Tampa Bay Rowdies Sign Midfielder Eric Avila

ST. PETERSBURG – The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ midfield depth and talent pool continues to grow with the addition of Eric Avila on a one-year contract with a club option for 2017, pending ITC clearance. Per club and league policy, further contract details were not disclosed.

Avila joins the Rowdies after playing for Orlando City in 2015 on loan from Mexican powerhouse Santos Laguna. He made 21 league appearances for Orlando City last year, logging 1,325 minutes of play.

Avila, 28, primarily plays as an attacking midfielder in the wide areas of the field, though he can also play centrally. He brings nine years of Major League Soccer experience to the Rowdies, having played nearly 10,000 minutes in MLS.

”Me, Raoul (Voss) and Stuart (Dobson) have all scouted Eric and we all liked him immediately,“ Tampa Bay Rowdies Head Coach Stuart Campbell said. ”He’s a really clever player that seems to be comfortable wherever you put him on the field, which is a great player to have on any team. He brings plenty of skill and technical ability.“

His professional career began when FC Dallas selected him as a Generation Adidas member in the second round of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. After four seasons in Dallas, including helping the club reach the MLS Cup final in 2010, Avila was traded to Toronto FC in a deal that sent former Rowdies forward Maicon Santos in the other direction.

After two seasons in Toronto, Avila was acquired by Chivas USA, where he played until the franchise disbanded in 2014. Avila then signed with Santos Laguna last year and joined Orlando City on a season-long loan.

Born in San Diego, Avila represented the United States at the Under-17 and Under-20 levels.

The Suncoast Invitational will continue next Saturday at Al Lang, as Toronto FC takes on Philadelphia, followed by the Rowdies taking on the Montreal Impact in the doubleheader’s finale. Tickets for Rowdies Suncoast Invitational matches start at just $15 and are available by calling (727) 222-2000 or by clicking here.