Rowdies lean on experience to advance in USL playoffs

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Throughout the 2024 season, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have found themselves down but never found themselves out.

"Other teams are going home or have been in the offseason for a couple of weeks now, and we're still training," said Rowdies midfielder Lewis Hilton.

Losing four of their final six games of the season, the Rowdies were able to only hang on to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship Playoffs. That didn't stop the Rowdies from pulling off the upset win over Detroit City FC last Saturday in penalty kicks.

"I think we're a team that's adaptable and resilient," said Rowdies goalkeeper Jordan Farr. "And, I think that showed a ton on Saturday within that type of match."

It was a win earned, in large part, due to the experience that is on display up and down the Rowdies' roster. The team's lone goal came off a corner kick taken by Leo Fernandes and headed in by Cal Jennings.

Farr himself made five saves in regulation and another three in penalties, and Hilton, a nine-year USL veteran, scored the clinching goal in PK's.

"We've got a number of guys that have won the championship at different clubs, or have been very close to winning it and have won big games," said Rowdies head coach Robbie Neilson. "I think when you get into the playoffs, and this part of the season, the experience is a big part of a team's makeup."

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Along with being experienced on paper, the Rowdies are also experienced on the road. Thanks to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Rowdies have not played at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg since September 14.

While being road warriors may be a challenge to some, the Rowdies see it as a badge of honor.

"It definitely adds a bit of fuel for us to show that it doesn't matter what we come up against," said Hilton. "We have a group of guys that can deal with it."

Having earned their way into the conference semifinals once again, the Rowdies have regained something else along the way: Their confidence.

"It's like a mature confidence in that you use it and embrace it but are also really diligent in your preparation," Farr said. "For everybody, both individually and collectively, it just raises our perceived level in our own minds."

Now, the Rowdies have to come down from the high of their thrilling win last weekend and hit the road, once again, to face the Charleston Battery for the right to advance to the conference finals. That game takes place on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Charleston.

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