The Rowdies kicked off their 2015 season with sweeping changes that started with the addition of a new head coach (Thomas Rongen) and continued with a complete overhaul of the staff and roster. All of this along with a hefty renovation of the Al Lang Stadium gave the franchise the feel of an expansion team.
The turn around is credited to majority owner and C.E.O. Bill Edwards, and has seemed to breathe new life into the fans that suffered from a dismal season in 2014. Post renovation attendance for the current season is already up approximately 30% per game over last years averages.
The tone for this year was set when the Rowdies pulled off a 3-1 win over the Defending NASL champion San Antonio Scorpions. The foundation for this years successful start up is rooted in the revamping of the back line. The once failed component of the 2014 team is now revamped and functioning like a brick wall. The depth of this new Rowdies team has shown through as injuries and suspensions to key players have done nothing to slow them down. The last game of the season served to showcase the squad’s new potential with a 3-0 win over the Atlanta Silverbacks.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies wrapped up the NASL Spring championship following behind the New York Cosmos for a second place finish with 19 points. This puts them in a commanding position to start off in the Fall. With the season record at 5 wins, 1 loss, and 4 draws Rowdies fans should be jumping out of their boots. By comparison to the 2014 team, this squad is in a far better position to put together a winning scenario for the championship this year.
The renovated Al Lang Stadium was surely a motivating factor during the home games as evidenced by the undefeated home game record during the Spring season. It should send a message to the rest of the league that coming to play in Tampa Bay will no longer be a walk in the park.
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