ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This season, the Tampa Bay Rowdies are celebrating their 50th anniversary. The only quirk in the celebration is that the team's first four games have all been on the road.
Flooding from Hurricane Helene damaged Al Lang Stadium to the point where the Rowdies couldn't even practice on the field until Thursday.
September 14 was their last true home game. The closest they got for the remainder of last season was playing a pair of games at IMG Academy in Bradenton.
After months of tireless work, the Rowdies finally get to open the regular season this weekend when they host Loudoun United FC.
Tampa Bay team president Ryan Helfrick detailed the long list of repairs needed to be made leading up to kick-off.
"[After Hurricane Helene], the water was up to my shoulders. So it took out all the contents in the locker room. So the only thing that was saved in here were the LED lights," he said bluntly during a tour of the repairs.
"You couldn’t open any of the doors in the facility. They all have electrical fobs to get into. With the salt water getting into them, the doors expanded, killed the electricity," he continued. "So we actually had to kick in and take axes to all of the doors. So if you walk around and see no door handles... That’s because an ax took it off."
What seemed like endless gallons of salt water courtesy of the storm surge sacked any electrical equipment that wasn't elevated at the time of the storm.
Helfrick checked the security cameras the night the storm hit St. Petersburg.
"At 9:30, there was no water coming through the [outer fence around the field]. By 10 p.m., the entire field all the way to the back wall behind the midfield bleachers had about 18 inches to two feet of water on it. By four in the morning, the time that I arrived, the field was dry as a bone."
The drainage system worked extremely well, but the hours of work to save the grass itself along with the stadium will continue right up until kick off.
Thursday's training session was the first time the players set foot on the Al Lang surface since September. For them, one of the most eye-catching sports venues in the country is a sight for sore eyes.
"It’s one of a kind. You look to the right, and you have the marina. You have the sunset. It’s literally a picturesque stadium. It’s one of the best in the world, in my opinion," defender Forrest Lasso said after practice. "To have this place rocking, to see the green and gold, to see the smoke, the chants, it’s something we’ve been waiting for for a long time."
Friday, the Rowdies dismissed second-year head coach Robbie Neilson after starting the season 1-3. Now, the team hopes some home cooking will kick start some much-needed momentum.
"Futbol’s a crazy sport, man. It can change overnight," Lasso added. "So we’re looking forward to the opportunity. Hopefully, that energy helps us bring home three points."
Tampa Bay's home opener versus Loudoun United FC kicks off tomorrow night at 7:30. After spending the first four games on the road, the Rowdies will play their next six matches at Al Lang Stadium.
