By: Ryan Flynn
Sarasota Paradise continued their winning ways on Saturday night, claiming their second straight victory and extending their unbeaten streak to seven games with a 4-1 win over Portland Hearts of Pine as they continued their push for the playoffs.
Paradise picked up where they left off last week, courtesy of Kisa Kiingi in the third minute. Having won an early corner, Anderson Rosa crossed the ball to the near post. Kiingi was able to meet and strike first time past Portland keeper Hunter Morse for the first goal of the game and Kiingi’s first in Paradise colors.
The second came minutes later off a wonderstrike from Sander Røed. After losing possession in the attacking half, the Paradise repressed high as a unit, with Anderson Rosa able to win the ball back with a tackle. his tackle landed at the feet of Røed, who was able to turn and hit a shot on target. Lining up his shot, the Norwegian unleashed a right-footed curling shot from outside the box that beat Morse and buried itself in the bottom right corner to give Sarasota a 2-0 lead under ten minutes in, and Røed his third goal in two games.
Portland got on the board in the 18th minute, thanks to a solo effort from Jay Tee Kamara. The forward weaved his way through multiple Paradise defenders before putting the ball past goalkeeper Alex Sutton to cut the deficit in half.
Paradise responded to the Portland goal with a goal of their own. Røed got his second goal of the game in the 41st minute thanks to a clinical team effort. The play started back in Paradise’s own half, with Amadeus feeding a ball to Reid Valentine who, after surveying downfield, played a long ball downfield that landed at the feet of an in-stride Jonthan Bolanos. Bolanos shimmied around a Portland defender before poking the ball just out of the keeper’s grasp and to the feet of Røed, bagging his second consecutive brace and making it 3-1 Sarasota. A great team goal, with the Paradise stringing together 15 passes resulting in the Roed’s 6th goal of the year.
Paradise kept their foot on the gas in the second half, increasing their lead in the 50th minute. Receiving a throw in just inside Portland territory, Bolanos turned his defender and dribbled down the left wing. Bolanos hit a low cross into the penalty area, which Røed wisely let run between his legs and straight to the feet of Romain Gall. With plenty of time to settle, Gall took a touch and struck the ball hard and low, beating Morse and opening his scoring account for the night. With Gall’s first goal of the season, the Paradise extended the lead to 4-1.
With a comfortable lead past halftime, the Paradise turned their focus to keeping their adversaries off the board for the remainder of the contest, limiting Portland to just two total shots all half. Their only shot on goal in the half came in the 61st, with Alex Sutton parrying the shot away to keep it a 4-1 scoreline.
Jonathan Bolanos and Anderson Rosa each had two assists in the game, further establishing themselves as playmakers in the Paradise offense. Including their performances versus Greenville, the two have three assists in their last two games. Bolanos’s assists brought him to five on the year while Rosa’s increased his season total to a team-leading seven assists.
By controlling possession and limiting the amount of time Portland spent in their final third, Sarasota were able to comfortably cruise to their second straight victory, collecting another three points in their battle for a playoff spot.
The game also saw USL Academy product Aran Spengler make his professional debut for the club, coming on in the 91st minute for Røed. The appearance is a huge milestone for Spengler’s professional career as well as the professional pathway from the Sarasota Paradise Youth Academy, with Spengler becoming the fifth Academy signee to make a professional appearance with the first team.
STATS TO KNOW
- Anderson Rosa: Creative engine with 5 shot assists, 0.53 xT, and solid defensive work.
- Jonathan Bolanos: Balanced threat, 0.2 xG, 4 shot assists, and 56% challenge rate.
- Aaron Walker: Defensive midfield anchor, 8 interceptions, 3 tackles, 78% challenge success.
QUOTES
“I am happy for the team for the well-deserved win against Portland, and proud of the way we played. The atmosphere in Portland is always amazing, their fans are loud and passionate; we emphasized the importance of starting strong, staying true to our identity, and enjoying playing with each other. The boys did exactly that and we travel home with three important points.” – Mika Elovaara, Head Coach
UP NEXT
Paradise return home to begin the final stretch of games next week, welcoming Charlotte Independence to Premier Sports Campus on October 3 as they look to extend their unbeaten run.