March 19, 2023 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) – Florida Tropics SC News Release
Florida Tropics forward Vini Dantas celebrates his goal against the Kansas City Comets
(Florida Tropics SC, Credit: Kansas City Comets / MASL)
LAST TIME / ALL TIME – The Tropics have matched up against St. Louis more than any other team in their
seven-year history. This will be 23rd all time regular season and playoff meeting between the two, with
Florida holding a 14-8 edge in games ((9-2 in Lakeland and 3-6 at Family Arena). The most recent meeting
was February 11 in St. Louis with the Ambush taking a 7-5 win. Four unanswered goals – three in the second
and one in the third – were the difference for St. Louis who got three goals and two assists from Nick Eskay.
Vini Dantas scored twice for Florida. The Tropics all time leading active goal scorer against St. Louis is Victor
Parreiras with 18 goals while the leading all-time active leading scorer for St. Louis against Florida is Lucas
Almeida with 10.
VIVA VINI! — One of the most dangerous target forwards over the past eight years in the Major Arena
Soccer League – Vini Dantas – has joined the Florida Tropics on a two-year deal to start the 2022-23 season
… Dantas played most of those years with the Baltimore Blast, starting his career the 2014-15 season –
when he earned All MASL Rookie Team honors – and was an immediate offensive force, scoring 16 goals in
15 games. Since that time, he has gone on to score 210 goals and add 100 assists in 173 career regular
season, all-star and playoff games. A physical presence at 6′-1″ and 200 pounds, the 32-year old native of
Sao Paulo, Brazil, had his best season in 2019-20 when he banged home 37 goals and added 17 assists in
22 games. He was traded to the Tacoma Stars prior to the start of the 2020-21 season, and was traded back
to the Blast with just three games remaining in the 2021-22 campaign. He finished last season with 19 goals
in 16 games played, to go along with eight assists for 27 total points. … He was a key part of Baltimore’s
three-straight MASL championships between 2017-2019, and was the 2017 Most Valuable Player in the
playoffs, getting the game-winning goal in the finals against Sonora. He ended that post season with 18
total points (nine goals and nine assists) in nine games.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION – More information on the 2022-23 Tropics can be found at www.fltropics.com.
Under the news tab, you will find the team’s 193-page record book. The record book…