Open Cup Preview: Rowdies vs Orlando City
May 6, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are set to face Orlando City SC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 on Wednesday night at Al Lang Stadium, marking the first competitive meeting between the two sides on Tampa Bay's home turf. Orlando hosted the two previous Open Cup encounters between the clubs in 2014 and 2022, claiming victory on both occasions. The Major League Soccer side went on to finish as Open Cup champions in 2022.
Leo Fernandes is one of only four current Rowdies players who took the field the last time the two clubs met in 2022. Despite the scarcity of competitive matches between the Rowdies and Orlando, the passion among fans for the matchup on both sides of Interstate 4 has not diminished over the years.
"It's a fun game to be a part of," said Fernandes. "It's our job to go out and perform and put out a good performance so we can hopefully win. As soon as the draw happened, we saw how excited the fans were for the game. It just makes the game even more important. As a player, that's what you want. You want to play in important games."
Third Round Rewind
The Rowdies earned their spot in the Round of 32 by surviving a 10-round penalty shootout against their new neighbors to the south, USL League One side FC Naples. Rowdies wingback Pacifique Niyongabire put the Green and Gold out in front in the first half, but Naples equalized only a few minutes later. After finishing knotted 1-1 through 120 minutes, the Rowdies bested Naples 9-8 in the decisive penalty shootout.
MLS Matchups at Al Lang
Wednesday's match is the fifth time the Rowdies have hosted an MLS team at Al Lang Stadium in the Open Cup. The Colorado Rapids, Seattle Sounders, Houston Dynamo, and FC Dallas have all made the trip to the iconic St. Petersburg venue in the past. The matchup with Seattle in 2013 is one of the most memorable nights of the club's Modern Era. Club legend Georgi Hristov notched the winning goal, and keeper Diego Restrepo stymied a penalty to knock out the defending Open Cup champions in a 1-0 result.
Matching Up with Orlando
Orlando enters Wednesday's contest sitting 8th in the Eastern Conference MLS standings. The club is unbeaten in its last eight league matches (3 wins, 5 draws) and has recorded clean sheets in its last five outings. In contrast, the Rowdies are 12th in the USL Championship Eastern Conference standings and are still looking to find their form in 2025 with only one win through their first seven league matches.
"Any time you have an opportunity to be the underdog and prove people wrong is an important motivation tool," said Rowdies Interim Head Coach Steve Coleman. "When you have a club the stature and size of Orlando coming to town, it gives us that opportunity to be the underdog."
Round of 16 Scenarios
The winner between the Rowdies and Orlando will book their spot in the Round of 16 to be played on either May 20 or 21. Either side will have hosting rights over their opponent in the next round, which will be the winner of the Round of 32 matchup between MLS club Nashville SC and USL League One's Chattanooga Red Wolves on Tuesday night.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Orlando City SC
Wednesday, May 7, 7:30 p.m. ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
2025 League Records:
Rowdies: 1W-5L-1D, 5pts, 11th USLC Eastern Conference (0-2-1 at home)
Orlando: 4W-2L-5D, 17 pts, 8th MLS Eastern Conference (1-1-4 on the road)
Best Open Cup Finish:
Rowdies: Round of 16, 2013
Orlando: Open Cup Champions, 2022
Tune In: Paramount+
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