Sarasota Paradise secured a 1-2 win over USL League Two South Florida Division leaders Fort Lauderdale United FC after two late goals from striker Andres Freire.
The first ten minutes of the game were very back and forth, with Paradise creating the better chances. However, it was Fort Lauderdale who struck first. Johan Alevalo hammered a shot from outside the box into the back of the Paradise net in the 11th minute.
Undeterred by the early goal, Paradise continued to attack and build momentum. The best chances of the first half came in its final minutes.
The second half featured end-to-end action from both teams. Paradise equalized in the 83rd minute when Andres Freire calmly slotted a penalty down the middle of the goal. Just six minutes later, Freire capitalized on pass from forward James Maxwell to score his second of the night, giving Paradise a late lead.
The action was not over yet though, as Fort Lauderdale United won a penalty in stoppage time. The attempt hit the crossbar and the score remained 1-2 in favor of Paradise.
Freire’s dominant performance earned him Player of the Game honors. Head Coach Djakovic praised the team’s effort, saying, “Proud of our group’s compete level, composure, and resiliency in coming away with 3 points. By far, our best performance so far this early in the season.”
Paradise would finish the game with 52% ball possession and eight shots. Six of those eight shots were on target.
Join us on Saturday, June 7, at Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch for our game against Miami AC. We will be Celebrating Soccer in Sarasota by honoring the players, coaches, clubs, and fans who make the game thrive in our city. Tickets are available at sarasotaparadise.us/june7.