Tropics SC set to open home portion of UPSL slate Friday vs. Clay County SC

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Tropics SC will kick off the first of eight home game in the United Premier Soccer League Friday night at Auburndale's Lake Myrtle Sports Park when they host Clay County SC. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at the park's Stadium Field.

This is the home debut of the Tropics second outdoor developmental team, with the goal of creating a pool of talent – in conjunction with a second outdoor side, the Lakeland Tropics – to move the organization to a fully professional USL League One team in the coming seasons. The Lakeland Tropics of USL League Two will start its third season of play at Bryant Stadium in Lakeland on May 11.

The UPSL Tropics SC will feature many of the stars of the Florida Tropics professional indoor soccer team, which Saturday will finish its third season in the Major Arena Soccer League. Friday's roster is expected to include MASL standouts Ricardo Diegues, Victor Parreiras, Hugo Silva and Lucas Montelares. Guilherme is also part ot he Tropics SC plans, but reinjured his leg. 

Also on the roster is Pascal Millien, who has 28 caps with the Hatian national soccer team, making his debut for that team in 2006, and spent two seasons with the Jacksonville Armada of the North American Soccer League, A star for Auburndale, where he scored 114 goals in three years, he led the Bloodhounds to a 2005 Florida State title. Another local starr, former McKeel High School standout Nik Meche, is also on the roster. Florida Tropics defender Lucas Teixeira is the team's coach.

The Tropics SC opened its UPSL season with a 2-0 road win over The Institute FC at Disney's Wide World of Sports on March 27, with Ricardo Diegues and Melvin Boetang getting goals, and Hugo Silva the clean sheet in goal.

Friday's match is the first of five straight home games for the Tropics SC, including a visit by early season division leading St. Petersburg FC Aztecs next Wednesday, April 17, also at 7:30 p.m. Tropics SC games will be streamed live at www.mucujoo.com, with a link also available at  www.upslsoccer.com.

Season results and schedule remaining in the UPSL spring campaign follow:

March 27                  Tropics SC 2, The Institue FC 0    1-0, 3 points

Friday, April 12        vs. Clay County SC                        Lake Myrtle Sports Park

Weds., April 17       vs. St. Petersburg FC Aztecs       Lake Myrtle Sports Park

Tues., April 23        vs. Sporting Orlando                     Lake Myrtle Sports Park

Friday, April 26       vs. Inter Orlando Academy          Lake Myrtle Sports Park

Friday, May 3          vs. Macca Ballers FC                    Lake Myrtle Sports Park

Sunday, May 12      at Jacksonville Armada FC          Patton Park

Friday, May 17        vs. LEG A-Z International            Lake Myrtle Sports Park

Sunday, May 26      at Huracan FC                                Oldsmar Sports Complex

Weds., May 29       vs. OFC Barca                                Lake Myrtle Sports Park

Wednesday, June 5    vs. Interunited Academy        Lake Myrtle Sports Park

Saturday, June 8        at Sportsparadize Academy    Boone High School    

UPSL Pro Premier Florida Central West Division Standings Through April 11

                                                      GP    W    L    T     GF     GA    DIF   PTS

St Petersburg Aztecs FC            3      2    0    1       9        3     +6       7

Sporting Orlando                         4     2    1    1       9        6     +4       7

Huracan FC                                  3      2    1    0      5         3    +2       7

Interunited Academy                  3      1    0    2      4        4      0        5

Inter Orlando Academy             3    1      0    2       5       11     -6      5

Tropics SC                                   1    1    0    0        2        0     +2      3

The Institute FC                          4    0    2    2        4         7     -3       2

Sportsparadize Adacemy         2    0    2    0         0         6    -6        0