by JAKE NUTTING and DANIEL ENDONINO

The Tampa Bay Rowdies enter the 2016 season seeking a return to the upper echelon of the North American Soccer League after two years of hanging out in the middle of the pack.

The organization has seen tremendous growth under owner Bill Edwards since he took control in late 2013. He’s invested heavily in nearly every area a supporter could hope for, but none of it has amounted to positive results on the field. The Rowdies have missed out on the league’s postseason three straight years while also going winless in the last two U.S. Open Cups.

To rectify this situation they’ve tapped Stuart Campbell, who played an integral role as a midfield general in the club’s run to the 2012 Soccer Bowl. He’ll be eager to return the club to glory as this year is his first shot at a full season at the helm after serving as an interim coach twice before.

Campbell has gone all out in retooling a Rowdies side that finished tied for second fewest goals (33) scored in the league last year. Their first step in solving those scoring woes was outbidding a number of teams to sign one of the league’s top forwards in 2015 Tom Heinemann (8 goals, 4 assists).

In order for Heinemann to have as many chances at putting the ball into the back of net as possible, the Rowdies have also gone about assembling what could be the best midfield they’ve ever fielded in the modern era. This year’s group, featuring players like Freddy Adu, Michael Nanchoff, Junior Burgos, Eric Avila and Kalif Alhassan has already shown a level of flair and technical ability that have not been since in Tampa Bay’s midfield since Luke Mulholland departed after 2013.

One source of pride for the Rowdies last year was a defensive unit that kept the team alive in the playoff hunt until the very final day of the regular season while the attack continued to flounder. They’ve kept that core unit of Matt Pickens, Tamika Mkandawire, Darnell King, Stefan Antonijevic and Ben Sweat intact this year, while also bringing in veterans like Frankie Sanfilippo, Jeremy Hall and Neil Collins to spur competition for minutes. In addition, promising defender Zac Portillos has recovered from his unfortunate Achilles injury and is already giving Sweat a run for his money at left back.

2015 Finish:

2nd (Spring), 8th (Fall), 5th (Combined)

Incoming Players

Keepers: Michael Langer

Defenders: Frankie Sanfilippo, Jeremy Hall, Neil Collins

Midfielders: Kalif Alhassan, Eric Avila, Junior Burgos, Michael Nanchoff, Walter Ramirez

Forwards: Tommy Heinemann, Danny Mwanga

Outgoing Players

Keepers: Kamil Čontofalský

Defenders: Rich Balchan, Gale Agbossoumonde

Midfielders: Richard Menjivar, Martin Nunez, Marcelo Saragosa, Marquez Fernandez

Forwards: Corey Hertzog, Brian Shriver, Robert Hernandez, Maicon Santos, Zak Boggs

The Schedule

Having three other NASL teams in Florida has gifted the Rowdies with a scheduling advantage in the Spring Season. They only have to play two of their 10 games in the spring outside of the Sunshine state, which will free them from them rigorous air travel that comes with the territory in North America. If they can exploit this advantage and take the Spring Season title, they’ll be able to get the playoff qualification monkey off their back early and have more freedom to focus on a potential U.S. Open Cup run.

The schedule becomes more congested and challenging when the Rowdies are slated to bookend the Fall Season with six matches in July and seven matches in October. Even if they Rowdies fall short of winning the spring, they’d do well to get as many points as possible when the schedule favors them.

A New Look for the New Season

Along with new faces and new secondary kits, fans should expect to see something new tactically from the Rowdies. Throughout the offseason we thought Campbell would stick to the 4-4-2 he deployed through the Fall Season last year. It was a system that relied heavily on the wings attempting to open up the defense, but it failed as a result of the team not having true wingers.

If the preseason friendlies are a sign of things to come, it appears Stuart has shifted to favoring a 4-2-3-1. There also seems to be a lot more freedom for the midfielders in that system as well. The three behind the striker have license to roam, and either of the two holding midfielders — likely Juan Guerra and Michael Nanchoff — are able to push forward to support when the team is in possession. All indications from the players coming out of preseason camp are that, compared to last year, Campbell has done a better job installing a system and instructing them of their roles.

Players to Watch

Tommy Heinemann: With a shallow pool of true strikers at the start of the season, it looks as if much of the burden of banging in goals will fall on Heinemann. Surprisingly nimble for a 6-foot-4 forward, he’ll be asked to work hard up top as a target man and to set up his teammates when they crash forward. He had some terrific early returns in the preseason (3 goals, 3 assists), which will hopefully translate to success in the season.

Darwin Espinal: In a season devoid of much excitement in the attack, Espinal brought the goods in many of his appearances last year as a rookie. He’s shown no signs of regression in the preseason and looks hungry to solidify his spot as a starter under Campbell. The downside to his obvious talents is that it could tear him away from the Rowdies if he’s called away to the Honduran U-23 team for the Rio Olympics in August.

Freddy Adu: This one seems pretty self explanatory. Adu has shown he still has plenty left to give, now it’s just a matter of him finally putting in the work to establish himself as a regular contributor for the first time in many years. Besides than the obvious fact that any player performing well is a plus for the team, another benefit of Adu’s success would likely be drawing more people to Al Lang and significantly more media interest.

Michael Nanchoff: A big issue for the Rowdies last season was inconsistency at the holding midfield position. Juan Guerra held his own many times, but struggled with the constant circulation of different midfield partners every other week. Michael Nanchoff’s output in the preseason has given hope that the Rowdies have found their man who can act as a partner in the two-man pivot of the 4-2-3-1 and show well going forward.

Predictions

Under Stuart Campbell, the revamped Rowdies attack and returning defensive core will clinch their first playoff spot since 2012 and notch a victory when they enter the U.S. Open Cup on June 1.