ST. PETERSBURG – The Tampa Bay Rowdies added five more players to their 2021 squad following the initial signings last week. Aaron Guillen, Lewis Hilton, Jordan Doherty, Yann Ekra, and Jordan Scarlett all signed new deals for the Rowdies this week.
The 2021 season will be Guillen’s second with the club after he played 16 matches this season in green and gold. The Mexican defender played every minute of all 16 matches, only seeing one yellow card this season, coming in the derby with Miami. Guillen drew an impressive 30 fouls this season, while only giving away 11 and winning 17 tackles.
Hilton played all 16 matches, starting 12 of them and recorded three assists in the season. It was a good year for shooting for Hilton as he managed 6/17 for a return of 35.3 percent on target, his second best career accuracy. The Englishman was vital for the team, which had more success with him on the pitch, with a plus-minus of +10 and goals scored of +0.85 when he was on the pitch but -0.10 when he was off the pitch.
Teenager Doherty had his biggest season yet in his professional career and will enter his third season with the Rowdies in 2021, the only pro-club he has had. This season saw the Irish youngster make 13 starts out of the 16 matches, only one fewer than he started in his first season in a much shorter season. 2020 also saw Doherty’s first professional goal, the opener against Atlanta United 2 back in August as part of a 2-1 win. He has really established himself as part of the team, not just a future prospect but a key part of the squad.
Ekra will be back for a third season with the Rowdies in 2021, having appeared in 11 matches this year, scoring one goal. Ekra improved his shooting in 2020, managing a 38.5 percent shooting accuracy this season up from 15.4 last year. In an odd stat Ekra was one of the most key members of the Rowdies for points when playing. The Rowdies picked up 2.43 points when he stepped on the pitch, ranking him 5th in USL Championship for that stat. He was also a key provider, managing three assists in the year that gave him an assists per game rate of 0.45, the 10th highest in the league.
Scarlett impressed in his first season with the Rowdies, scoring a goal and providing one assist as he played every minute. The former Baby Bull had a strong knack for gaining back possession, he managed 32 interceptions this season, the fourth most in the league. The Jamaican has quickly established himself as a Rowdy and will no doubt be a bigger part in 2021.
The Rowdies squad will continue to grow throughout the next few months but key parts of the squad are already in place, something of a head-start on the other teams in the league.
Photo: Yann Ekra
Florida Soccer Report 
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