TAMPA – The United Soccer League (USL) announced that
Tampa Bay Rowdies U23 will join USL League Two for the 2020 season. The team
will compete in the Southeast Division and will play its home matches at Al
Lang Stadium.
Founded in 2008, the Rowdies joined the USL Championship in
2017. The Rowdies U23 side will be run in partnership between local youth club
Chargers SC and the Rowdies technical staff.
“Our goal has always been to help develop players and now we
can offer a direct pathway for players in this community,” said Head Coach and
former Rowdies player Andres Arango. “There is a lot of talent in Florida and
it’s about time we start to keep that talent around.”
An estimated 80 percent of the Rowdies U23 roster will be
comprised of players from the newly-formed, three-pronged Rowdies Youth
Network, which consists of the U23 team in League Two, Rowdies Women (run in
association with Pinellas County United SC), and the Tampa Bay United Rowdies
Development Academy (run in association with Tampa Bay United).
Orlando City SC Selects O’Callaghan in 2020 MLS
SuperDraft
Orlando City SC selected defender Nick O’Callaghan with the
No. 57 overall pick in the third round of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft presented by
adidas.
A native of Winter Springs, Fla., O’Callaghan joins the
Lions following two years at Florida International University. In 2019, he started all 18 matches for the
Panthers, part of an FIU backline that registered five clean sheets and was
named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region First Team, as well as
the 2019 Conference USA All-Tournament Team. In his first year at FIU in 2018,
O’Callaghan recorded one cap, scoring one goal.
Prior to his time at FIU, O’Callaghan spent three years at
Elon University where he totaled 49 appearances, scoring two goals and adding
five assists in that span.
O’Callaghan, 22, is a graduate of Winter Springs High School
and a former member of the Orlando City Development Academy, a part of a team
that made the Academy Playoffs in 2014.
BODYARMOR, Kobe Bryant and Players Kick Off MLS
Partnership
Major League Soccer (MLS) and BODYARMOR Sports Drink today
hosted an event at LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium to kick off their
multi-year partnership with NBA legend and BODYARMOR investor Kobe Bryant.
BODYARMOR announced exclusive team partnerships with 19
different MLS clubs: Austin FC (who begin MLS play in 2021), Chicago Fire FC,
Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew SC, D.C. United, FC Cincinnati, Houston Dynamo,
Inter Miami FC, Los Angeles FC, Minnesota United FC, Nashville SC, New York Red
Bulls, New York City FC, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers,
San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders and Sporting Kansas City.
Bryant and the MLS
players unveiled a customized, 4-foot-tall replica bottle that BODYARMOR
created exclusively to commemorate the league’s 25th season and celebrate MLS’
rich history, while expanding on the foundation it has built over an extensive
period of explosive growth.
