Written by Ryan Flynn
As the whistle blew for the start of the game between Sarasota Paradise and FC Naples, the Paradise were hoping for a bounce back game. The team had begun to show promise through repeated attacking chances and strong defensive performances from the back five. Unfortunately, that bounce back never came as the game ended in a 2-0 loss on Saturday night.
The first half saw goalkeepers Alex Sutton and Lalo Delgado in the spotlight, as both keepers denied either offense any scoring chance. Sarasota’s chance of the half came in the 24th minute, when Jonathan Bolanos corralled a loose ball and tried his luck from outside the box, only for the shot to sail over the goal. This chance would set the tone for the remainder of the game for Sarasota, and continue the early season’s frustration with being unable to finish chances.
The game would remain scoreless until the 68th minute, when Christopher Garcia corralled a deflection inside the Sarasota box and put it past Sutton to make it 1-0 Naples. Ultimately, Garcia would put the dagger into their hearts with a breakaway goal in the dying seconds of extra time to make it a 2-0 win in favor of Naples.
UP NEXT
The Paradise have a week off to regroup and recover before they welcome Corpus Christi FC to Premier Sports Campus on Wednesday, April 22.
Quotes
“A rivalry game against the league leaders is always an intense battle, and I felt our team showed good fight and resilience playing the third game in a week”, said Head Coach Mika Elovaara.