Looking to start new winning streak, Tropics rematch with Conquistadores Sunday at Lake Myrtle

AUBURNDALE, Fla. –  The Florida Tropics SC Presented by Bond Clinic will be looking to start a new outdoor win streak when they host the PSE Conquistadores in a United Premier Soccer League Florida West division matchup this Sunday.

Kickoff is at 6 p.m. at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale.

The Tropics 20-game UPSL win streak – which started in 2019 en route to the spring national championship with an 18-0-0 mark – included wins in their first two games of the Fall 2020 season before losing to Dragon City FC last Sunday, 2-0. Florida was without its two leading scorers as Victor Parreiras (injury) and Kewin Duque (out of town) did not dress.

Sunday’s game is a rematch of the season opener in late September won by the Tropics, 2-1. The Conquistadores opened the scoring, but the Tropics rallied on  first-half goals by Duque and Parreiras to secure the win. Since that loss, PSE has defeated Sporting Tampa Bay 9-2, and the St. Petersburg Aztecs, 4-2.

Tropics head coach Lucas Teixeira said Parreiras – the UPSL’s national MVP in Spring 2019 – will once again likely be a game time decision while Duque is expected back in the lineup Sunday.

“We want to come out and be more focused and more aggressive,” Teixeira said. “We had a lot of possession time last week, but didn’t really get aggressive with our chances so we want to change that this week, while being focused on the little things that it takes to get a good result.”

Florida will remain home to host Sporting Bay Tampa Bay SC at 6 p.m. next Sunday, November 1 at Lake Myrtle, concluding a five-game homestand. Admission to the game is free. There is a $10 parking fee for single occupant vehicles and $20 for multi-occupant vehicles. All home matches are streamed live on the Tropics Youtube channel.

The Tropics will play a 12-game fall season and are the defending 2019 Spring UPSL national champions. Because of the ongoing pandemic, the UPSL did not play a spring season this year. Florida will also start its fifth season playing indoors in the Major Arena Soccer League this winter as the defending Eastern Conference champions. Games are played at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.