Rowdies Season Ends in Draw with Detroit
USL Tampa Bay Rowdies

Rowdies Season Ends in Draw with Detroit

Published on October 25, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla - The Tampa Bay Rowdies 2025 season came to an end on Saturday night. A sold-out crowd at Al Lang Stadium came out to cheer on the Rowdies in a must-win matchup to have a chance at reaching the playoffs, but a 1-1 draw with Detroit City FC was all they could secure.

"I think we were a little timid to begin the game," said Rowdies Head Coach Dominic Casciato. "Maybe knowing what was on the line got into the guys' heads a little bit. We were tentative, and we really didn't wake up until we scored the goal. Disappointing we haven't made the playoffs, but I don't think that's because of our work tonight. I think that's due to our work over the course of the season. We'll come back, we'll learn from it, and we'll come back stronger for next year."

Detroit held the edge in possession throughout the first half, but neither side was able to produce meaningful scoring chances. However, the visitors managed to finally break open the scoring just before the hour mark when a hopeful long-distance strike from Isaiah LeFlore took a deflection off Rowdies Defender Forrest Lasso and slipped by Goalkeeper Bill Hamid at the far post.

Down a goal and needing a win to stay alive in the playoff hunt, the Rowdies began to push forward into the attacking half with more urgency. That intensity was rewarded in the 81st minute, as substitute Nick Moon sliced down the right edge of the box and played a cross that clipped the head of Detroit defender before making its way to Woobens Pacius. The Rowdies leading scorer on the season made no mistake with the chance, burying the ball into the back of the net to give the Rowdies some hope.

The Rowdies continued to press for a go-ahead goal, but Detroit kept them at bay for the rest of the night, leaving the sides knotted and the Rowdies outside of the playoff picture after the final whistle.

Saturday's match was also an emotional night for Rowdies legends Leo Fernandes and Forrest Lasso. Both longtime Rowdies were playing in their final home match at Al Lang after announcing their decision to retire from professional soccer at the end of the season earlier in the week. Lasso started and played the full 90 minutes and wore the captain's armband, with Fernandes coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes to help push for a goal.

"I've said this since day one; the fans here are different," said Fernandes. "I love them. Since I first got here in 2017, they've been so supportive. I've built so many great relationships with them. I just want to thank them. They've been unbelievable to me. Hopefully they keep coming out and supporting the Rowdies."

"The competitor in me, all day, was locked in on the mission," said Lasso. "But as soon as that whistle, 11 years of memories, every picture, every heartbreak, goal, bock, I mean you name it, it all flashed before my eyes... I'm just thankful, grateful."

The Rowdies finished the regular season with a record of 9 wins, 14 losses, and 7 draws. It's the first time the club has missed out on qualifying for the playoffs since the 2018 season. After a rough first half of the season, the Rowdies came strong down the final stretch to stay in the miss for the playoffs, but it wasn't quite enough to carry them over the line.

"The fans stuck with this team through thick and thin this year," said Casciato. "I think they've seen how much we've improved over the last couple of months. I can promise them there's going to be more of that. They're going to have a team they can be proud of heading into next year. I want to thank them for all their support, and I look forward to seeing them next year."

Scoring Summary

DET - LeFlore (Cedeno), 58'

TBR - Pacius, 81'

Caution Summary

DET - Williams, Yellow Card, 42'

TBR - Lasso, Yellow Card, 55'

DET - Bryant, Yellow Card, 70'

DET - Amoo-Mensah, Yellow Card, 90+6'

Lineups

Rowdies: Hamid, Wyke, Lasso, Castellanos, Azocar (Moon, 46'), Mendez, Crisostomo (Alvarez, 89'), Skinner (Fernandes, 70'), Marie, Arteaga, Pacius

Rowdies Bench: Bandre, Guillen, Vancaeyezeele, Moon, Alvarez, Fernandes, Rodriguez, Sharp

Detroit: Herrera, Wiedt, LeFlore, Bryant, Amoo-Mensah, Williams, Yamazaki (Carroll, 82'), Chapman (Diop, 89'), Diouf (Adebayo-Smith, 82'), Smith, Cedeno (Hernandes-Foster, 66')

Detroit Bench: Saldana, Carroll, Sheldon, Diop, Hernandez-Foster, Adebayo-Smith, Guenzatti

Check out the Tampa Bay Rowdies Statistics

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