Rowdies return home to storm-damaged Al Lang 

St. Petersburg’s other storm-displaced professional sports team, the Tampa Bay Rowdies, will return home tonight for the first time in seven months. 

Al Lang Stadium has not hosted soccer fans clad in green and gold since September 2024. Hurricane Helene inundated the waterfront facility with 4.5 feet of water, and Rowdies president Ryan Helfrick called returning home after over 200 days away “really exciting” for a team needing a spark.

“It’s our 50th anniversary season,” Helfrick said. “It’s our home opener – our first chance to get fans back in here after the hurricanes and bring the community together. So, it’s going to be an awesome experience.” 

Rowdies president Ryan Helfrick highlights the water level entering the locker room areas in Hurricane Helene’s aftermath.

Helene’s storm surge flooded below-ground training rooms, electrical equipment and offices. Hurricane Milton’s 100 mph gusts redirected towering stadium lights. “Half of them were pointing up at the sky,” Helfrick said.

About 18 inches of water covered a now pristine pitch. Helfrick, somewhat incredulously, noted the team’s ground crew was able to save the two-year-old field. 

The Rowdies finished their 2024 season in Bradenton at IMG Academy, which has a capacity of about 800. The club began 2025 with a month-long road trip and a 1-3 record, good enough to cost head coach Robbie Nielson his job. 

However, a 7:30 p.m. match tonight against Loudin United FC provides an opportunity for a much-needed reset under former assistant coach Steve Coleman, who has endeared himself to players and leadership. 

“The guys were out of their natural routine, out of their natural surroundings they’re used to,” Helfrick said. “We haven’t had the start we’ve wanted to, so I think the guys are extremely excited to be back – to be back in front of a ton of fans.”

Al Lang holds over 7,200 people, and fans will notice some changes at the former minor league stadium. The Rowdies converted their storm-damaged offices into a proper team store, which once sat under a tent along the pitch. 

Helfrick noted the team needed to remove and replace the drywall anyway and decided to “knock down all the walls and have a huge open space.” Fans will now have an airconditioned area more visible from downtown’s 1st Street North. 

Contractors used cranes to adjust stadium lighting Wednesday.

The team store’s former home will now serve as a midfield club for premium ticket holders. A fan zone outside the stadium with activities and concessions will open two hours before the match. 

City council members approved a complex and fast-moving $3.2 million repair project in January. Chair Copley Gerdes said that restoring and upgrading Al Lang is a budget priority. 

Fans will not notice ongoing interior repairs. While Helfrick said Al Lang is “fully operational,” much work remains. 

For example, a massive heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system was flooded and not easily replaceable. “You can’t just buy a two-ton AC unit and have it delivered in a month.”

A temporary system provides some respite for players and executives, and Al Lang is an outdoor stadium. Helfrich said the 80-year-old brick facility is structurally sound; however, replacing discontinued parts has proved challenging. 

New epoxy flooring, rather than wood, can withstand water intrusion. Contractors replaced electrical systems and installed new locker rooms and bathrooms. 

Flood waters prevented team officials from entering the stadium’s bowels immediately after Helene. “It was up to my shoulders,” Helfrick said. 

Once the water receded, he found that an over 1,000-pound cooler had floated nearly 100 feet down a hallway and blocked access to some areas. “It took us like an hour and a half to get in here.” 

Players now have remodeled locker rooms.

Gabriela Lozada, director of communications for the Rowdies, said the stadium is now “in a good spot” to host fans and players. The team practiced at home before Saturday’s match for the first time in over 200 days. 

Defender Forrest Lasso said the homecoming is long overdue and a “special night.” He called Al Lang, with its downtown and waterfront vistas, “one of a kind” and “picturesque,” particularly as the sun sets over the distant Gulf. 

Lasso believes the comfort and familiarity of playing at home in front of family, friends and a “rocking” crowd can propel the Rowdies. Perhaps most of all, he anticipates interacting with the team’s younger fans – an opportunity typically not afforded at other sporting events.  

“I’ve gone through my whole journey and adversity, so when I see those little kids, I’m like, ‘Dude, that’s me,’” Lasso said. “The most genuine part about it is that we’re all little kids, and this is a playground. We can’t lose that mentality. 

“The competitive part is easy. The winning is easy … all that comes, no problem. But you gotta enjoy it.” 

Win or lose, players signing autographs for young fans is a post-match ritual at Al Lang.