2019

USL EXPERINCE

HOSTED BY TAMPA BAY ROWDIES

SYLSOCCER.COM
TABLE OF CONTENTS

WELCOME...................................................................................................................................2

HISTORY OF THE USL EXPERINCE...................................................................................................3

ABOUT THE SUPER Y LEAGUE.........................................................................................................3

ABOUT TAMPA.............................................................................................................................4

ABOUT THE COACH.......................................................................................................................5

MARQUEE PLAYERS......................................................................................................................6

U13/14 GIRLS ROSTER.................................................................................................................7

U15/16 GIRLS ROSTER.................................................................................................................8

U13/14 BOYS ROSTER..................................................................................................................9

U15/16 BOYS ROSTER................................................................................................................ 10

TRAVEL INFORMATION............................................................................................................... 11

TAMPA BAY ROWDIES TICKETS.................................................................................................... 12

THURSDAY SCHEDULE................................................................................................................ 13

GIRL’S FRIDAY SCHEDULE........................................................................................................... 14

BOY’S FRIDAY SCEDULE.............................................................................................................. 15

GIRL’S SATURDAY SCHEDULE....................................................................................................... 16

BOY’S SATURDAY SCHEDULE....................................................................................................... 17

SUNDAY SCHEDULE.................................................................................................................... 18

CONTACTS................................................................................................................................. 19

#STARTYOURLEGACY.................................................................................................................. 20
 WELCOME

Dear Players,

Congratulations on an excellent 2018 Super Y League season and for being selected to the 2019 USL Experience hosted by the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Through your hard work and determination, you have been recognized by your club leaders, opposing coaches and the SYL Scouting Network as one
of the top players within the Super Y League. You should be extremely proud of this accomplishment and the opportunity that awaits you.

The USL Experience is a great opportunity to showcase your ability in front of top collegiate and professional scouts, as well as learn from the best
coaches and staff within the Super Y League and United Soccer League. It is important to understand that your opportunity is only beginning and
you approach this event seriously. Preparation begins now, before you arrive in Tampa and your hard work should carry on throughout the weekend.
This year’s event is being hosted by the United Soccer League’s Tampa Bay Rowdies, meaning you will have access to professional coaches, players
and staff throughout the entire weekend.

You are here for two main reasons: to improve your ability as a soccer player and showcase your talent. Take advantage of the training sessions and
education you receive from your coaches. Embrace and enjoy every moment throughout the entire weekend and use the knowledge you gain from
this event once you return to your club.

Working with a professional club as a youth player is a unique opportunity that many players do not have the chance to experience. Training and
playing in top facilities is something most players only dream of, but you have earned the chance to live it. Take advantage of these resources and
use them to improve every aspect of your game. From the moment you arrive to the event, you will be treated as a professional and will be expected
to act in a professional manner. Take this time to prepare and act like one. Best of luck!

Sincerely,

Christian Velasquez
Director, Youth League Operations

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HISTORY OF THE USL EXPERINCE

Since 2016, the USL Experience has provided the top

Super Y League players a unique and unprecedented
look into the life of a professional soccer player in the United
States. This event is an opportunity for the identified players
to participate in intense training sessions, play in competitive
matches and learn from professional players and staff in a professional
setting. Players also receive the opportunity to participate in media
sessions, gain access to the USL franchises facilities and receive USLX
branded gear while all meals and lodging are supplied at no cost. The event
concludes with all players attending a USL match between the host franchise and
a conference rival.

The inaugural event in 2016 was hosted by the newly awarded MLS franchise, FC
Cincinnati and followed up by San Antonio FC in 2017 and Phoenix Rising FC in 2018. This
year’s event will be hosted by the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

ABOUT THE SUPER Y LEAGUE

The Super Y League is the country’s longest-running national

youth league, providing over 500 teams and 11,000 players with an
unparalleled experience through unique player tracking and exposure
opportunities, and a direct link to the pyramid of professional platforms
operated by United Soccer Leagues (USL).

Focusing on the important development ages of 11- 19 for both boys and girls, the Super Y League features a
summer-based regular season, SYL National Championships in December, culminating with the USL Experience
event typically held in early April.

Over the past 21 years, the Super Y League has served as an established pathway to college and professional soccer
and will continue to serve as a platform for players to start their legacies.

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 ABOUT TAMPA/ST.PERTERSBURG

THE CITY
The Tampa Bay Metropolitan
Area- consisting of Tampa, St. Petersburg,
and Clearwater, is one of the largest
metropolitan areas in the country. Home
to some of the top beaches in the US, Busch
Gardens, and cultural hubs like Downtown
Dunedin, Historic Ybor City, South Tampa, &
Downtown St. Pete, Tampa Bay is a widely popular
tourist destination. The Tampa Bay Rowdies are based
out of picturesque Al Lang Stadium in the heart of
Downtown St. Petersburg. Other prominent sports teams
located in the Greater Tampa Bay Area include the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers of the NFL, the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL,
and the Tampa Bay Rays of MLB.

OWNERSHIP GROUP FACILITIES

The Tampa Bay Rowdies are currently owned and operated by Major
League Baseball team Tampa Bay Rays, which is led by principal
shareholder Stuart Sternberg. The Rowdies were purchased from
previous owner Bill Edwards, who owned the team for nearly five
years, on October 2, 2018. The Rowdies are entering their third
season in the USL Championship, after joining the league in 2016.
The USL Championship side’s primary sponsor on all of its jerseys is
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
The Rowdies play all of their home matches at Al Lang Stadium,
which is located on Saint Petersburg, Florida waterfront and situated
roughly 20 minutes away from Tampa. The venue holds a capacity
of 7,227 supporters and is operated by Big3 Entertainment Group.
The Rowdies played their first match at Al Lang Stadium back in
2011, and are currently entering their third season in the USL
Championship. On March 25, 2017, the Rowdies set their
single-game attendance record when over 7,700 fans packed into
Al Lang Stadium for the team’s 1-0 win over Orlando City B.

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ABOUT THE COACH

NEILL COLLINS
Neill Collins was appointed Head Coach of the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Friday,
May 18, 2018.

He joined the Rowdies as a player prior to the 2016 season and made 67 appearances for the club as a center
back before transitioning to the role of head coach. Collins holds a UEFA A license.

A native of Troon, Scotland, Collins began his playing career for the amateur Glasgow club Queen’s Park in
2001. As he progressed into the professional ranks, Collins signed with Dumbarton in 2002 became moving to
England to sign with Sunderland in 2004.

While with Sunderland, Collins had loan spells with Hartlepool United, Sheffield United and Wolves. He joined
Wolves on a permanent basis in 2007 and later joined Preston North End on a permanent deal after a loan spell
there.

From Preston North End, Collins signed with Leeds United in 2010 after another successful loan spell. Collins
signed with Sheffield United in 2011 and would spend five seasons there, making nearly 200 appearances for
the Blades with a short loan to Port Vale.

From Sheffield United, Collins made the jump to the United States by signing with the Rowdies. His
professional career spanned 598 competitive matches.

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 MARQUEE PLAYERS

BRANDON ALLEN
Position: Forward
Hometown: Old Bridge, New Jersey
Previous Club: Nashville SC
Brandon Allen signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies on December 5, 2018.

Allen, 25, finished 2018 as Nashville SC’s leading scorer, helping the club reach the USL Cup Playoffs in its
inaugural season with eight goals and two assists in 22 appearances. He started the year with Bethlehem Steel FC
and moved to Nashville after scoring twice in seven games.

A New Jersey native, Allen was an All- American and Hermann Trophy finalist at Georgetown before signing an
MLS homegrown contract with the New York Red Bulls in 2016. He spent most of that season in the USL with Red
Bulls II, and earned a spot in the All-League First Team after scoring 21 goals and recording five assists as the Red
Bulls won USL Cup. Allen scored a hat trick in the Red Bulls’ 5-1 win over the Swope Park Rangers in the final.

With 40 goals over the past three regular seasons and USL Cup Playoffs, Allen is the second-highest scorer in the
league since the start of the 2016 campaign.

KWADWO POKU
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Kumasi, Ghana
Previous Club: FC Anzhi Makhachkala
Kwadwo Poku signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies on June 26, 2018.

He previously played for FC Anzhi Makhachkala in the Russian Premier League. Prior to his move to Russia, Poku played for
Miami FC (NASL), New York City FC (MLS) and the Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) in his professional career. He has three caps for
Ghana.

Poku scored seven goals in 36 appearances for NYCFC, and was named to the MLS “24 under 24” after his stellar
2015 season.

In South Florida, he scored 15 goals in 55 matches, while also guiding Miami FC to both the 2017 Spring and Fall Season
Championships. Poku was also fundamental in Miami’s long Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run in 2017, where they reached the
quarterfinals.

ANTOINE HOPPENOT
Position: Forward
Hometown: Paris, France
Previous Club: Reno 1868 FC
Antoine Hoppenot signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies on December 6, 2018.

Hoppenot played the previous two seasons in the Western Conference with Reno 1868 FC while Johnson has been in the
Toronto FC organization since 2013, when he joined the academy as a 15-year old prospect.

Originally from Paris, Hoppenot moved to the United States to play college soccer at Princeton in 2008 and has been playing
stateside ever since. He was selected by the Philadelphia Union in the 2012 Supplemental Draft and made 69 MLS
appearances over four seasons with the Union before signing with FC Cincinnati in 2016.

After a year in Cincinnati, he moved to Reno for two highly successful seasons, tallying 17 goals and 6
19 assists in 67 matches. His 13 assists in 2018 were the third-most in the USL Championship.
U13/14 GIRLS ROSTER

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U15/16 GIRLS ROSTER

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U13/14 BOYS ROSTER

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U15/16 BOYS ROSTER

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 TAMPA BAY ROWDIES TICKETS

TAMPA BAY ROWDIES

VS LOUISVILLE CITY FC DAY
April 13th – 7:30 P.M.
Al Lang Stadium

All family members attending the USL Experience event are welcome to attend the USL Championship match between the
Tampa Bay Rowdies and Louisville City FC. Tickets for the players are included within the USL Experience, and come at no
additional cost. While tickets are not provided for families of the players, the Rowdies are offering a discounted ticket rate for
families. These tickets will be available in the same section as your players. However, as there are a limited Amount of tickets
available, I would suggest purchasing your seats soon if you are planning to attend the game.

The promotional link is listed below. Please ensure to use this exact link, and to use the promo code USLX19 when purchasing!

https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/tbrowdies/EN/link/promotion/home/3bedbd7423b79a7baf8816c40d9556b934
3eba6a

If you have any questions while purchasing, or any questions between now and the USL Experience, please feel free to reach
out to the contact listed below.

Joe Grossman
Ticket Sales Account Executive – Rowdies
P: (727) 825-3253
E: jgrossman@rowdiessoccer.com

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THURSDAY SCHEDULE

ARRIVAL AND MEDIA DAY

12 P.M. – 4 P.M. Players and Coaches arrive

4:30 P.M. – 5 P.M. Depart for Al Lang Stadium

5 P.M. – 5:45 P.M. Station 1 – Photoshoot

5:45 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Station 2 – Interviews

6:30 P.M. – 7:15 P.M. Station 3 – Stadium tour

7:15 P.M. – 8 P.M. Station 4 – Dinner

8 P.M. – 8:30 P.M. Depart for Hotel

10 P.M. – 10:30 P.M. Lights Out

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 GIRL’S FRIDAY SCHEDULE

TRAINING DAY

6:30 A.M. – 7 A.M. Wake Up

7 A.M. – 7:30 A.M. Breakfast

7:30 A.M. – 8 A.M. Depart for Fields

8 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. Training Session 1

9:30 A.M. – 10 A.M. Depart for Al Lang

10 P.M. – 12 P.M. Tampa Bay Rowdies Training

12 P.M. – 1 P.M. Lunch with Tampa Bay Rowdies

1 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Depart for Hotel

2 P.M. – 3:30 P.M. USL Headquarters Visit

3:30 P.M. – 4 P.M. Depart for fields

4 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Warm Up

4:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. USLX Match 1

6:30 P.M. – 7 P.M. Depart for Hotel

7 P.M. – 8P .M. Dinner at Hotel

10 P.M. – 10:30 P.M. Lights Out

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BOY’S FRIDAY SCEDULE

TRAINING DAY

6:30 A.M. – 7 A.M. Wake Up

7 A.M. – 7:30 A.M. Breakfast

7:30 A.M. – 8 A.M. Depart for Fields

8 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. Training Session 1

9:30 A.M. – 10 A.M. Depart for Al Lang

10 P.M. – 12 P.M. Tampa Bay Rowdies Training

12 P.M. – 1 P.M. Lunch with Tampa Bay Rowdies

1 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Depart for Hotel

3:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M. USL Headquarters Visit

5:30 P.M. – 6 P.M. Depart for fields

6 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Warm Up

6:30 P.M. – 8:30 P.M. USLX Match 1

8:30 P.M. – 9 P.M. Depart for Hotel

9 P.M. – 10 P.M. Dinner at Hotel

10 P.M. – 10:30 P.M. Lights Out

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 GIRL’S SATURDAY SCHEDULE

PRO DAY

7 A.M. – 7:30 A.M. Wake Up

7:30 A.M. – 8 A.M. Breakfast

8 A.M. – 8:30 A.M. Depart for Fields

8:30 A.M. – 9 A.M. Warm Up

9 A.M. – 11 A.M. USLX Match 2

11 A.M. – 1 P.M. Watch Boy’s Matches

1 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Depart for Hotel

1:30 P.M. – 2 P.M. Lunch

2 P.M. – 5 P.M. Player Evaluations (With Coaches)

5 P.M. – 5:30 P.M. Depart for Al Lang

5:30 P.M. – 6 P.M. Chalk Talk with Coach Neil Collins

6 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. Dinner at Al Lang

7:30 P.M. – 9:30 P.M. USL Game

9:30 P.M. – 10 P.M. Depart for Hotel

10 P.M. – 10:30 P.M. Lights Out

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BOY’S SATURDAY SCHEDULE

PRO DAY
9 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. Wake Up

9:30 A.M. – 10 A.M. Breakfast

10 A.M. – 10:30 A.M. Depart for Fields

10:30 A.M. – 11 A.M. Warm Up

11 A.M. – 1 P.M. USLX Match 2

1 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Depart for Hotel

1:30 P.M. – 2 P.M. Lunch at Hotel

2 P.M. – 5 P.M. Player Evaluations (With Coaches)

5 P.M. – 5:30 P.M. Depart for Al Lang

5:30 P.M. – 6 P.M. Chalk Talk with Coach Neil Collins

6 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. Dinner at Al Lang

7:30 P.M. – 9:30 P.M. USL Game

9:30 P.M. – 10 P.M. Depart for Hotel

10 P.M. –10:30 P.M. Lights Out

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 SUNDAY SCHEDULE

DEPARTURE DAY

6 A.M. – 7 A.M. Breakfast

6 A.M. – 10 A.M. Buses Depart to Airport

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CONTACTS

TEAM ADMINISTRATORS

Kevin Minkovitz Katie Middleton

U13/14 Girls U15/16 Girls
Team Representative Team Representative

O: 813-514-1748 O: 813-269-1345
M: 813-732-0395 M: 813-857-3199
kevin.minkovitz@uslsoccer.com katie.middleton@uslsoccer.com

Jordan Rouse Dominic Colarusso

U13/14 Boys U15/16 Boys
Team Representative Team Representative

O: 813-804-3257 O: 813-849-0587
M: 919-413-4064 M: 267-230-5753
jordan.rouse@uslsoccer.com dominic.colarusso@uslsoccer.com

Christian Velasquez Brittany Stolzenberg

Director, Operations Events Manager
Super Y League

O: 813-514-1745 O: 813-269-1348
M: 352-410-3473 M: 954-319-8421
christian.velasquez@uslsoccer.com brittany.stolzenberg@uslsoccer.com

Joel Nash
VP, USL League Two
& Super Y League

O: 813-514-1749
M: 813-712-9485
joel.nash@uslsoccer.com
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#STARTYOURLEGACY

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