# 2017 Tampa Bay Rowdies season

The 2017 Tampa Bay Rowdies season was the club's eighth season of existence, and their first in the United Soccer League. Including the previous Tampa Bay Rowdies, this was the 24th season of a franchise in the Tampa Bay metro area with the Rowdies moniker. Including the now-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny, this was the 30th season of professional soccer in the Tampa Bay region.

## Club
### Roster

    As of September 24, 2017
| No. | Position | Player | Nation |
| 1 | GK | Nico Campbell | Jamaica |
| 2 | DF | Darnell King | United States |
| 3 | DF | Neill Collins | Scotland |
| 4 | MF | Marcel Schäfer | Germany |
| 7 | FW | Darwin Jones | United States |
| 8 | MF | Wálter Restrepo | Colombia |
| 9 | MF | Alex Morrell | United States |
| 10 | FW | Georgi Hristov | Bulgaria |
| 11 | MF | Leo Fernandes | Brazil |
| 13 | MF | Justin Chavez | United States |
| 14 | DF | Luke Boden | England |
| 15 | DF | Zac Portillos | United States |
| 17 | DF | Tamika Mkandawire | England |
| 18 | GK | Matt Pickens | United States |
| 19 | FW | Martin Paterson | Northern Ireland |
| 21 | MF | Sebastián Guenzatti | Uruguay |
| 22 | MF | Keith Savage | United States |
| 23 | MF | Michael Nanchoff | United States |
| 26 | MF | Joe Cole (captain) | England |
| 27 | DF | Hunter Gorskie | United States |
| 31 | DF | Damion Lowe | Jamaica |
| 32 | MF | Martin Vingaard | Denmark |
| 50 | GK | Akira Fitzgerald | United States |
| 90 | DF | Kyle Porter | Canada |

### Technical staff

* Stuart Campbell – Head coach
* Raoul Voss – Assistant coach
* Stuart Dobson – Goalkeeper coach
* Cheyne Roberts – Rowdies 2 head coach
* Ryan Spurr – Director of Team Operations
* Jason Riley – Strength and conditioning coach
* Dr. Koco Eaton – Team physician/orthopedic surgeon
* Dr. Sanjay Menon – Team physician/orthopedic surgeon
* Dr. Christopher Salud – Team physician

### Front office

* Bill Edwards – Chairman, chief executive officer and governor
* Andrew Nestor – Director
* David Laxer – Director
* Lee Cohen – Vice president and chief operating officer

## Competitions
### Preseason

The Rowdies began their preseason by co-hosting and participating in the 2017 Florida Cup. Tampa Bay also hosted Major League Soccer teams in the Suncoast Invitational for the second year in a row.

### USL

The Rowdies completed the USL regular season in third place on the Eastern Conference table with 53 points. This was one point behind the second place, Charleston Battery, and nine behind table-toppers, Louisville City FC. Tampa Bay finished the season strongly, going unbeaten in their final seven matches, and losing only two of their final fifteen. Their top-four finish also guaranteed that they would host at least one playoff match.

#### USL Eastern Conference table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Louisville City FC (C) | 32 | 18 | 8 | 6 | 58 | 31 | +27 | 62 | Conference Playoffs |
| 2 | Charleston Battery | 32 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 53 | 33 | +20 | 54 | Conference Playoffs |
| 3 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 32 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 50 | 35 | +15 | 53 | Conference Playoffs |
| 4 | Rochester Rhinos | 32 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 36 | 28 | +8 | 53 | Conference Playoffs |
| 5 | Charlotte Independence | 32 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 52 | 40 | +12 | 48 | Conference Playoffs |
| 6 | FC Cincinnati | 32 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 46 | 48 | −2 | 46 | Conference Playoffs |
| 7 | New York Red Bulls II | 32 | 13 | 5 | 14 | 57 | 60 | −3 | 44 | Conference Playoffs |
| 8 | Bethlehem Steel FC | 32 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 46 | 45 | +1 | 44 | Conference Playoffs |
| 9 | Orlando City B | 32 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 42 | |
| 10 | Ottawa Fury | 32 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 38 | |
| 11 | Harrisburg City Islanders | 32 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 28 | 47 | −19 | 37 | |
| 12 | Saint Louis FC | 32 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 35 | 48 | −13 | 36 | |
| 13 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 32 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 33 | 42 | −9 | 36 | |
| 14 | Richmond Kickers | 32 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 36 | −12 | 32 | |
| 15 | Toronto FC II | 32 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 27 | 54 | −27 | 25 | |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: April 26, 2018. Source: Match reports

#### Matches
### USL Cup playoffs

The Rowdies clinched their spot in the single elimination 2017 USL playoffs on October 4, with a 3–2 victory over New York Red Bulls II.
| Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | | USL Championship | USL Championship |
| October 20 – Louisville Slugger Field | October 20 – Louisville Slugger Field | | | | | | |
| #1 Louisville City FC | 4 | | | | | | |
| #1 Louisville City FC | 4 | October 28 – Louisville Slugger Field | October 28 – Louisville Slugger Field | | | | | |
| #8 Bethlehem Steel FC | 0 | October 28 – Louisville Slugger Field | October 28 – Louisville Slugger Field | | | | |
| #8 Bethlehem Steel FC | 0 | #1 Louisville City FC | 1 | | | | |
| October 21 – Capelli Sport Stadium | October 21 – Capelli Sport Stadium | | #1 Louisville City FC | 1 | | | | |
| October 21 – Capelli Sport Stadium | October 21 – Capelli Sport Stadium | #4 Rochester Rhinos | 0 | | | | |
| #4 Rochester Rhinos (a.e.t.) | 2 | #4 Rochester Rhinos | 0 | | | | |
| #4 Rochester Rhinos (a.e.t.) | 2 | | | | November 4 – Louisville Slugger Field | November 4 – Louisville Slugger Field | | |
| #5 Charlotte Independence | 1 | | | | November 4 – Louisville Slugger Field | November 4 – Louisville Slugger Field | |
| #5 Charlotte Independence | 1 | | | | #1 Louisville City FC (p) | 1 (4) | |
| October 21 – Al Lang Stadium | October 21 – Al Lang Stadium | | | | | #1 Louisville City FC (p) | 1 (4) | |
| October 21 – Al Lang Stadium | October 21 – Al Lang Stadium | | | | #7 New York Red Bulls II | 1 (3) | |
| #3 Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3 | | | | #7 New York Red Bulls II | 1 (3) | |
| #3 Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3 | October 28 – Al Lang Stadium | October 28 – Al Lang Stadium | | | | | |
| #6 FC Cincinnati | 0 | October 28 – Al Lang Stadium | October 28 – Al Lang Stadium | | | | |
| #6 FC Cincinnati | 0 | #3 Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 | | | | |
| October 21 – MUSC Health Stadium | October 21 – MUSC Health Stadium | | #3 Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 | | | | |
| October 21 – MUSC Health Stadium | October 21 – MUSC Health Stadium | #7 New York Red Bulls II (a.e.t.) | 2 | | | | |
| #2 Charleston Battery | 0 | #7 New York Red Bulls II (a.e.t.) | 2 | | | | |
| #2 Charleston Battery | 0 | | | | | | | November 13 – Louisville Slugger Field (ESPNU) | November 13 – Louisville Slugger Field (ESPNU) |
| #7 New York Red Bulls II | 4 | | | | | | | November 13 – Louisville Slugger Field (ESPNU) | November 13 – Louisville Slugger Field (ESPNU) |
| #7 New York Red Bulls II | 4 | | | | | | | #1 Louisville City FC | 1 |
| October 20 – Rio Tinto Stadium | October 20 – Rio Tinto Stadium | | | | | | | | #1 Louisville City FC | 1 |
| October 20 – Rio Tinto Stadium | October 20 – Rio Tinto Stadium | | | | | | | #4 Swope Park Rangers | 0 |
| #1 Real Monarchs | 1 (1) | | | | | | | #4 Swope Park Rangers | 0 |
| #1 Real Monarchs | 1 (1) | October 28 – Children's Mercy Park | October 28 – Children's Mercy Park | | | | | | |
| #8 Sacramento Republic FC (p) | 1 (3) | October 28 – Children's Mercy Park | October 28 – Children's Mercy Park | | | | | | |
| #8 Sacramento Republic FC (p) | 1 (3) | #8 Sacramento Republic FC | 0 | | | | | | |
| October 21 – Swope Soccer Village | October 21 – Swope Soccer Village | | #8 Sacramento Republic FC | 0 | | | | | | |
| October 21 – Swope Soccer Village | October 21 – Swope Soccer Village | #4 Swope Park Rangers | 1 | | | | | | |
| #4 Swope Park Rangers (p) | 1 (4) | #4 Swope Park Rangers | 1 | | | | | | |
| #4 Swope Park Rangers (p) | 1 (4) | | | | November 4 – Children's Mercy Park | November 4 – Children's Mercy Park | | | | |
| #5 Phoenix Rising FC | 1 (2) | | | | November 4 – Children's Mercy Park | November 4 – Children's Mercy Park | | | |
| #5 Phoenix Rising FC | 1 (2) | | | | #4 Swope Park Rangers (p) | 0 (7) | | | |
| October 21 – Greater Nevada Field | October 21 – Greater Nevada Field | | | | | #4 Swope Park Rangers (p) | 0 (7) | | | |
| October 21 – Greater Nevada Field | October 21 – Greater Nevada Field | | | | #6 OKC Energy FC | 0 (6) | |
| #3 Reno 1868 FC | 0 | | | | #6 OKC Energy FC | 0 (6) | |
| #3 Reno 1868 FC | 0 | October 28 – Toyota Field | October 28 – Toyota Field | | | | | |
| #6 OKC Energy FC | 1 | October 28 – Toyota Field | October 28 – Toyota Field | | | | |
| #6 OKC Energy FC | 1 | #6 OKC Energy FC (p) | 1 (4) | | | | |
| October 21 – Toyota Field | October 21 – Toyota Field | | #6 OKC Energy FC (p) | 1 (4) | | | | |
| October 21 – Toyota Field | October 21 – Toyota Field | #2 San Antonio FC | 1 (1) | | | | |
| #2 San Antonio FC | 2 | #2 San Antonio FC | 1 (1) | | | | |
| #7 Tulsa Roughnecks | 1 | | | | | | |

### U.S. Open Cup
## Honors
### Individual honors

* USL All-League
    Marcel Schäfer (1st team)

## Broadcast partners

Local Hearst Television channel, WMOR-TV, announced on March 9, 2017 that they would be the Tampa Bay Rowdies' exclusive broadcast partners for the upcoming United Soccer League season. All USL home games will be broadcast live and in primetime on channel 32.2, thisTV Tampa Bay.