Tinari Enjoying Life in Florida
May 22, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - After spending his whole life in the New York City area, Tampa Bay Rowdies midfielder Andrew Tinari is adjusting well to life on the beach.
Tinari was born on Long Island, attended Columbia University in Manhattan and played his first two professional seasons in the Newark area with New York Red Bulls II. Tinari is far from the first New Yorker to move to Florida and he won't be the last, but it was still an adventurous decision for the 23-year old.
A few months into the season, Tinari couldn't be happier.
In his free time, Tinari has taken a liking to Fort DeSoto beach and the Level 11 rooftop lounge on St. Pete Beach.
While he is now far away from New York City, he still gets a taste of home in the apartment he shares with teammates David Najem and Brandon Allen. Both Najem and Allen are New Jersey natives that also previously played for the Red Bulls before joining the Rowdies.
"The transition has been pretty seamless for me with those guys around, some familiar faces," Tinari said. "They're good guys. It's a funny house and we always have people coming over. We have fun. I think I'm pretty independent as a person so it's not too bad. Obviously I miss being back in the city with my friends sometimes, but I get to see my family a decent amount. They've come down a couple times now so it's not too bad."
On the field, things are going pretty well for Tinari. In nine appearances this season, he's tallied two goals and three assists. He earned a spot in the USL Championship Team of the Week for this first time this past week.
With Tinari playing a crucial role in the center of midfield, the Rowdies sit atop the Eastern Conference as the last unbeaten team remaining in the league.
"The team's success is speaking for itself," he said. "I'm trying to do as much as I can to have a big impact every game and have a good attitude towards it all. There's still more things to work on but we've been doing well so far. We're top of the table so I can't complain. Now it's just about keeping the positive energy and winning mentality going forward."
Next week, Tinari could get his first-ever minutes in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Red Bulls II are not eligible for the tournament and he was on the bench but did not appear against The Villages SC last week.
Whether in the Open Cup or league play, Tinari says the Rowdies just need to keep their positive momentum for as long as possible.
"I think we just need to continue to win," he said. "Find ways to win however you can and keep this run going as long as we can. We want to have clean sheets week in and week out and we've done a pretty good job with that so far."
Tinari and the Rowdies will be back in action Saturday night against the Swope Park Rangers before departing for their Open Cup match in Oklahoma on Tuesday.
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