Rowdies added quality and depth to the roster as the club pushes for The Championship in 2016

Venue: Al Lang Stadium

Coach: Stuart Campbell (First year)

2015 Finish: 2nd place (Spring); 8th (Fall); 5th (Combined)

Key Players: Freddy Adu, Tom Heinemann, Junior Burgos, Darwin Espinal, Georgi Hristov

The big striker Tom Heinemann, 28, made a quick jump south from Ottawa Fury FC to the Rowdies, taking his eight goals and four assists with him. Tampa Bay will need his production on the offensive end after having scored only 33 goals all last year, second fewest in the NASL. Freddy Adu, 26, joined the club midway through 2015 and started six games, tallying three assists, but showed flashes that earned him the dogged label of “prodigy” many years ago. Another key addition was the acquisition of the free-kick specialist Junior Burgos, who played for the Atlanta Silverbacks last year and earned the Goal of the Year award when he scored from a set piece in a game against San Antonio.

What They’re Saying: "We can't wait. We're all ready, we've had a great preseason. The guys' attitude and application has been great day in and day out." –Coach Stuart Campbell

“It’s simple for me: I want to win championships. We have to go out and win games. I’m confident coming from a winning environment in Akron winning a national championship and with the [Portland] Timbers winning MLS Cup. I can instill some of that into this team and there’s a lot of good players. As long as we buy into it and we’re all on the same page, we can expect good things.” –Midfielder Michael Nanchoff

2016 Outlook: Last year, the Rowdies finished a slim point behind the Cosmos in the Spring Season standings. An uneven Fall Season, though, saw Stuart Campbell take over the coaching on an interim basis and his role was made permanent before the end of the season. Still, the team’s poor performance in the Fall Season left it only two points adrift of the final berth in The Championship. For 2016, the Rowdies and Campbell will need similar production from Georgi Hristov, who had nine assists last year. The offense also needs a shot in the arm after scoring only 18 goals in the Fall Season, tied for the fewest in the league, but added key additions with Tom Heinemann and Danny Mwanga, 24. Along with returning players such as Darwin Espinal, 21, and Adu, the Rowdies bolstered the midfield with Kalif Alhassan, 25; Michael Nanchoff, 27; Eric Avila, 28; and many others to strengthen the depth and quality of the team in pursuit of the postseason.