TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa Bay Rowdies win on Saturday against North Carolina FC would clinch a playoff spot for Tampa Bay for a sixth straight season.
But instead of possibly celebrating in front of their hometown fans, the Rowdies must relocate from Al Lang Stadium in downtown St. Petersburg for the final three home games because of the impact of hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“The last month has just been a whirlwind of things coming up, things not working out, having to move, evacuate,” Rowdies goalkeeper Jordan Farr said.
The team evacuated from Hurricane Milton to Miami last week and then played a road game at Louisville FC. Saturday’s expected home match against North Carolina FC will now be played on the road in Cary, N.C.
“Honestly, we are used to it at this point, a bit of the chaos, a bit of the unexpected turns,” Farr said. “For us, going to North Carolina is an opportunity. In the last six or seven games, we haven’t performed our best.”
To find the Rowdies' last win, you have to go back to Sept. 14 against Pittsburgh. The team has lost five of its last six matches but can still make the playoffs despite the distractions.
“That’s the nice thing, we’ve played well early in the season,” Rowdies forward Cal Jennings said. “So we put ourselves in position, is this the position we want to be in? Definitely not. I know everyone is disappointed in how this last stretch of games has gone. But that’s the sport. You have swings of momentum where you’re playing well, and times when you’re struggling.”
“It’s about finding within yourself to want the challenge and to overcome something,” Farr added. “Resilience is built through things you don’t want to do. Going away is something most people don’t want to do.”
Sites for the final two regular-season home games will be announced at a later date.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
