ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – “The offseason for me is just a little too long.”

You should clap your hands twice if you agree with Evan Louro. The round of applause is deafening.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies will open their season on the road on Saturday against the New York Red Bulls II.

“It is good to finally play some games that mean something,” Louro said after practice Friday morning. “We got some good tests in preseason against some MLS teams so that has been really good but, yes, finally ready to get to the real thing.”

The 24-year-old goal goalkeeper has not played in a meaningful game since October and he has never played in a meaningful game in a Tampa Bay Rowdies uniform.

Louro, who was raised in New Jersey, spent the past 11 years with the New York Red Bulls. He joined the academy in 2008. He became the starting goalie for the Red Bulls II in 2017. Ironically, he will face them in the first game of the 2020 season.

“It will be weird for like the first five minutes when I get there,” Louro said. “But, I mean, at the end of the day, I am not there anymore and this is my new team and, like I have said to a couple guys, if they are not on my team, I do not really worry about them so it is just another game for me.”

The cheering is continuous for Louro. He responded to a question regarding what he hopes to accomplish on a personal level this season.

“At the end of the day, if we win, I do not really care what our stats are. I just want to do what I can and help the team win and hopefully bring a USL Cup down here,” he said.

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