Expand / Collapse search
☰

Rowdies kick off training with new coach, new direction and unified goal

By
Published  January 30, 2024 6:36pm EST
Tampa Bay Rowdies
FOX 13 News

First day with new Rowdies head coach

Kevin O'Donnell reports

TAMPA, Fla. - After being named the Tampa Bay Rowdies head coach in November, Robbie Neilson has been waiting for this day to come. 

He just arrived last week from his homeland in Scotland looking forward to the first day with his new team.

SPORTS: Super Bowl 2024: All you need to know

"A great day today," Neilson said. "I thought they worked extremely hard. This is the beginning."

Neilson isn't the only new addition to the Rowdies. The team has half a dozen new players with two key additions.  Forward Manuel Arteaga comes to Tampa after helping Phoenix to the USL championship last season and goalie Jordan Farr is the latest catch. Farr was the league's Championship Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022. 

The two add championship experience to a core of returning veterans.

"Having guys that have won it is huge," Farr said. "Manuel Arteaga, for instance, won it last year. Guys who have gone far in their careers and have felt the feeling of what it takes in a season to be successful. Then what does it take to be successful in the playoffs because it's two different beasts."

Coach Neilson had multiple opportunities to remain and coach in Scotland, but he felt coming to the U.S. and the Rowdies gave him the best chance at winning a championship, and, for Neilson, it's all about winning.

"We've got a really good squad," Neilson said. "We've got an unbelievable training ground. The stadium is great. We've got a great fan base. It's not just about having that belief that we can do it."

The USL Championship's Most Valuable Player of 2022, Leo Fernandez missed nearly all of last season after injuring his Achilles tendon during the preseason. He's back and part of a veteran core that's mixing nicely with the new additions. Building an all-in-the-family culture is the early goal.

"We treat everybody as family," Fernandez said. "I think everybody wants to be accepted when they come into this locker room. For me, the best teams that I've been a part of are the closest teams."