostly intact? Watch Collins and his staff do his/their magic.

Please don’t let Coach get stolen either. It happens.

These guys not only rock it on the pitch, they also “get it” when it comes to community involvement and everybody involved knows how big that is. As a hyper-involved TBU coach/team mgr/parent I can tell you … we love this contingent. Talk about a humble, fun-loving, humorous (we watch every YouTub and halftime clip), self-deprecating stars they truly are. They don’t act like super stars, they don’t talk like they are … but they are, and they still take the time out to stun the kids by being friendly, before and after a match. Even minor league baseball doesn’t do it this well and minor league baseball is a bunch of kids out of HS … our Rowdies are guys who have played for their national team, MLS, Tier 1 European soccer, etc.

Keep this group together, and let’s pay them what they’re worth to insure it. And if that’s a challenge? Tell US what we have to do to make sure that happens because we don’t want this team to change.

On Saturday, I’m bringing 40+ people (Tampa Bay United youth soccer families) down to a Rowdies 5 p.m. clinic and game. Two-thirds of them admitted to me they have never done this before (call them recruits). Our family has been doing this since 2017 and every year since, the “interested” list grows.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies Saturday night brand has hooked so many of us the past couple of years, we’ve lost count. Sooo many keep coming back … make it a routine.

Rowdies … please insure us we have a championship team in 2020 by keeping our cornerstones in place. Please do what you have to do. Our kids know the 2019 roster well (and it’s a GOOD roster, thanks Neill) and want to watch them thrive the next couple of years.

About 40 of us are beyond willing to meet on Saturday and talk as ticket purchasers … we’re in love with this team. Please do whatever you have to do to keep this team together in 2020.

These guys, and this coaching staff, are/is awesome. We hope they live in the Tampa Bay area in 2020!

We have the best venue … we have the best weather … we have the best fan section (duh) … we have the best broadcast crew on ESPN+ (trust me, by a mile) … we have the best manager … and honestly? We have the best team.

Keep ’em Mgt.

#COYR

 

 

Battle Of USL-C Titans Ends With A Brawl … Errr, A Draw

BY BRIAN MCLAUGHLIN

Rowdies Observer

Tampa Bay Rowdies stud goalkeeper John McCarthy pounded the sod after two-time defending USL Champion Louisville City equalized late (1-1) after a stellar night. Who could blame Mac-Wall in goal? He’d blanketed everything else all night … hell, he’s been blanketing it all season.

Yet why look at it negatively? We just stated the truth … Louisville City is the two-time USL Champion. Many of those smiling feisty faces on the other side, dressed in away-white? They were the same ones that won championships in 2017 and 2018.

They’re physical as hell, they owned the possession in the second half … but the Rowdies owned them in the first half. The bottom line was hey … it was a good match. Grueling indeed.

Louisville City’s new head coach John Hackworth has been a head coach in the MLS, for the U20 and U17 US Mens National Team program and also at the D-I ranks of college many moons ago. The Tampa Bay native (Dunedin to be exact) knows what the hell he’s doing.

This wasn’t supposed to be easy tonight. This isn’t a chicken-with-its-head-cutoff expansion club.

Andrew Tinari’s goal was gorgeous in the first half and the Rowdies clearly dominated. There were other excellent chances created, like Pape Diakite’s header off the set piece. It could have been 2-0 or 3-0 but hey, it didn’t happen.

In the second half adjustments were obviously made and depending on how you look at it (“nasty” if Louisville is your opponent, “physical” if they’re your favorite club) these guys came to lay the hammer down and may have gotten inside the Rowdies’ collective head.

It was a good one tonight. Don’t be fooled by Louisville City being middle of the pack after five or six matches. That won’t hold up. That was a good team to earn a point on this fine April 13 eve.

Five Matches, Five Rowdies Gems

By Brian McLaughlin

Rowdies Observer

I loved last year’s team. Who doesn’t love Joe Cole? And Hristov? And Marcel? And Rozeboom, etc etc etc? Of course we all loved them, just like Matt Pickens and the rest of the crew that departed after 2017.

But dude, I’m one month in and I’m hooked on this crew. As a former marking back myself, I love the suffocating defense. And the approach here obviously was to use that defense to let the offense find its chemistry — and then tonight we get it with this 4-0 Tampa Bay Rowdies win over Hartford.

It could have been 8-0, I think anybody watching would agree with that.

Chemistry is such a tough subject, as those of us learned in school. Finding that perfect mixture is a bitch, who are we kidding? It works the same way in sports. We’ve seen it in every sports imaginable. You think you can take a bunch of All Stars and glue them together and win? And then you find out … WRONG.

Then you get this Rowdies crew, which is almost completely reborn after 2018 … and they just seem to love being out there together. The chemist is Rowdies manager Neill Collins, who a year ago was wearing the jersey. Incredible work.

This team has played five matches and lost none. It has 11 USL Championship points and has conceded only one goal, while scoring eight. They clamp down and strangle opponents, both on the field and mentally. Tonight you could tell the Rowdies were facing an expansion club … and club the club they did.

Again, it easily could have been 8-0.

Yes, it’s early, but that was fun to watch … and who couldn’t be stoked to see David Najem step in and literally 2 minutes into his substitution bury the goal that put this 3 points away? What a moment.

Lots’ of fun. See you all next week at the stadium.

A raise of the Green and Gold chalice tonight in Tampa Bay …

Some Thoughts On The D.C. United Match …

BY BRIAN MCLAUGHLIN

ROWDIES OBSERVER

You always wonder about chemistry when so many new faces from so many places are asked to became a “team” in every sense of the word.

In like … 17 nano-seconds.

ROWDIES ROSTER: The Interesting Breakdown

Nobody hands the manager a recipe book with the exact recommended pinch of this and tablespoon of that which will make this new group of players tick. I’m guessing Tampa Bay Rowdies head coach Neill Collins has spent the last few weeks figuring that out, and tonight he received his first massive challenge when Major League Soccer’s D.C. United and this guy named Wayne Rooney came calling at Al Lang Stadium.

I had a chance to say hello to Collins in pregame as I was chaperoning our U-10 TBU club team in the home “dugout” for Rowdies soccer.

“Coach, you’ve played against Wayne Rooney a bunch of times, right?”

… to which he replied in his Scottish accent.

“Oh yeah, but actually he played me,” Collins replied.

Whether coach meant that in a self-deprecating manner or in double-entendre fashion, I had to chuckle.

Tonight … the Rowdies didn’t seem intimidated in the least by D.C. United. Not that anybody expected them to be. The USL isn’t the equivalent of Major League Baseball’s minor league system. It’s closer to equal. In fact, a good many current Rowdies have spent time in the MLS or the upper tiers of European club competition.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS?: Who Has Represented Their Nat. Teams?

But here’s one of the England’s top players in decades strolling into Al Lang Stadium — Rooney, who the Princes of England are proud to call an acquaintance — among other stars. And how about Paul Arriola, a rising young star in his own right for the United States mens national team whose activity down the wings is enough to make any manager’s head spin.

Yet here we were, a nice length of time into this “exhibition” and the Rowdies were in lockdown mode on Rooney, and really the opponent overall. Rooney had a few moments, a few back-heel looks and a goal that was nullified by VAR (yep, we have it here too, folks!).

All in all? The backline of Shawn Barry, Mohamed Kone and David Najem, with a major nod of the cap to Pape Diakite and goalkeeper John McCarthy? They looked pretty darned stellar tonight. Barry, Kone and McCarthy are brand new to the Rowdies, while Diakite and Najem combined for 20 CAPS last year (Najem endured injury and only managed 5 of them).

GOALS?: Where Might They Come From?

For the starters on defense? Wow, if tonight was indicative of what will happen this year? Brace yourselves, Rowdies fans, for a rampant, scathing case of the smileys and a sore throat that makes you sound like you’re 90 (no offense to 90-year olds — especially 90-year old soccer fans).

There has to be a shout-out for Juan Tejada, too, who is with the Rowdies on trial. When he trotted out as one of a mass group of subs, his jersey didn’t even have a number, so Sebastian Guenzatti — being the captain that he is — tossed his No. 13 shirt he’d started the match with. Tejada must have made Guenzatti proud wearing that No. 13.

Tejada was a ball of energy for the 30-ish minutes he was out there, darting here and there and causing all kinds of headaches for D.C. United, and keep in mind … D.C. United hadn’t done its mass substitutions yet. This was happening with Rooney and Arriola and US National team goalkeeper Bill Hamid out there, at least for a decent chunk of time.

At any rate, fun stuff tonight. Looking forward to seeing how Wednesday goes.

Get to know your Tampa Bay Rowdies – College? Where did they grow up?

So where are these guys from? If they went to college stateside, where did they go? What about which high school they attended?

We’ve got ya covered.

NAME	COLLEGE	BIRTHPLACE	HIGH SCHOOL
Brandon Allen	Georgetown	Old Bridge, NJ	St. Joseph HS
Shawn Barry	Virginia	Miramar, Florida
Pape Diakite	None	Dakar, Senegal
Jordan Doherty	None
Yann Ekra	None	Ivory Coast
Ryan Felix	Loyola Marymount	Los Angeles, CA	Santiago HS
Leo Fernandes	Stony Brook	Sao Paulo, Brazil	North Babylon HS
Sebastian Guenzatti	None	Montevideo, Uruguay	Francis Lewis HS
Antoine Hoppenot	Princeton	Paris, France	Princeton Day HS
Malik Johnson	None	Toronto, Canada
Mohamed Kone	None
John McCarthy	La Salle	Cinnaminson, NJ	Northeast Cath.
Tarek Morad	UC Irvine	Los Angeles, CA	Chino Hills HS
David Najem	Columbia	Livingston, NJ	Paramus Cath.
Dominic Oduro	None	Accra, Ghana
Kwadwo Poku	None	Kumasi, Ghana
Caleb Richards	None	Salford, England
Macklin Robinson	Ohio University	Cincinnati, Ohio
Jaime Siaj	Pfeiffer	Madrid, Spain
Zach Steinberger	Butler	Long Beach, CA	IMG Academy
Leon Taylor	Oral Roberts/UIW	Dallas, TX	Plano West HS
Andrew Tinari	Columbia	West Islip, NY	Sachem East HS