Rowdies Add Midfielder Martin Nunez and Forward Darwin Espinal to Roster

ST. PETERSBURG – The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced today that the club has signed midfielder Martin Nu–ez and attacking prospect Darwin Espinal. Per club and league policy, contract details were not disclosed.

With Nœ–ez, the Rowdies have added one of the North American Soccer League’s most experienced midfielders. Nœ–ez, 27, spent the last two seasons with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, where he made 35 starts in 40 matches. He scored 11 goals and tallied two assists for Fort Lauderdale as an attack-minded central midfielder.

"He’s an excellent addition for us,“ Rowdies head coach Thomas Rongen said. "He’s a guy who knows the league well and is somebody with play-making abilities. He’ll combine well with Georgi Hristov and our forwards in the attacking third of the field. We like players to be creative and Nœ–ez can provide that for us. He’s proven himself, over time, to be one of the better players in the NASL.“

Prior to signing with the Strikers, Nœ–ez spent the 2012 season with the then NSC Minnesota Stars, now Minnesota United FC. He scored six goals in 26 appearances for the Stars, leading the team to an appearance in the 2012 NASL Soccer Bowl.

Nœ–ez also played for the Strikers from 2010-2011, transitioning the club from Miami FC to the Strikers and into the NASL. In his first stint with the team, he played in 38 matches, scoring six goals. He is Fort Lauderdale’s leading scorer in the NASL modern era.

Nœ–ez spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons with the Carolina RailHawks and Puerto Rico Islanders, respectively. He is originally from Montevideo, Uruguay, but moved to South Florida when he was nine years old. He played high school soccer at Miami Sunset High, where he won two state titles and was named The Miami Herald’s Class 6A Player of the Year in 2005. The Uruguayan played one season at Georgia Perimeter College, where his 30 goals led the nation.

Espinal, 19, has spent the past two seasons at Darton State College in Albany, Georgia. At Darton, Espinal was one of the premier players in the National Junior College Athletic Association. He was a 1st-Team All-American in both of his two seasons with the Cavaliers, where he helped the team win the Region 17 Championship Title in 2014.

As a freshman in 2013, Espinal scored 23 goals and notched 10 assists in 16 games. As strong as his freshman campaign was, his sophomore season was even better. In 2014, he scored 29 goals and tallied 19 assists in 19 games. None of his collegiate goals came from the penalty spot. He holds the school record in both goals and points.

Rowdies head coach Thomas Rongen, the former United States Under-20 Men’s National Team coach, has a track record of success discovering young prospects. His finds have included Men’s National Team and Major League Soccer stars Clint Dempsey and Ricardo Clark.

"Not too many people knew of Clint Dempsey before I introduced him to the Under-20 National Team,“ Rongen said. "He played at Furman University and never played for the youth national teams. Dempsey has achieved this phenomenal success with New England, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspurs and now Seattle.“

"Darwin is a young prospect with a lot of potential,“ said Rongen. "I don’t expect him to contribute right away, but I feel he’s a player with a lot of upside and flair.

Clearly, he can put the ball in the back of the net. His stats reflect that. It’s just a matter of us of giving him time to adjust to this level.“

Originally from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Espinal played high school soccer at Taravella High School in Broward County, where he was the 2012-2013 Class 5A-4A High School Soccer Player of the Year. At the same time, he led his club team, Plantation FC, to win the Florida State Cup Championship and, ultimately, a spot in the Region III Championship. Espinal was named Most Valuable Player in that national tournament and was selected to the Best XI.

"This signing shows that our scouting network works both internationally and domestically,“ Rongen said. "Not too many people scout the NAIA or in junior colleges. We feel there is a large pool of talent there, so we’re doing our due diligence.“

2015 season tickets start at just $160 for 16 matches. The Spring season includes home matchups against in-state rivals Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Jacksonville Armada FC, who will be playing their inaugural season. The 2015 home opener is set for Saturday, April 11, with the Rowdies hosting defending.