Tampa Bay Rowdies Offseason Review
Entering the 2025 USL Championship campaign, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have retooled their roster. Celebrating the club’s 50th anniversary (1975 was the year that not only the Rowdies began play but also won an NASL title), the side has become younger and arguably more versatile.
Credit: Tampa Bay Rowdies
The 2024 campaign was badly impacted by multiple bouts of tropical weather. The Rowdies home ground, Al Lang Stadium, suffered major damage from September’s Hurricane Helene and the following month Hurricane Milton ravaged the St Petersburg area taking out most of the Rowdies backup playing options. So Tampa Bay ended its season playing “home” matches in Cary, NC and at the smallish stadium at IMG Bradenton.
The Rowdies entered August in contention for the Players Shield but ended up finishing sixth in the east as injuries and eventually the tropical weather wreaked havoc on the squad. Tampa Bay’s performances were increasingly uneven and the loss of the club’s best defender Forrest Lasso to an ACL injury doomed the squad it felt. Additionally, Charlie Dennis, Zachary Herivaux and Joey DeZart were sold off during the season, leaving Tampa Bay somewhat thin depth-wise.
This season, Robbie Neilson has brought a few new faces in to compliment the returnees.
Key veteran returnees include Leo Fernandes and Lewis Hilton. Last season, Fernandes was limited by injury but was able to contribute more toward the end of the season. Hilton had a banner season in central midfield, providing leadership and glue in the center of the pitch. Lasso should return fit as well, and leading goal scorer Manu Arteaga could be a candidate for USL’s Golden Boot award this campaign.
US Youth International Nate Worth proved versatile and as the season wore on. USL veterans Daniel Crisostomo and Nick Moon both received increased playing time after slow starts. If those two push on this season the Rowdies could be very good.
The best new signing appears to be attacker Ollie Bassett, a player I watched as a youngster in England who excelled in the Canadian Premier League. Additionally, familiar face Lawrence Wyke returns after two seasons away. Wyke will bring some veteran experience and memories of great Rowdies teams to St Petersburg.
It should be noted that Tampa Bay now has created a clear pathway for players to move from academy to the first team. This was not the case during the tenure of Neill Collins, but in Endri Mustali and Crisitian Ortiz (who has been loaned to Columbus Crew 2 for this season) we see the academy project the Rowdies have undertaken beginning to bear fruit. This will serve the club well in the future as sustainability has become a key thought within the Rowdies organization. As this season’s roster construction indicates, the club is picking its spots as to where to compete in the market while nurturing home grown and younger talent to round out the squad.
This being the 50th anniversary season of one America’s premier football/soccer clubs, hopes are high for the Rowdies. All season long, the history of the club will be celebrated with special events at Al Lang Stadium.
While Tampa Bay may not have the same level of squad on paper as some others in the Eastern Conference, the balance in the side and smart mix of veterans and youth likely mean the Rowdies will contend again this season near the top of the east.