First-place Tropics closing regular season Saturday looking to hold top spot

AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- There's plenty on the line Saturday night when the Florida Tropics host the PSE Conquistadores at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The Tropics (7-2-2) and St. Petersburg Aztecs (7-1-2) are currently tied for the top spot in the United Premier Soccer League's Florida West division with 23 points each. The Aztecs, who have played one less game so far,  control their own destiny as they would win the regular season title by winning their last two games.

Right on their heels are the Conquistadores with 20 points (6-2-2). Should the Tropics defeat PSE Saturday, that would knock them out of first-place contention. 

The Tropics would likely win the title with a win Saturday, and a split of St. Petersburg's final two games. The tiebreaker would be goals differential in that scenario, which at present favors Florida.  The Aztecs will be on the road to take on Tampa FC tonight, a team they beat 5-0 on Thursday evening. However, their final game will be against PSE. The two were scheduled to play last Tuesday, but got rained out. 

And regardless of Saturday's outcome, the Tropics will advance to the UPSL playoffs -- they are technically the defending UPSL national Spring champions, winning the title in 2019 with a perfect 18-0-0 season. There was no 2020 UPSL spring season last year because of the pandemic. 

The first round of playoff games are scheduled next Saturday, June 19, in Naples. 

Admission for the PSE showdown is free. Parking is $10 per single occupant vehicle and $20 for multi-person vehicles. Check the team's social media platforms for information on how to watch a live stream of the action on my.cujoo.tv.