The Tampa Bay Rowdies are back in the USL Championship playoffs, and they are kicking things off with a Halloween party. The club hosts in-state rival Miami FC this Friday, October 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, with trick-or-treating, a costume contest and drink specials built around the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal.
The matchup comes after the Rowdies claimed the Players’ Shield, awarded to the USL Championship’s top regular-season team, according to Tampa Bay 28. It is the second time in club history the Rowdies have finished a regular season with the league’s best overall record, per rowdiessoccer.com. The team closed the season at 18-5-7, the only club in the league to top 60 points in the standings, the same report notes.
That finish earned Tampa Bay the No. 1 overall seed and guaranteed hosting rights for as long as the Rowdies keep winning, since the USL Championship Playoffs run as a single-elimination bracket with the top eight teams from each conference battling across four rounds. The club also enters the postseason on a three-match winning streak, having closed the regular season as the only team to clear 60 points, per rowdiessoccer.com's recap of the finale against Sporting JAX. That same finale saw the Rowdies record their 16th shutout of the campaign, setting a new club record for clean sheets in a single season.
Familiar Foe Returns After Four-Year Absence
Miami FC brings its own storyline into the first-round matchup. The club has officially secured its place in the USL Championship playoffs for the first time in four years, according to miamifc.com. The two sides have a recent history worth watching: the Rowdies beat Miami 3-1 in the Conference Quarterfinals back in 2022, and this season they won their first two meetings before Miami turned the tables with a 2-1 win at Al Lang Stadium on October 3, according to the Rowdies' announcement.
Trick-or-Treating, Face Tattoos and Drink Specials on Tap
Beyond the scoreline, Friday’s game is shaping up as a Halloween weekend outing for families and fans looking for a night out. Kids attending can expect trick-or-treating, a costume contest, face tattoos, photo opportunities and a fall festival, Tampa Bay 28 reports. Adults, meanwhile, will have pregame and in-stadium drink specials available throughout the night, according to the same report.
Fans looking for more details on the matchup or the Halloween weekend festivities can find additional information at rowdiessoccer.com, per Tampa Bay 28's report. With the top seed secured and the teams' October meeting behind them, Friday's Conference Quarterfinal gives St. Petersburg soccer fans a reason to trade a costume party for a trip to Al Lang Stadium.
