Jägermeister Cup Preview: Rowdies vs Tormenta FC
May 30, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
The Tampa Bay Rowdies will close out the month of May with a matchup against a new foe this Saturday at Al Lang Stadium. USL League One side South Georgia Tormenta FC comes to town for Round 2 of the USL Jägermeister Cup. With three rounds left to play, Tormenta FC currently occupies the top spot in Group 6 of the competition.
This weekend's matchup provides the Rowdies, who sit fourth in Group 6, an opportunity to move up the ranks and put themselves in good position for the final two rounds as they aim to advance to the knockout phase. A win would give them 4 points in the cup and also offer a little bit of momentum as they head into June's slate of action.
Arteaga's First of the Campaign
Tampa Bay's 2024 leading scorer Manuel Arteaga is finally on the board for the 2025 USL Championship campaign. Arteaga netted the equalizing goal in the Rowdies 1-1 draw at Lexington last weekend, marking his first goal of the season. Arteaga already notched one goal in Tampa Bay's opening match of the USL Jägermeister Cup last month.
Posters for Purpose
This week, the Rowdies announced Posters for Purpose, a new program offering local artists the chance to showcase their work while supporting nonprofit organizations. Three local artists were invited to create posters celebrating the Rowdies rich history in recognition of the club's 50th anniversary season. The posters will be available for purchase at the team store inside Al Lang Stadium at Saturday's match, with all proceeds benefitting nonprofit organizations. All three artists will also take part in a meet-and-greet with fans in the team store from 6:30-7:30 pm. Read more on the program.
USL Jägermeister Cup Rundown
All USL Championship clubs will compete for the Jägermeister Cup after the tournament's first edition last year was only contested between USL League One teams. The Jägermeister Cup is a World Cup-style tournament with a group stage followed by a knockout phase. The Rowdies have been drawn into Group 6, alongside Miami, the Charleston Battery, FC Naples, Greenville Triumph SC, and South Georgia Tormenta FC.
How to Advance - After four rounds of group stage matches (two home, two away) starting in April and ending in July, the team with the most points in each group will advance to the knockout phase. Two wild card teams from the six groups will be chosen based on goals scored in the group stage round. The two teams with the most goals scored in the four group stage rounds will advance to the knockout phase. If necessary, points earned and then total wins will be used as additional tiebreakers.
Points System - Teams receive the standard three points for a win and one point for a draw in the group stage rounds. However, games that end in a stalemate after 90 minutes will immediately go to a penalty shootout, with the winner receiving an additional point. The addition of a penalty shootout will be familiar to fans of the Rowdies from back in the day. The original NASL also implemented a penalty shootout in 1975 to decide a winner from a tied match.
Discipline Rules - There are no suspensions from caution accumulation in Jägermeister Cup games, and yellow cards in the tournament do not count toward the regular season caution accumulations. Red cards will only result in suspension for the next tournament match unless deemed more severe by the League Disciplinary Committee.
Knockout Phase - Once the group stage concludes, the two wild card teams will be automatically slotted as away teams for the quarterfinals, the opening round of the knockout phase. From there, a draw will determine the rest of the set of matches in the quarterfinals. The tournament will then proceed in a single-elimination format with draws after each completed round to determine the next matchups. The USL Jägermeister Cup Final is set for the weekend of October 4.
Rowdies Availability Report
QUESTIONABLE: Hilton, MacPherson, Moon, Niyongabire
INTERNATIONAL DUTY: Worth (U.S. U-18s)
USL Jägermeister Cup Round 2
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs South Georgia Tormenta FC
Saturday, May 31, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
2025 League Records:
Rowdies: 1W-7L-2D, 5 pts, 12th East (0-4-1 at home)
Tormenta: 2W-5L-1D, 7 pts, 12th League (0-1-1 on the road)
Last Time Out in the USL Jägermeister Cup
Rowdies: vs Miami FC, 3-3 (4-3 Loss in Penalty Shootout)
Tormenta: vs Greenville Triumph SC, 2-1 Win
Tune In: Tampa Bay 44, ESPN+
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