ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL League Two Men’s side earned a season-defining 2-1 victory over St. Petersburg FC on Tuesday evening, clinching a spot in the USL League Two Playoffs in the process. Clutch goals from Idrissa Mane and Michael Appiah proved decisive in the road win against a tough St. Petersburg squad. With the result, Fort Lauderdale caps off its inaugural USL2 regular season with an impressive 8W-2L-2D record (26 PTS) through 12 matches. Details regarding the First Round of the USL League Two Playoffs will be announced in the coming days, so follow the team @FTLUTDAcademy on Instagram & @FTLUTD on X to stay informed.
The match opened with back-and-forth play as both sides looked to settle in. In the 38th minute, forward Johan Arevalo made a clever move down the left wing and was brought down by a St. Petersburg defender, earning a free kick in a dangerous spot. Midfielder Carlos Zambrano stepped up and delivered a perfectly placed right-footed ball to the back post, where Mane timed his run and fired a leaping volley into the net to give Fort Lauderdale the lead. Shortly after, the teams went into halftime with Fort Lauderdale United holding a 1-0 advantage.
Just moments into the second half, Fort Lauderdale faced a sudden setback as Mane was shown a red card for a sliding challenge on a loose ball just outside the box. With 43 minutes still to play, the club was forced to defend its lead while down a man while knowing it needed a victory to qualify for the Playoffs. But despite the disadvantage, Fort Lauderdale struck again less than 10 minutes later. In the 56th minute, captain Mathys Lefebvre threaded a brilliant through-ball from midfield to the left side of the box for Appiah. The forward took a clean touch and fired a right-footed shot to the back post, where it deflected in to double the lead at 2-0.
The final 30 minutes were physical and tense, as both teams battled for control. In the 64th minute, St. Petersburg was shown a red card, leveling the playing field to 10 men each in the second half. As the match approached the 80th minute, St. Petersburg capitalized on a corner kick to pull one back, cutting Fort Lauderdale’s lead to 2-1 with just under 10 minutes to play. In the closing moments, the Fort Lauderdale defense continued to stand firm, even after defender Joackim Betina was shown a second yellow card, reducing the squad to nine men. Despite the pressure, Fort Lauderdale United FC held its ground and secured a gritty 2-1 road victory on the road over St. Petersburg FC, also completing a season sweep over the club.
Back in Action
Fort Lauderdale United FC has officially qualified for the USL League Two Playoffs and will learn its First Round opponent in the coming days. Stay connected and be the first to know matchup details by following the team on Instagram (@FTLUTDAcademy) and X (@FTLUTD).
