Rowdies Kick Off 2013 NASL Fall Season this Saturday Against Scorpions
August 2, 2013 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
The Tampa Bay Rowdies will travel to face the San Antonio Scorpions this Saturday, August 3 at 8:30 p.m. ET. After finishing just three points out of first place in the Spring Season, the Rowdies look to earn a spot in the NASL Soccer Bowl 2013 by winning the Fall Season. One week later, the historic rivalry between the Rowdies and the Cosmos will reemerge on Saturday, August 10, with Tampa Bay hosting New York at Al Lang Stadium presented by Buick. For more information on Fall Season Tickets or to secure your seats for the home opener, call (813) 287-1539 or click here.
Rowdies Acquire Former NASL MVP Etienne Barbara
The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Thursday that the club has acquired 2011 North American Soccer League MVP forward Etienne Barbara in a trade with Minnesota United FC in exchange for Rowdies forward Mike Ambersley. Barbara (6-0, 190) is a native of Malta, making 32 appearances for the national team and scoring three goals, including one during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The forward joined the Carolina RailHawks in 2010 after playing over 10 years in the Maltese first division and a brief stint in Germany. In his first NASL season, he was voted as the 2011 NASL MVP after he scored a league-high 20 goals and had eight assists for the RailHawks. With his help, Carolina clinched the NASL regular season title in 2011.
Due to his prolific season, he would follow Carolina head coach Martin Rennie to Major League Soccer's Vancouver Whitecaps. After his time in the MLS, Barbara signed for Minnesota United FC on January 23, 2013. Since his arrival, he has scored two goals and has also been named the NASL Player of the Week in Week 5. In other club news, defender Takuya Yamada and midfielder Stuart Campbell have officially received their permanent U.S. residence status, meaning they will no longer count toward the NASL foreign player roster limit. With the addition of Barbara, the Rowdies now have six international players on roster and have one foreign spot open.
FOX Soccer's Dellacamera and Wynalda Round Out Rowdies Soccer Summit The 2013 Rowdies Soccer Summit presented by Dex Imaging is hosted by JP Dellacamera from FOX Soccer. The event will officially kick off the 2013 Fall NASL Season and will be on August 8 from 7:30-10:00 p.m. at the new Birchwood Inn located on the waterfront in St. Petersburg. Joining him as a distinguished guest will be former U.S. Men's National Team star, current FOX Soccer analyst and Atlanta Silverbacks Technical Director Eric Wynalda.
Rowdies CEO & General Manager Andrew Nestor will address the 2013 Soccer Summit crowd followed by a panel discussion featuring Nestor, Wynalda, Rowdies Technical Director Perry Van Der Beck, and Rowdies Head Coach Ricky Hill. They will discuss the NASL Spring Season and the outlook for the Fall Season.
NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson will also attend and address questions from fans and local constituents regarding the growth of NASL and its significance to St. Pete and in the global soccer landscape. The Rowdies Soccer Summit will be highlighted by an interactive Q&A discussion with NASL legends. The panel will consist of former Rowdies and Cosmos head coach Eddie Firmani, as well as legendary Rowdies defender Mike Connell, who will be honored by having his #6 jersey retired on August 10th against the New York Cosmos. The panel will also include Van Der Beck and current Rowdies star midfielder Luke Mulholland.
North American Soccer League Stories from August 2, 2013
- Rowdies Kick Off 2013 NASL Fall Season this Saturday Against Scorpions - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- NASL Fall Season Kickoff Live Streams & Broadcasts - NASL
- Silverbacks Sign Two, Mutually Part Ways With Herron - Atlanta Silverbacks
- North American Soccer League Stars To Visit NYSE - New York Cosmos
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
