Tropics Announce MASL Home Opener Saturday December 14th

LAKELAND, Fla. – Fresh off a national outdoor soccer championship, the Florida Tropics will start their fourth season in the Major Arena Soccer League at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Saturday, Dec. 14.

It is the Tropics fourth season in the MASL, which will launch its regular season on Nov. 22. Teams will once again play a 24-game schedule, split with 12 games at home and 12 on the road. The Dec. 14 opener will feature an Orange Out II theme to highlight the team's primary color and new kits which will be revealed in the coming weeks. The team also noted that the 2019-20 schedule will include home games on Saturday, Jan. 25 and Valentine's Day weekend on Saturday, February 15.

Saturday games kick offs are initially scheduled for 5:05 p.m ET with Sundays starting at 3:05 p.m. ET, the full schedule and times will be released at a later date. Florida will be part of an expanded Eastern Conference this winter – along with their local rivals, theOrlando SeaWolves – in addition to the defending league champion Milwaukee Wave, Baltimore Blast, Harrisburg Heat, Utica City FC, Mississauga MetroStars, St. Louis Ambush and Kansas City Comets.

The Tropics are coming off their title in the United Premier Soccer League this summer, led by Victor Parreiras, who returns to the indoor pitch as the team's active leading scorer, with 44 goals and 31 assists. Parreiras was named MVP of both the regular season and playoffs by UPSL staff and journalists who cover the league. He had 12 goals and 10 assists in helping the Tropics to a perfect 18-0-0 record. In the national championship game in Weatherford, Texas, Parreiras tied the score in second-half stoppage time with a spectacular goal, and was one of the Tropics players to convert in the PK round which secured the crown.

Newcomers Gordy Gurson, Ricardo Carvalho, Drew Ruggles, Joey Tavernese and others will join Parreiras along with fan favorites Anthony Arico, Lucas Teixeira, Lucas Montelares and Antonio Manfut as the indoor roster got a significant talent upgrade in the offseason after fishing just 6-18 during the 2018-19 season. The Tropics signed four of the top 14 free agents in the league this off-season as ranked by the independent website www.turfandboards.com which covers the indoor sport.

For more information, including season-ticket specials, visit www.fltropics.com, or call 863-240-0101.

ABOUT THE TROPICS: Tropics Soccer Club is a professional soccer organization based in Lakeland, Florida. The Tropics operate a Major Arena Soccer League Franchise (Florida Tropics SC who play at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland), a USL Two franchise (Lakeland Tropics who play at historic Bryant Stadium in Lakeland), the 2019 United Premier Soccer League national champion Tropics SC who play at Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale, and a WPSL franchise (Florida Tropics SC Women’s). The Tropics youth club umbrella includes Lakeland Tropics FC, Pinellas County United Tropics, and the Celebration Tropics. The Tropics are owned and operated by Central Florida Sports Ventures, LLC, headquartered in Lakeland, Florida. More information can be found at www.fltropics.com.