Tejada brace lifts Tropics into sole possession of first with 3-1 win over IMG Academy

LAKELAND, Fla – The Lakeland Tropics took over sole possession of first place in the USL Premier Development League's Southeastern Division by defeating IMG Academy Bradenton 3-1 Saturday night at Bryant Stadium

Juan Tejada had two goals in the first half – he has four goals now in the Tropics last three games – as Lakeland improved to 4-0-1, good for 13 points in the eight-team division. The SIMA Agulials are 3-0-1 in second, and were rained out of their game Saturday night against Next Academy Palm Beach.

Lakeland and SIMA will showdown for first place Friday night at the Soccer Institute of Montverde Academy in a 7 p.m. kickoff. The two will then rematch June 30 at Bryant Stadium.

The Tropics offense continues to hum along at an efficient pace, now with 12 goals in its last four games. In goal, Gustavo Vasconcelos picked up his fourth win but lost his clean sheet in the 61st minute on a redirect from in close by Colby Agu as IMG, which was outplayed in the first 45 minutes, were much more the Tropics equal in the second half.

Both of Tejada's goals were of the tap-in variety, the first in the sixth minute on a feed across the box from Ricardo Diegues following a corner kick. Tejada, who plays collegiately for Eckerd College and has 15 goals in his first three seasons there, picked up his brace in the 34th minute on a cross by Lucas Coutinho.

Caio Ruiz added the insurance goal in the 89th minute on a feed from 10 yards out by Gustavo Rodrigues.

He all but had a first-half hat trick, but in between his two goals, was robbed by IMG netminder Sean Caufield after Tejada was sent in alone on the right wing on a pretty through ball by Diegues. Caufield also made a nice short-side save in the 56th  in his bid for a third goal.

Following the June 9 visit to SIMA, Lakeland will be home for three straight Saturdays in June, all against teams that played in this year's 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, as did the Tropics. June 16 will mark a visit by The Villages SC, who have opened their season with three wins in three games. FC Miami City will visit Lakeland June 23 before the Aguilas visit closes out the tough three-game stretch on June 30. All home kickoffs are at 7 p.m. For more information, go to www.tropicssoccer.com.