Written by Ryan Flynn
Playoff Recap
The fairytale season for the Sarasota Paradise came to an end last Friday in Asheville, as they fell 2-1 to intrastate rivals Brave SC in extra time. Brave got the scoring started eighteen minutes in, when Matheus Ferreira launched a ball from way outside the box that found its way into the net to give the Buffalo an early 1-0 lead. That lead would hold well into the second half, when Seth Mahlmeister converted a penalty with twenty minutes remaining, tying the game 1-1. Controversy would arise in the 75th minute, as a header by Roman Holt that would’ve given the Paradise the lead was called off due to a foul on the Brave goalkeeper, keeping the game tied. The score remained tied as the game went into extra time, with Brave finally breaking the deadlock with a goal in the 98th minute to take a 2-1 lead. Brave would hold this lead until the final whistle, celebrating on the field as the hearts of Paradise fans everywhere sank with the knowledge their season had come to an end.
SEASON RECAP
Though the season did not end the way the Paradise wanted, it was still a magical one nonetheless. This season was defined by resilience and grit, as the Paradise climbed from the bottom of the table to the top, claiming the South Florida Division crown by season’s end. This season started out on a rocky note, as the Paradise dropped their first game against Miami AC and drew at Swan City. A 2-0 victory for their first win of the season at Tampa Bay United put some wind in their sails and propelled them the rest of the way, as they would go through the rest of the regular season without a loss. The first memorable game came on June 12, as they played Tampa Bay United to a thrilling 4-4 draw that saw the two teams exchange a flurry of five goals in just eight minutes, including strikes from Felipe Rojas and Seth Mahlmeister just two minutes apart. The Paradise’s resilience was on full display at their June 19 game against St Petersburg FC, when they stormed back from being down 2-0 to take a thrilling 3-2 victory, with Will Pierce scoring the winning goal just thirteen minutes from full time.
The final week of the season featured the two most important and thrilling games in the young history of the Paradise. On July 9, Miami AC came into town for a game that the Paradise had to win in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, and win they did. The game featured goals from four different players and a herculean game from goalkeeper Brendan Reilly to propel the Paradise to a 4-0 shutout win in what was, at the time, the most thrilling victory not only of the season, but in franchise history. This win would set up a showdown with St Petersburg FC in the final game of the year, where if the Paradise won, they would capture the division crown. The game would go the Paradise’s way, with Kai Tamashiro scoring early and the Paradise defense doing everything they could to keep St Petersburg off the board. Mother Nature was an active participant in the game, creating a nearly two-hour rain delay and a game shortened to just one half. Once back on the field, the Paradise would hold on to their 1-0 lead, streaming out onto the field as the final whistle blew to celebrate snatching the division title away from Miami AC.
THANK YOU FANS
The season was nothing short of magical, and couldn’t have been accomplished without our faithful fans. Thank you to everyone who came out to our games. Rain or shine, home or away, you have shown up and cheered as loud as possible for the Paradise this season. We couldn’t have done it without you. Stay tuned for a big announcement soon!!!
QUOTES
“Huge thank you to all the Paradise faithful. I’m going to miss our electric home games and meeting all our fans after the game.” – Kai Tamashiro, Striker
“Very grateful for our tremendous fan support. In every home game they were our 12th man and difference makers for our group!” – Mirko Dakovic, Coach
“We couldn’t have done this without our loyal fans!Thank you for showing up to every game and giving us your support.” – Marcus Walfridson, Owner