USF, UT in Rowdies’ Cup On Saturday

[Brad]

Courtesy USF SID Office

USF, UT To Square Off For Rowdies’ Cup On Saturday

Tampa, Fla. (August 11, 2006) – The University of South Florida men’s soccer team will continue its rivalry with the University of Tampa in an exhibition match on Saturday, August 12 at the USF Soccer Stadium to battle for the Rowdies’ Cup at 7:30 p.m.  

This will mark the second-straight season USF and UT will battle for the Rowdies’ Cup in an exhibition match to start the year.

The exhibition will be the team’s first action of the 2006 season. Picked to win the BIG EAST Red Division, this year’s squad is lead by Preseason All-BIG EAST selections Rodrigo Hidalgo, Jordan Seabrook and Yohance Marshall.  

Saturday’s match will also mark the debut of the Bulls’ five newcomers – Marc Doherty, Tom Markey, Ogi Perucica, Diego Restrepo and Anthony Wallace.  Rated the 10th-best recruiting class by “College Soccer News”, this year’s class will be looked upon to make an immediate impact on the 11th-ranked Bulls. Doherty, Restrepo and Wallace were also named among the “100 freshmen from coast to coast to keep an eye on” by CSN.

The battle between cross-town rivals USF and UT, was introduced in 1972.  During a span of 16-straight seasons (1977-1992), the two teams played annually. In those 16 years, the Bulls edged the Spartans with a 8-6-2 head-to-head record.  The teams played once more in 1997, a 4-1 win for Tampa.  USF holds an all-time 10-7-2 series lead in regular-season contests, dating back to 1972.  

Since renewing the rivalry, USF holds a 1-0-0 edge versus the Spartans, following a 7-0 win on Aug. 20, 2005. A pair of hat tricks by Hunter West and Jordan Seabrook guided the Bulls to their first win over UT since 1989 en route to claiming the inaugural Rowdies’ Cup.

The Rowdies defeated the Portland Timbers, 2-0, to claim the 1975 Soccer Bowl championship in their inaugural season, becoming Tampa Bay’s first professional championship team.  Tampa Bay played for 10 seasons in the NASL, posting a 147-135 record, including two more appearances in the Soccer Bowl (1978 and 1979). It also fielded an indoor soccer team from 1975-1984, winning two championships. After the demise of the NASL in 1984, the Rowdies operated as an independent team for two seasons before joining the American Indoor Soccer Association in 1986. During the summer of 1988, Tampa Bay joined the American Soccer League. It would stay in the league and its successor (the APSL) until the team folded in 1993.  

Admission is free. For more information, log onto www.GoUSFBulls.com or call 1-800-GoBulls.

The Bulls’ 2006 season will begin on Aug. 25 when they face in-state rival FIU in Miami at 8 p.m.

Below is the all-time Rowdies’ Cup series history between the USF Bulls and the Tampa Spartans.

Rowdies’ Cup Series History

Year        Site                     W-L-T                 Score

2005        USF                     1-0-0                   7-0

OVERALL                            1-0-0                          

[bullsmania]

Brad, I haven't seen any advertising for this event over here.  Unless they have just focused on the Tampa side, but nothing in Pinellas.  This would seem like a great event if you are a soccer fan, especially with our team being as good as they are.  Again, a little dissapointed in the marketing of this game.  

On the other hand, I have seen a ton of commercials, local channels and ESPN, to buy football season tickets.  

But nothing for this game.

[Rabbi Bull]

anybody going to this game?  i'm going and wouldn't mind meeting up with some other bull fans

[Paisa el Toro]

I'll be there, wearing a brown USF T-shirt.

[USFMikeB]

Brad, I haven't seen any advertising for this event over here.  Unless they have just focused on the Tampa side, but nothing in Pinellas.  This would seem like a great event if you are a soccer fan, especially with our team being as good as they are.  Again, a little dissapointed in the marketing of this game.  

On the other hand, I have seen a ton of commercials, local channels and ESPN, to buy football season tickets.  

But nothing for this game.

Soccer fans tend to be a pretty tight group, so the big soccer fans in Pinellas likely know about it.  However, once again a potential marketing deficiency is noted.

[Rabbi Bull]

i'll be there wearing my green bullies shirt