Written by Ryan Flynn
When the initial start time of 7:30 PM rolled around at Cleland Stadium for the Sarasota Paradise’s match against Tampa Bay United, gates letting fans in remained closed. Lightning in the area had delayed the game, and when the rain came and thunder boomed overhead just minutes later, many fans pulled out umbrellas to wait out the storm to pass. When gates opened and players let onto the field for warmups an hour later, the fans that stuck around were treated to a defensive showcase and one of the most stunning finishes the season.
The first scoring chance of the game came just three minutes in, as a Tampa Bay corner kick was swatted away by Paradise keeper Charlie Farrar and corralled by the Paradise defense. Fans had to wait until the 21st minute for the Paradise’s first scoring opportunity, when an Enzo Panozzo throw-in was batted away by the Tampa Bay keeper before being launched out of bounds. Panozzo had another throw-in towards goal just seconds later, but Will Pierce hit the ball off the post before a Tampa Bay defender kicked it out. The Paradise had another chance at 26 minutes, when Kai Tamashiro had a breakaway down the right side and tried to squeeze the ball into the top left corner of the net but was denied by the Tampa Bay keeper. The entire first half was a defensive battle, with neither team having any close shots on target.
The Paradise broke the scoring drought early in the second half, when Seth Mahlmeister floated a cross into the Tampa Bay box where it found the head of Will Pierce, who headed the ball into net to give Sarasota a 1-0 lead. Tampa Bay had an opportunity of their own at the 60 minute mark with a free kick, but the ball fell well short of the goal and was headed out by Felipe Rojas. As the minutes continued to tick by in the second half, both teams played lockdown defense as the Paradise did their best to hold on to a slim lead.
The game remained at 1-0 until the 88th minute, when a Tampa Bay throw-in near the Sarasota goal was cleared off the line by Roman Holt. The ball looked to be rolling safely away from danger when John Killgore sent a low ball towards the goal from twenty-five yards out that found the back of the net and sent the Sarasota faithful into a state of shock.
When the final whistle blew, ending the game at 1-1, fans stood in disbelief having just watched a surefire win for Paradise slip away.
The draw, coupled with a Miami AC win, puts Paradise in a must win situation in their next game on Tuesday vs Miami AC.
UP NEXT
The Paradise welcome Miami AC to Cleland Stadium for their final home game of the season on Tuesday, June 9th. This game is a must-win for the Paradise, as anything less will eliminate them from playoff contention.
Tickets can be found at sarasotaparadise.us/july9
