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Florida Tropics SC

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by American Money (talk | contribs) at 18:48, 15 December 2019 (→‎2019–20 roster). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the current soccer club. For the traveling Senior Professional Baseball Association team from 1992, see West Palm Beach Tropics.
Florida Tropics SC
Founded2016; 8 years ago (2016)
StadiumRP Funding Center
Bryant Stadium
Lake Myrtle Sports Complex
Walter Fuller Sports Complex
Capacity5,137 (MASL)
OwnerCentral Florida Sports Ventures, LLC
CoachClay Roberts
Eoghan Conlon
Lucas Teixeira
Don Tobin
LeagueMajor Arena Soccer League
USL League Two
United Premier Soccer League
Women's Premier Soccer League
2018–195th, South Central Division
Playoffs: DNQ
WebsiteClub website

Florida Tropics SC is a professional soccer club based in Lakeland, Florida. They are owned by Central Florida Sports Ventures, LLC, led by Dr. Panos Iakovidis, and former USL commissioner and Rochester Rhinos owner Chris Economides. The organization was originally founded in 2015 as a team in the Major Arena Soccer League[1] before expanding into other leagues.

The Tropics organization operates four senior teams across four different leagues. The first team is Florida Tropics SC, which plays in the professional Major Arena Soccer League. The club fields two men's outdoor teams. The first is the Lakeland Tropics, who compete in USL League Two and play home games at Thomas W. Bryant Stadium. The second is Tropics SC, now also known as Florida Tropics SC which plays in the United Premier Soccer League. The Tropics also have a women's team, Florida Tropics WPSL, which competes in the Women's Premier Soccer League.[2]

In addition to the senior squads, the Tropics organization also oversees three youth clubs in Central Florida. Lakeland Tropics FC in Lakeland, PCU Tropics in St. Petersburg, and Celebration FC Tropics in Celebration.

History

On May 3, 2016, the Tropics, in conjunction with the newly formed IPL, held a press conference at the RP Funding Center and stated they would be joining the IPL alongside the Baltimore Blast, Harrisburg Heat, and St. Louis Ambush.[3][4] However, on August 29, 2016, it was announced that all IPL teams including Florida would be joining the MASL.[5] The team finished 3rd in their division in their inaugural season, and averaged over 2,500 fans a game including one sell out. In their second season in the MASL, the Tropics again fell just short of the playoffs, finishing 3rd in the Eastern Division. It was in 2017 that the club fielded their first USL League Two franchise, and in 2019 a new squad was created to play in the UPSL Pro Premier Florida Division, who went on to win the leagues national championship.

The official supporter group of the Tropics organization is the Swan City Syndicate.

Personnel

2019–20 roster

Active Players

  • As of 15 December 2019[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Brazil BRA Lucio Gonzaga
00 GK United States USA Jorge Navarrete
1 GK Brazil BRA Hugo Silva
2 DF United States USA Stefan Mijatovic
3 MF United States USA Gordy Gurson
5 DF Brazil BRA Lucas Teixeira
6 GK United States USA Brett Petricek
7 FW Brazil BRA Victor Parreiras
8 FW United States USA Zach Reget
10 MF United States USA Antonio Manfut
11 FW Brazil BRA Ricardo Carvalho
16 DF United States USA Drew Ruggles
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 DF Brazil BRA Guilherme Dos Santos
21 DF Jamaica JAM Stephen DeRoux
22 MF United States USA Anthony Arico
23 DF United States USA J.P. Reyes
24 MF Ghana GHA Melvin Boateng
26 DF Brazil BRA Fernando Machado
27 MF United States USA Joey Tavernese
33 DF Brazil BRA Rafa Alves
39 DF United States USA Robert Acosta
70 FW Brazil BRA Ricardinho Sobreira
90 DF Brazil BRA Lucas Montelares
99 MF United States USA Matt Clare

Inactive Players

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF Mexico MEX Victor Baez
9 MF Mexico MEX Efrain Martinez
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF Brazil BRA Pedro Ivo Dias
32 GK Brazil BRA Rainer Hauss

Staff

  • United States Clay Roberts – Head coach, (2016–present)
  • Canada Robbie Aristodemo – Assistant coach, (2018–present)
  • United States Wilbert Arroyo – Assistant/goalkeepers coach, (2016–present)
  • United States Dr. Panos Iakovidis - Team owner (2017–present)/assistant coach (2019–present)
  • United States Corey Mills – Assistant coach, (2018–present)
  • Brazil Lucas Teixeira - Assistant coach, (2019–present)
  • United States Chris Economides – Chief Operating Officer, (2017–present)
  • United States Andrew Ross – General Manager, (2016–present)

Notable Players

Venues

References

  1. ^ "Florida Tropics owner leaves past behind to start over in Lakeland". The Ledger. June 24, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  2. ^ "Tropics Soccer Club and Pinellas County United SC Partner on WPSL Franchise, Lady Tropics SC". FLTropics.com. Florida Tropics SC. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  3. ^ https://www.facebook.com/FLTropics/videos/1783778395175144/
  4. ^ http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/soccer/bs-sp-blast-brief-0504-20160503-story.html
  5. ^ http://pointstreaksites.com/view/masl/news/news_460679
  6. ^ [1]
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