ST. PETERRSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Friday the club had acquired midfielder Max Schneider via transfer from Union Omaha of USL League One. The transaction is pending league and federation approval and per club policy the terms of the transfer agreement were not disclosed.

Schneider played under Rowdies Head Coach Dominic Casciato in Omaha in 2024 when the club won both the USL League One title and Players’ Shield. He continued to excel with Omaha this past season, registering four goals and three assists in the regular season to earn 2025 USL League One All-League First Team honors.

“Max is someone I’m very familiar with, and another player with a great winning mentality,” said Casciato. “He won a national title at Marshall University; then enjoyed success with St. Louis’s second team in MLS NEXT Pro before winning the Players’ Shield and championship in 2024 with Union Omaha.

“He’s a big, imposing central midfielder who can win headers and break up plays. He’s also very good on the ball, and more than anything, he’s someone who understands that to be successful in any team, you have to put the team first, no matter how much individual quality you might have. I’m excited to see what he can do making the step up into the USL Championship in the Green and Gold.”

A native of Cologne, Germany, Schneider began his career in Bayer Leverkusen’s academy, where he was called up to the bench for a Europa League match. In 2022, he moved to United States to play college soccer for Marshall University. While there, Schneider helped the program lift its first NCAA College Cup trophy in 2020 while also earning individual awards. He was named to the 2020 NCAA All-Tournament Team and earned Second Team All-Conference USA selections twice.

Schneider will reunite his former Marshall and Union Omaha teammate Pedro Dolabella, who was also announced as one of the Rowdies newest additions earlier this week.

After graduating from Marshall, Schneider signed with St. Louis City SC 2, scoring three assists and adding ten assists across two seasons for the MLS NEXT Pro side. In 2024, he transitioned to the USL Championship to sign for Indy Eleven, where he recorded two assists in eight appearances before joining Omaha on loan for the rest of the year.

“To hear that Coach Casciato wanted me to join him here in Tampa Bay after we had success together in Omaha was very exciting,” said Schneider. “I’m grateful that it worked out now. It’s a great opportunity for me to join such a great club in the USL Championship and take the next step in my career at a higher level. I hope we can build a successful future together as a team.”