A 121-year-old Portuguese soccer team spent a month at a training facility in Tampa before traveling to Miami for its opening match in the FIFA Club World Cup in late June.
SL Benfica, one of the “Big Three” clubs in Portugal’s Primeira Liga (First League), is one of many worldwide to utilize the complex. The Tampa Bay Rowdies, who play at Al Lang Stadium in downtown St. Petersburg, became the training facility’s primary tenant in January 2023.
Rowdies president Ryan Helfrick said international demand for the facility has “skyrocketed” over the past two years. The state-of-the-art complex offers privacy, two natural grass fields, a FIFA-approved artificial turf pitch, a gym, meeting space and offices.
“I think it benefits us in a couple of different ways: One, it shows that we have world-class facilities,” Helfick said. “Also, quite transparently, it helps us financially.”
Hosting Major League Soccer (MLS), English Premier League and national soccer teams – Venezuela in 2024 – also impacts the local economy. Top international squads typically travel with roughly 25 players, over 60 coaches and staff members and a sizable media contingent.
Helfrick said visiting clubs spend roughly one to four weeks at the complex. Nearly 100 people patronize local businesses during their stay.
“Even when we’ve hosted clubs down here at Al Lang Stadium and rent out that facility for preseason, they typically stay in a downtown hotel,” Helfrick added. “They’re out and about, going to the restaurants and frequenting all the different establishments in town. On their days off, they’re going to the beach.”
He noted that “word gets out” after successfully hosting clubs that are “renowned around the world.” Other teams then want to share in the experience.
The increasingly frequent visits also foster relationships between the Rowdies, who play in the second-tier USL Championship, and upper-echelon teams. That familiarity aids in player acquisitions and allows coaches to share strategies.
“We just hosted Benfica, and our guys got to play a closed-door match against one of the top clubs in the world,” Helfrick said. “We can also use that for recruiting new players here.
“Come to the Rowdies – you not only get access to a world-class training facility, but there is also the chance that you’ll have an opportunity to compete against some of these clubs.”
About eight years ago, the Rowdies began hosting MLS during the league’s preseason in January and February. Helfrick said teams seek warm, sunny places to train, which is why Al Lang Stadium was historically a hotbed for Major League Baseball’s spring training.
The Rowdies significantly upgraded the Tampa training facility after securing it in January 2023. The complex features treatment areas and a multimedia room for video and scouting sessions.
Helfrick said its grass fields, off-limits during the USL’s offseason, remain in pristine condition for visiting clubs. He would “put our training facility up against anybody else” in that league and “most” MLS teams.
Helfrick noted the Rowdies can sublease the training facility and Al Lang in January. However, accommodating Benfica in June meant moving the team’s front offices and practices to the stadium, which created costs and logistical challenges.
“We’re not going to host clubs here to lose money,” Helfrick said. “We need to host clubs where it makes financial sense …”
The future
The Rowdies have applied to host a national team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The premier tournament takes place from June 11 to July 19 in cities throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
National clubs will learn where they are playing in December. The Rowdies should know by February which, if any, want an extended stay in Tampa Bay.
The Tampa Bay Rays own the Rowdies, and St. Petersburg’s other professional sports team is for sale. While Helfrick has met with the potential new owners, he said operations are “status quo,” and his focus is on an atypical season.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton damaged Al Lang, and repairs are ongoing at the waterfront stadium. Although most of the remaining work occurs behind the scenes, the Rowdies spent the first month of their season on the road before returning home for six weeks.
The club will not play in St. Petersburg again until Aug. 16, and Helfrick said attendance is down due to the scheduling. However, play has recently improved, and he believes newfound momentum can carry the Rowdies into the playoffs.
The team announced Tuesday morning that Dominic Casciato will lead them into the future as the new head coach. He guided Union Omaha, a club in the Division III USL League One, to a championship in 2024 while setting records for points and goals scored in a single season.
Helfrick said the Rowdies are working with the City to extend their lease at Al Lang, which expires in November. He called the administration “great partners” throughout the storm repair process.
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