2013 Tampa Bay Rowdies season
The 2013 season was the current Tampa Bay Rowdies fourth season of existence, and third playing in the North American Soccer League, the second tier of American soccer pyramid. Including the original Rowdies franchise and the Tampa Bay Mutiny, this was the 26th season of a professional soccer team fielded in the Tampa Bay region. The Rowdies entered the 2013 season as the defending NASL Champions. Background. The 2012 season marked one of the most successful seasons in modern Rowdies history, as the club finished second in the league table during the regular season. During  the regular season, Tampa Bay amassed 45 points in 28 matches, and tallied for 12 wins, nine draws and seven losses. By finishing in the upper two spots of the league table, Tampa Bay earned a bye to the semifinals of the 2012 NASL Playoffs, where they took on Carolina RailHawks in the two-leg semifinal series. Ultimately, the Rowdies defeated the RailHawks 5–4 on aggregate, earning themselves a berth into the Championship round. There, Tampa Bay took on the Minnesota Stars FC, and had the luxury of hosting the second leg, due to the better season record. Tampa Bay  fell 2–0 in the first leg of the series, but were able to recover in the second leg of the series, winning the match 3–1 and tying the match on aggregate. The aggregate tie allowed the match to enter a penalty shoot-out, in which Tampa Bay emerged victorious, 3–2, over Minnesota. Competitions. Preseason. I-4 Derby. Orlando City won 6–4 on aggregate and won the I-4 Derby.