2012 Tampa Bay Rowdies season

The 2012 Tampa Bay Rowdies season was the current Tampa Bay Rowdies' third season of existence, and second in the North American Soccer League. Including the original Rowdies franchise and the Tampa Bay Mutiny, this was the 25th season of a professional soccer team fielded in the Tampa Bay region.

Tampa Bay Rowdies
2012 season
OwnersAndrew Nestor
Head coachRicky Hill
StadiumAl Lang Stadium
NASL2nd
NASL PlayoffsChampions
U.S. Open CupThird Round
Ponce De Leon CupWinners
Coastal CupWinners
Top goalscorerLeague:
Mike Ambersley
(8)

All:
Mike Ambersley
(11)
Highest home attendance4,710[1]
(July 4 v. Fort Lauderdale)
Lowest home attendance2,194[2]
(April 12 v. Carolina)
Average home league attendance3,116[3]
← 2011
2013 →

Background edit

After their first season, the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies were forced by Classic Ink to discontinue use of the "Rowdies" name, resulting in their name being FC Tampa Bay. Before the 2012 season began, however, the team came to terms with Classic Ink to purchase the "Rowdies" name.[4]

In the previous season, the Rowdies rallied to a third-place finish before bowing out in a first-round playoff match against eventual NASL Champions NSC Minnesota Stars. In 2012, the Rowdies finished second in the league with a 12–9–7 record. In the 2012 playoffs, they first defeated Carolina RailHawks FC, 5–4, on aggregate in the semifinals to advance to the Soccer Bowl. There they avenged the previous season's playoff loss by defeating defending champion, Minnesota, in the NASL Championship Series. They won the title in dramatic fashion, 3–2, on penalty kicks, after making up a two-goal aggregate deficit in regulation, and then surviving 30 minutes of extra time while short-handed.[5] For the region of Tampa Bay, it was the first North American Soccer League championship since the original Rowdies won Soccer Bowl '75.[6]

Club edit

Roster edit

as of August 25, 2012[7]

No. Position Player Nation
1 GK Jeff Attinella   United States
2 DF Daniel Scott   United States
3 DF Andres Arango   Canada
4 MF Stuart Campbell   Scotland
5 DF J. P. Rodrigues   Guyana
6 FW Matt Clare   United States
7 DF Frank Sanfilippo (captain)   United States
8 FW Luke Mulholland   England
9 FW Dan Antoniuk   United States
11 MF Shane Hill   England
13 DF Thurstan Johnson   United States
14 DF Draymond Washington   United States
15 FW Mike Ambersley   United States
18 MF Dan O'Brien   United States
19 DF Eddie Ababio   United States
20 FW Evans Frimpong   Ghana
22 MF Keith Savage   United States
23 FW Fabrice Picault   United States
24 GK Andrew Fontein   United States
25 FW Carl Cort   Guyana
28 MF Raphael Cox   United States
32 MF Takuya Yamada   Japan

Squad information edit

Match results edit

  Win   Tie   Loss

Friendlies edit

March 3, 2012 Intra-Squad Scrimmage Orange Team 5–3 White Team Tampa, Florida
12:00 p.m.   25' (o.g.)
Hill   41'
Hofstetter   41', 58'
Gray   54'
Report Ambersley   20', 46'
Yamada   51'
Stadium: Monroe Middle School
March 10, 2012 Preseason 1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 3–0 Eckerd Tritons Lakewood Ranch, Florida
6:30 p.m. Mulholland   17'
Hofstetter   65'
Gray   68'
Report Hobbis   45'
Duffy   59'
Stadium: Premier Sports Campus
March 17, 2012 Preseason 3 FGCU Eagles 0–1 Tampa Bay Rowdies Fort Myers, Florida
2:00 p.m. Report Savage   45' Stadium: FGCU Soccer Complex
March 21, 2012 Preseason 4 Tampa Bay Rowdies Cancelled UCF Knights Tampa, Florida
7:00 p.m. Report Stadium: Ed Radice Sports Complex
Note: Cancelled due to inclement weather.
March 24, 2012 Preseason 4 USF Bulls 0–1 Tampa Bay Rowdies Tampa, Florida
7:30 p.m. Report Clare   1'
Mulholland   79'
Stadium: Corbett Soccer Stadium
March 28, 2012 Preseason 5 Tampa Bay Rowdies 4–0 Saint Leo Lions Clearwater, Florida
7:00 p.m. Yoshitake   25'
Arango   38'
Yamada   83'
Clare   84'
Mulholland   85'
Report Stadium: Countryside Sportsplex
March 31, 2012 Preseason 6 Tampa Bay Rowdies 3–4 Fort Lauderdale Strikers Auburndale, Florida
Yoshitake   11'
Ambersley   64', 84'
Yamada   82'
Report Herron   16'
Lorenz   27'
Hassan   46'
Shanosky   59'
Anderson   84'
Stadium: FYSA Auburndale Complex

North America Soccer League edit

All times from this point on are Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-04:00)

Standings edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 San Antonio Scorpions (X) 28 13 8 7 46 27 +19 47 Playoff semifinals
2 Tampa Bay Rowdies (C) 28 12 9 7 37 30 +7 45
3 Puerto Rico Islanders 28 11 8 9 32 30 +2 41 Playoff quarterfinals
4 Carolina RailHawks 28 10 10 8 44 46 −2 40
5 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 28 9 9 10 40 46 −6 36
Source: NASL Standings
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (X) Commissioner's Cup (regular season champion)

Results summary edit

Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
28 12 9 7 37 30  +7 45 7 5 1 18 8  +10 5 4 6 19 22  −3

Last updated: September 23, 2012.
Source: Match reports

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728
StadiumAHHAHAHAHAAAHHHAAHHAHAHAHAHA
ResultLWDDWLLWDLLWWWWLWWWDDLDWDWDD
Updated to match(es) played on September 19, 2012. Source: Match results
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Match results edit

  Win   Tie   Loss

April 7, 2012 Match 1
Ponce De Leon Cup
Puerto Rico Islanders 1–0 Tampa Bay Rowdies Bayamon, Puerto Rico
7:30 p.m. EDT Addlery   21'
Delgado   25'
Fojo   43'
Cunningham   59'
Addlery   69'
Report Hill   45'
Yamada   68'
Sanfilippo   90'
Stadium: Bayamon Sports Complex
Attendance: 952
Referee: Javier Santos
April 14, 2012 Match 2 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1–0 FC Edmonton St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Yamada   20'
Hill   82'
Report Joseph-Augustin   26'
Oppong   67'
van Leerdam   78'
Hatchi   84'
Saiko   90+2'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 3,129
Referee: Fotis Bazakos
April 18, 2012 Match 3 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1–1 Carolina RailHawks FC St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Yoshitake   70' Report Shriver   65' Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 2,288
Referee: Armando Villarreal
April 21, 2012 Match 4 Atlanta Silverbacks 1–1 Tampa Bay Rowdies Atlanta, Georgia
7:30 p.m. EDT Robertson   73'
Navia   87'
Report Antoniuk   70'
Mulholland   84'
Stadium: Atlanta Silverbacks Park
Attendance: 3,261
Referee: Ismail Elfath
April 28, 2012 Match 5
Ponce De Leon Cup
Tampa Bay Rowdies 3–1 Fort Lauderdale Strikers St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Clare   27'
Ambersley   62' (pen.)
Rodrigues   63'
Savage   90+'
Report 1
Report 2
Ståhl   42'
Restrepo   90'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 3,536
Referee: Kevin Terry, Jr.
May 5, 2012 Match 6 San Antonio Scorpions FC 2–0 Tampa Bay Rowdies San Antonio, Texas
8:30 p.m. EDT Kling   44'
Denissen   53' (pen.)
Cochrane   61'
Pitchkolan   66'
Report Arango   52' Stadium: Heroes Stadium
Attendance: 9,536
Referee: Hayer Reyes
May 12, 2012 Match 7 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1–2 San Antonio Scorpions FC St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Antoniuk   55'
Ramírez   78'
Report Campos   53', 90+4'
Scott   61'
Hill   63'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 3,166
Referee: Javier Santos
May 19, 2012 Match 8 Atlanta Silverbacks 2–3 Tampa Bay Rowdies Atlanta, Georgia
7:30 p.m. EDT Davis   51'
Moroney   64', 89'
Carr   80'
Report Antoniuk   12', 37'
Yamada   60'
Ambersley   78'
Stadium: Atlanta Silverbacks Park
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Marcos de Oliveira
May 25, 2012 Match 9 Tampa Bay Rowdies 0–0 Minnesota Stars FC St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Campbell   69' Report Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 3,182
Referee: Ted Unkel
June 2, 2012 Match 10
Ponce De Leon Cup
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3–1 Tampa Bay Rowdies Fort Lauderdale, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Thompson   53' (pen.)
Anderson   54'
Stewart   86'
Orozco   88'
Restrepo   90+2'
Report Mulholland   33'
Ambersley   62'
Stadium: Lockhart Stadium
Attendance: 3,255
Referee: Kevin Terry
June 9, 2012 Match 11
Ponce De Leon Cup
Puerto Rico Islanders 2–0 Tampa Bay Rowdies Bayamon, Puerto Rico
7:30 p.m. EDT Fojo   40'
Rivera   73'
Needham   81'
vanSchaik   90+4'
Report Picault   30'
Arango   51'
Stadium: Bayamon Sports Complex
Attendance: 1,012
Referee: Jesus Angel Delgado Lebron
June 16, 2012 Match 12 Minnesota Stars FC 1–2 Tampa Bay Rowdies Blaine, Minnesota
8:30 p.m. EDT Nuñez   8'
Nuñez   25'
Kallman   90+1'
Report Yoshitake   45+1'
Hill   45+1'
Savage   85'
Ambersley   89'
Stadium: National Sports Center
Attendance: 2,908
June 23, 2012 Match 13 Tampa Bay Rowdies 3–2 San Antonio Scorpions FC St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Yoshitake   39', 90'
Mulholland   88'
Report Greenfield   31'
Bayona   52'
Pitchkolan   59'
Harmse   71'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 2,559
Referee: Christina Ibañez
June 30, 2012 Match 14 Tampa Bay Rowdies 2–0 Minnesota Stars FC St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Ambersley   55'
Yoshitake   88'
Report Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 2,594
Referee: Kevin Terry
July 4, 2012 Match 15
Ponce De Leon Cup
Tampa Bay Rowdies 3–1 Fort Lauderdale Strikers St. Petersburg, Florida
6:30 p.m. EDT Ambersley   30'
Yoshitake   67'
Antoniuk   85'
Rodrigues   86'   90'
Report Herron   19',   67'
Orozco   26'   79'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 4,710
Referee: Ismail Elfath
July 12, 2012 Match 16 Minnesota Stars FC 2–1 Tampa Bay Rowdies Blaine, Minnesota
8:30 p.m. EDT Nuñez   30'
Dias   37'
Takada   44'
Venegas   64'
Report Ambersley   78' Stadium: National Sports Center
Attendance: 2,164
July 15, 2012 Match 17 FC Edmonton 0–1 Tampa Bay Rowdies Edmonton, Alberta
4:00 p.m. EDT Hatchi   36'
Lam   70'
Report Yoshitake   33'
Mulholland   88'
Stadium: Clarke Stadium
Attendance: 1,688
July 21, 2012 Match 18
Ponce De Leon Cup
Tampa Bay Rowdies 2–0 Puerto Rico Islanders St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Sanfilippo   57',   72'
Ambersley   85'
Report Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 3,207
July 28, 2012 Match 19 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1–0 FC Edmonton St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Antoniuk   44' Report Arguez   20'
Barthélémy   33'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 3,149
August 4, 2012 Match 20 Carolina RailHawks FC 3–3 Tampa Bay Rowdies Cary, North Carolina
7:00 p.m. EDT da Luz   21'
Zimmerman   43', 49'
Garey   52'
Stockley   59'
Report Hill   17'
Mulholland   86'
Yamada   90+2'
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 5,002
August 11, 2012 Match 21 Tampa Bay Rowdies 0–0 Atlanta Silverbacks St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Mulholland   84'
Arango   90'
Report Willis   54'
Randolph   70'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 3,027
August 19, 2012 Match 22 San Antonio Scorpions FC 4–0 Tampa Bay Rowdies San Antonio, Texas
8:30 p.m. EDT Ramírez   8'
Campos   17', 29'
Sattler   56'
Bayona   90+2'
Report Sanfilippo   45'
Hill   49'
Mulholland   52'
Ambersley   56'
Stadium: Heroes Stadium
Attendance: 7,024
August 25, 2012 Match 23
Ponce De Leon Cup
Tampa Bay Rowdies 0–0 Puerto Rico Islanders St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Cox   54'
Mulholland   68'
Report Nurse   34'
Ibeagha   83'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 3,125
Referee: Ted Unkel
September 1, 2012 Match 24
Ponce De Leon Cup
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 0–3 Tampa Bay Rowdies Fort Lauderdale, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Laing   1'
Tetteh   19'
Ståhl   53'
Report Arango   21'
Picault   53'
Sanfilippo   59'   82'
Cox   80'
Scott   88'
Cort   90+4'
Stadium: Lockhart Stadium
Attendance: 5,629
September 8, 2012 Match 25 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1–1 Atlanta Silverbacks St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Yamada   42'
Ababio   53'   67'
Report Horth   30'
Carr   87'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 3,754
September 16, 2012 Match 26 FC Edmonton 0–3 Tampa Bay Rowdies Edmonton, Alberta
4:00 p.m. EDT Barthélémy   45'
Rago   87'
Report Antoniuk   21'
Ambersley   39'   43'
Mulholland   51'
Stadium: Clarke Stadium
Attendance: 1,376
September 19, 2012 Match 27 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1–1 Carolina RailHawks FC St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 p.m. EDT Arango   13'   22' Report Shipalane   61' Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 2,194
September 22, 2012 Match 28 Carolina RailHawks FC 0–0 Tampa Bay Rowdies Cary, North Carolina
7:00 p.m. EDT Report Frimpong   68'
Hill   90'
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 7,310

Playoffs edit

Carolina RailHawks1–2Tampa Bay Rowdies
Shriver   78' (pen.)
Lowery   86'
Franks   89'
Report Ambersley   64'   90+'
Arango   77'
Attinella   83'
Antoniuk   85'
Attendance: 3,183
Referee: Matthew Foerster
Tampa Bay Rowdies3–3Carolina RailHawks
Hill   40' (pen.)
Ambersley   65'
Mulholland   84'   90+2'
Report Shriver   14'
Shipalane   18'
Agbossoumonde   35'
Zimmerman   86' (pen.)
Attendance: 4,132
Referee: Robert Sibiga

Tampa Bay won 5–4 on aggregate and qualified for the NASL Championship Series.


Minnesota Stars FC2–0Tampa Bay Rowdies
Walker   67'
Takada   84'
Nuñez   90+4'
Report Ambersley   48'
Tampa Bay Rowdies3–1 (a.e.t.)Minnesota Stars FC
Cort   25'   58'
Ambersley   26'
Savage   51'
Mulholland   82'
Antoniuk   86'   90+'
Hill   90'
Report Davis   32'
Bracalello   45+'
Rodríguez   52'
Penalties
Mulholland  
Cox  
Picault  
Cort  
3–2   Hlavaty
  Del Do
  Altman
  Bracalello
  Rodríguez

3–3 on aggregate; Tampa Bay won the 2012 NASL Championship on penalty kicks.

U.S. Open Cup edit

Tampa Bay entered with the other U.S.-based teams from the NASL and USL Pro in the second round. The first two rounds were drawn on May 1, 2012.

May 22, 2012 Second round Jacksonville United   0–3   Tampa Bay Rowdies Jacksonville, Florida
19:00 EST Donaldson   51' Report Ambersley   2'
Antoniuk   19'
Savage   65'
Stadium: Patton Park
Attendance: 925
May 29, 2012 Third round Tampa Bay Rowdies   1–3   Colorado Rapids St. Petersburg, Florida
20:00 EST Antoniuk   19'
Washington   56'
Clare   90+2'
Report Edu   17' (pen.)
Akpan   33'
Thompson   55'
Marshall   57'
Hill   90+1'
Ceus   90+2'
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
Attendance: 3,086

Ponce De Leon Cup edit

The Ponce De Leon Cup was a fan-based derby and trophy that was created in 2006. Participants were originally United Soccer Leagues first division teams (later USSF-D2, then NASL teams) based in lands that Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de León, had visited; namely Florida and Puerto Rico. It was awarded to the club with the best record in league games versus the other participants. The trophy itself was purported to have been destroyed in 2010 in a warehouse fire. 2012 was the final year that the cup was awarded, as the Puerto Rico Islanders ceased operation following the NASL season.

Pos Team GP W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 8 4 1 3 12 8 +4 13
2 Puerto Rico Islanders 8 3 3 2 8 6 +2 12
3 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 8 2 2 4 9 15 -6 8

Honors edit

Individual honors edit

Ricky Hill
Jeff Attinella, Takuya Yamada, Luke Mulholland

Transfers edit

In edit

Out edit

Loan in edit

Loan out edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ (Box score)
  2. ^ (Box score)
  3. ^ Attendance
  4. ^ "FC Tampa Bay Acquire the Rights to "Rowdies" Name | IMS Soccer News". Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  5. ^ "Rowdies Win 2012 NASL Soccer Bowl After Penalty Shootout". Rowdiessoccer.com. October 27, 2012. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  6. ^ Burns, Bryan (October 28, 2012). "Rowdies beat Minnesota for NASL title". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  7. ^ "Roster | Tampa Bay Rowdies". Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2012.