Tampa Bay Mutiny facts for kids
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| Full name | Tampa Bay Mutiny | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Mutiny | |||
| Founded | November 16, 1994 | |||
| Dissolved | January 8, 2002 | |||
| Stadium | Tampa Stadium Raymond James Stadium |
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| Stadium capacity |
74,301 / 65,857 | |||
| Owner | Major League Soccer | |||
| League | Major League Soccer | |||
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The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer team. They were based in Tampa, Florida. The team was one of the first members of Major League Soccer (MLS). They played from 1996 to 2001.
The Mutiny played their home games at Tampa Stadium. Later, they moved to Raymond James Stadium. The team started in 1994. MLS owned and ran the team for its entire history.
The Mutiny had a lot of success in their first years. They won the first ever Supporters' Shield award in 1996. This was thanks to MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and top scorer Roy Lassiter. Lassiter scored 27 goals in 1996, which was an MLS record until 2018.
However, over time, fewer fans came to their games. The team also made less money. Their performance on the field got worse too. Their stadium lease at Raymond James Stadium also caused money problems. Because of these issues, MLS tried to find a local owner for the team. They could not find anyone. So, the Mutiny and another Florida team, the Miami Fusion, were closed down before the 2002 season.
Contents
Team History
Starting the Team
In 1994, the new Major League Soccer announced it would have a team in the Tampa Bay area. This area was chosen because soccer had been popular there before. The Tampa Bay Rowdies had been a successful team in the old North American Soccer League in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Mutiny started playing in 1996 when the MLS season began. The Mutiny was not directly connected to the old Rowdies team. But sometimes, the Mutiny honored the Rowdies. They would wear green and gold uniforms, which were the Rowdies' colors. Once, they even wore both team logos on the same shirt.
Early Success
MLS owned and ran the Mutiny, along with two other teams: the Dallas Burn and the San Jose Clash. MLS hoped to sell these teams to private local owners later.
In 1995, the team signed strong players. These included Carlos Valderrama, Roy Lassiter, and Martín Vásquez. The Mutiny did very well in their first two years. In 1996, they had the best record in the league. They won the first Supporters' Shield. Carlos Valderrama was named the Most Valuable Player. Roy Lassiter won the MLS Golden Boot for scoring the most goals.
The Mutiny played their first game on April 13, 1996. They won 3–2 against the New England Revolution. Their manager was Thomas Rongen. Roy Lassiter scored a record 26 goals that season. The Mutiny finished with 20 wins and 12 losses. They were the first team to win the Supporters' Shield. In the playoffs, they beat the Columbus Crew. But they lost to D.C. United in the conference final. D.C. United went on to win the championship.
Changes and Challenges
In 1997, Thomas Rongen left to manage the New England Revolution. John Kowalski became the new manager. The Mutiny finished with 17 wins and 15 losses. But they lost quickly in the playoffs to the Columbus Crew. After the season, Kowalski left the club.
In 1998, Tim Hankinson became the new manager. Their star player, Carlos Valderrama, moved to a new MLS team, the Miami Fusion. Without Valderrama, the Mutiny struggled. They finished with 12 wins and 20 losses. This was the first time they missed the playoffs.
In 1999, the Mutiny got Carlos Valderrama back. Even with him, they still had a tough season. They made the playoffs despite having more losses than wins. But they were quickly beaten by the Columbus Crew.
In the 2000 season, the Mutiny improved. They finished with 16 wins, 12 losses, and 4 ties. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first round of the playoffs.
In 2001, Tim Hankinson was fired. Alfonso Mondelo and Perry Van der Beck took over as managers. But the team continued to struggle. Mondelo was fired during the season. Neither manager could help the team win. On September 4, the Mutiny lost 2–1 to the Columbus Crew. This was their last game ever. They only won four games and had two ties that season, with 21 losses.
End of the Team
Tampa Stadium was torn down in 1998. The Mutiny moved to the new Raymond James Stadium for the 1999 season. Their new stadium agreement was not good for the team. Most of the money made on game days went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This made it hard for the Mutiny to earn money.
Fewer and fewer fans came to the games. This made the money problems even worse. In 2001, the Mutiny had the worst record in MLS. They only won four out of twenty-seven games. On average, fewer than 11,000 fans came to each game. This was one of the lowest numbers in the league.
MLS was losing up to $2 million a year on the team. They tried to get Malcolm Glazer and his family to buy the Mutiny. The Glazers owned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League team. The Glazers thought about buying the team, but they decided not to.
Since no one wanted to buy the team, MLS closed down the Mutiny. They also closed the Miami Fusion, another Florida team, in 2002. The Glazers later bought Manchester United, a famous soccer team in England, in 2005.
Team Awards
Team Achievements
- MLS Supporters' Shield:
- 1996 (Awarded to the team with the best regular season record)
- Eastern Conference (Regular Season Winners):
- 1996
- Copa de Puerto Rico
- 2000
Player Awards
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Coach and Staff Awards
- MLS Coach of the Year Award:
- 1996 Thomas Rongen
- MLS Executive of the Year Award:
- 1999 Nick Sakiewicz
- MLS Operations Executive of the Year Award: (2)
- 1996 Eddie Austin
- 2001 Eddie Austin
Players
- See also All-time Tampa Bay Mutiny roster
Head Coaches
Thomas Rongen (1996)
John Kowalski (1997–98)- Tim Hankinson (1998–00)
Alfonso Mondelo (2001)- Perry Van der Beck (2001)
Team Records
- Most Games Played: Steve Ralston (177)
- Most Goals: Roy Lassiter (37)
- Most Assists:
Carlos Valderrama (81) - Most Shutouts (games without letting the other team score): Scott Garlick (11)
Home Stadiums
- Tampa Stadium (1996–1998)
- Raymond James Stadium (1999–2001)
Season by Season Results
Images for kids
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Raymond James Stadium was home to the Mutiny from 1999 to 2001.
See also
In Spanish: Tampa Bay Mutiny para niños
- Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship
- Fort Lauderdale–Tampa Bay rivalry
