# 2018 Tampa Bay Rowdies season

The 2018 Tampa Bay Rowdies season was the club's ninth season of existence, and their second in the United Soccer League. Including the previous Tampa Bay Rowdies, it was the 25th season of a franchise in the Tampa Bay metro area with the Rowdies moniker. Including the now-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny, this was the 31st season of professional soccer in the Tampa Bay region.

## Club

On October 2, 2018, the Tampa Bay Rays baseball club announced their purchase the Rowdies for an undisclosed amount, pending St. Petersburg City Council approval. Once the sale was finalized, Rays presidents Matthew Silverman and Brian Auld became vice chairmen of the soccer club. They, along with Rowdies vice president and chief operating officer Lee Cohen, became the team's directors.

### Roster

    As of September 14, 2018
| No. | Position | Player | Nation |
| 1 | GK | Cody Mizell | United States |
| 2 | DF | Kyle Curinga | United States |
| 4 | DF | Papé Diakité | Senegal |
| 5 | DF | David Najem | United States |
| 7 | MF | Junior Flemmings | Jamaica |
| 9 | MF | Alex Morrell | United States |
| 10 | FW | Georgi Hristov | Bulgaria |
| 11 | MF | Leo Fernandes | Brazil |
| 13 | FW | Sebastián Guenzatti | Uruguay |
| 14 | FW | Leon Taylor | United States |
| 15 | DF | Zac Portillos | United States |
| 16 | DF | Max Lachowecki | United States |
| 17 | FW | Jaime Chavez | United States |
| 19 | GK | Daniel Vega | Argentina |
| 20 | MF | Martin Vingaard | Denmark |
| 23 | MF | Michael Nanchoff | United States |
| 24 | DF | Tarek Morad | United States |
| 25 | MF | Lance Rozeboom | United States |
| 26 | MF | Joe Cole (captain) | England |
| 27 | DF | Hunter Gorskie | United States |
| 28 | MF | Afrim Taku | Albania |
| 29 | MF | Dominic Oduro | Ghana |
| 50 | GK | Akira Fitzgerald | United States |
| 56 | FW | Stefano Bonomo | United States |
| 88 | MF | Kwadwo Poku | Ghana |
| 90 | DF | Kyle Porter | Canada |

### Technical staff

* Neill Collins - head coach (beginning May 18)
* Cheyne Roberts – assistant coach
* Martin Paterson – assistant coach
* Stuart Dobson – goalkeeper coach
* Blain Bott – strength and conditioning coach
* Bentley Smith – kit man
* Stuart Campbell – head coach (until May 17)

### Medical staff

* Andrew Keane – head athletic trainer
* Michelle Leget – assistant athletic trainer
* Robert Dixon – message therapist
* Dr. Koco Eaton – team physician and orthopedic surgeon
* Dr. Mohit Bansal – team physician and orthopedic surgeon
* Dr. Christopher Salud – team physician
* Dr. Samuel Meyers – team chiropractor

### Front office

* Stuart Sternberg – owner (beginning October 2)
* Lee Cohen – vice president and chief operating officer
* Matthew Silverman – vice chairmen (beginning October 2)
* Brian Auld – vice chairmen (beginning October 2)
* Bill Edwards – chairman, chief executive officer and governor (until October 2)

## Competitions
### Preseason / Friendlies

The Rowdies hosted Major League Soccer teams in the Suncoast Invitational for the third year in a row.

### USL
#### USL Eastern Conference table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 10 | Ottawa Fury | 34 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 31 | 43 | −12 | 45 |
| 11 | Charlotte Independence | 34 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 44 | 57 | −13 | 42 |
| 12 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 44 | 44 | 0 | 41 |
| 13 | Penn FC | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 38 | 47 | −9 | 37 |
| 14 | Atlanta United 2 | 34 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 37 | 72 | −35 | 31 |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 14 October 2018. Source: Match reports

#### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
| Stadium | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | A | H | A | H | H | H | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A |
| Result | W | W | L | W | L | W | L | L | L | D | W | D | D | L | D | W | L | L | W | D | L | D | L | D | L | W | L | W | W | W | L | D | L | L |
| Position | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |