Tampa Bay Rowdies 2015 Spring Season Schedule Released
December 17, 2014 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.(December 17, 2014) - The Tampa Bay Rowdies' hunt for a third championship will kick off at the home of the defending champion San Antonio Scorpions on April 4, the North American Soccer League announced Tuesday morning.
Tampa Bay's home opener at newly-renovated Al Lang Stadium will be Saturday, April 11, against reigning Spring Champion Minnesota United FC.
Each of the 11 NASL clubs will play a 10-game Spring Season schedule consisting of five home games and five away games. The winner of the Spring Season, which will run through Saturday, June 13, will earn one of the league's four postseason spots. All five of the Rowdies' home matches in the Spring will be played on a Saturday.
"We're all filled with great anticipation ahead of the kickoff of the NASL's fifth year," said Commissioner Bill Peterson. "The competition during last year's Spring Season was intense, and Minnesota United FC captured the title at the very end. We're expecting a similar level of excitement in 2015."
After visiting the New York Cosmos in week three, the Rowdies return home for their first-ever meeting with Jacksonville Armada FC on April 25. Jacksonville won't be the only Coastal Cup opponent visiting Al Lang Stadium in the Spring, though, as the Rowdies are set to host the rival Fort Lauderdale Strikers on May 16.
Tampa Bay closes out the Spring with back-to-back home matches against FC Edmonton and the Atlanta Silverbacks on June 6 and June 13, respectively. In addition to San Antonio and New York, the Rowdies will visit Carolina, Ottawa and Indy in the Spring.
"Every game will be important, and playing against San Antonio in their first home game after winning the championship will be special," Rowdies coach Thomas Rongen said. "It's a short season, so it's going to be crucial to get off to a good start. Picking up wins at home and pairing them with some good results on the road will keep you in the running to win the Spring Season."
The league will operate under the exact same competition format as last year, with the Spring Season Champion and Fall Season Champion accounting for the top two seeds in The Championship, the league's four-team postseason tournament. For the teams that did not capture either the Spring or Fall title, the remaining two postseason spots will go to the sides that accumulated the most combined points over the course of the Spring and Fall Seasons.
"Our competition format is a byproduct of the number of teams we have in the league at this time," Peterson said. "The schedule will balance out when we reach 16 or 17 teams, but in the meantime, we think the Spring Season will always be a dog fight and something that will be extremely fun for all of our fans to watch."
Headlining the season-opening slate along with the Rowdies-Scorpions tilt is a classic rivalry clash that dates back to the NASL Golden Era. The New York Cosmos, whose roster now includes Spanish legend Raul, will visit the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Lockhart Stadium in a high-profile season opener on April 4. The Strikers enter the 2015 season with high hopes after recently announcing the addition of Brazilian legend Ronaldo to their ownership group. Raul and Ronaldo were teammates at Real Madrid from 2002-2007.
The Fall Season schedule will be announced in early January.
Season tickets for the 2015 season at a renovated and improved Al Lang Stadium in downtown St. Petersburg are now on sale, starting at just $160 for a 16-game slate. To purchase season tickets, call (877) ROWDIES today. 2015 Holiday Packs are also available, which include two general admission tickets to either the Spring or Fall home opener, two scarves and a Rowdies holiday ornament for $88.
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North American Soccer League Stories from December 17, 2014
- Atlanta to Host Indy Eleven in 2015 Season Opener - Atlanta Silverbacks
- San Antonio Scorpions Announce 2015 NASL Spring Season Schedule - San Antonio Scorpions
- 2015 NASL Spring Season Schedule Released - North Carolina FC
- NASL Announces 2015 Spring Season Fixtures - NASL
- Fort Lauderdale Strikers Release 2015 Spring Schedule - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Indy Eleven Begins 2015 Spring Season April 4 at Atlanta, Opens Home Slate April 11 vs. New York Cos - Indy Eleven
- Armada FC Announces 2015 Spring Schedule - Jacksonville Armada FC
- Tampa Bay Rowdies 2015 Spring Season Schedule Released - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- NASL Releases 2015 Spring Schedule - FC Edmonton
- Rowdies 2015 Spring Season Schedule Released - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Cosmos 2015 Spring Schedule Announced - New York Cosmos
- North American Soccer League Announces 2015 Spring Schedule - Minnesota United FC
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