Match Preview: Tropics look for first-ever win over FC Miami CIty in road game Saturday

MIAMI – Two of the top teams in the USL Premier Development League Southeast division last season will renew their rivalry Saturday night as the Lakeland Tropics travel south to take on FC Miami City.

The Tropics, at 9-3-2, finished in third in the southeast last summer, and FC Miami City (10-1-3) in second. The strong seasons earned both an invitation to this year's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, with both falling in opening round games. Lakeland fell in Texas to the Midland-Odessa Sockers, 3-0, while FC Miami City had to travel just across town in falling 3-1 to Miami FC of the National Premier Soccer League.

This is the PDL season opener for Miami, while the Tropics opened at home last Saturday, with a 1-0 win over Next Academy Palm Beach before a crowd of 3,137 at Bryant Stadium in Lakeland. Ricardo Diegues, who led the Lakeland PDL team in goals last year, scored in the 49th minute to lift the Tropics to their win

It was the first clean sheet of the season for newcomer  Gustavo Vanconcelos in goal, and Caue Carvalho. a defender, earned USLPDL National Team of the Week honors for his efforts on the back line. The Tropics also vaulted to No. 1 in the PDL Southern Conference Power Rankings for Weeks one and two.

The Tropics first-ever PDL game came in Miami last May, with the hosts taking a 4-0 win, pulling away with three late goals in the second half. Miami took the rematch later in the season at Bryant Stadium, 2-0.

Saturday night's kickoff is at 6 p.m. at Tropical Park Stadium. The two teams will meet again Saturday, June 23, at Bryant Stadium in Lakeland.