Rowdies fueled by lost championship opportunity 

On the surface, there's a noticeable cheeriness at Rowdies preseason training camp.

"We're all super excited to be back," goalkeeper Evan Louro told FOX 13 Sports.

However, underneath those smiles is a certain suppressed anger.

"There's maybe a calculated anger," defender Max Lachowecki said. There's an underlying energy that everybody kind of feels and they're just hungry to get back for the first game."

The explanation for the pent-up anger and energy is simple. The Rowdies were set to do their part in the Bay Area's recent trend of winning championships. They defeated Louisville City FC for the USL Eastern Conference Championship, punching their ticket to the title game against Phoenix.

However, a COVID-19 outbreak among the Rowdies days before the championship game forced league officials to cancel.

"It was an emotional couple of days," Rowdies head coach Neill Collins shared. "(It's) something that will live forever in that group."

"That was a tough pill to swallow," Lachowecki added. "Of course, we all want to play for a championship. They don't come around very often. We'll just use that as motivation going into this season."

The motivation is certainly there for the Rowdies, who begin the 2021 regular season on May 1 against Charlotte. However, what really makes the Rowdies dangerous is the 15 returnees from a team good enough to qualify for a championship game. 

"Just having 15 guys that have been there, and done it, and just build on it ... It's very exciting," Collins said. 

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