By: Ryan Flynn
Sarasota Paradise lost a heartbreaker to One Knoxville SC in stoppage time on Saturday, 2-1, after battling back to level the game minutes earlier.
The Sarasota Paradise came out controlling more of the possession, as well as creating more shots compared to One Knoxville SC (19 vs 14).
Sarasota’s first big chance came inside twenty minutes, when Ethan Bryant received a pass from Jonathan Bolanos and curled a shot from the left side of the pitch that was knocked away by Knoxville keeper Johan Garibay. Bolanos had his own chance in the 40th, when Sean Karani found him in front of goal after winning the ball at midfield and breaking away, but Bolanos put a little too much power on his shot and sent it over the bar.
After Knoxville opened the scoring in the 52nd minute, the Paradise pushed forward, repeatedly finding space in the final third. Ethan Bryant would nearly tie the game in the 59th minute, receiving a cross and having his header hit off the post before being booted out for a corner.
The tying sequence began in the 82nd, when a Sarasota attack resulted in Jordan Bender being brought down in the Knoxville box and awarded a penalty, which Aaron Walker stepped up to take. After Walker’s penalty was saved, Knoxville cleared the ball back into Paradise territory. Sarasota battled to win possession back and eventually worked the ball into the final third, only for Knoxville to boot it out for a throw-in. On that ensuing throw-in, Walker responded by sending a cross into the box that found the head of Reid Valentine to draw the game level at one apiece and give Valentine his first goal in a Paradise uniform.
The Paradise had a chance to take the lead late in the game in the fourth minute of stoppage time, when a through ball found Bolanos, who got past the keeper in a one-on-one situation, only to be denied by a Knoxville defender at the last second. Knoxville would take that clearance downfield and find Babacar Diene with a cross that found the back of the net to give the home side the 2-1 win.
The Paradise had a huge attacking output for the game, with their xG (2.23), 19 shots as opposed to their season average of 11, and 14 corners compared to their season average of 5.3.
STATS TO KNOW
- Amadeus had a 75% challenge rate and 28 passes, helping to organize the backline
- Anderson Rosa had 40 passes and 0.22 xT, contributing to Sarasota’s possession game.
- Jonathan Bolanos had 3 shot assists and constantly created chances for the Paradise in the final third.
QUOTES
“Goals change games, and tonight, Knoxville took their chances better than we did. We must improve from this and get back in the win column.” – Mika Elovaara, Head Coach
UP NEXT
Sarasota will look to rebound next weekend, as it heads back on the road to face Charlotte Independence for the first time this season.