By: Ryan Flynn
Sarasota Paradise extended their unbeaten streak to five games on Saturday, battling Forward Madison to a 1-1 draw.
Sarasota entered this matchup on a four-game unbeaten streak, having beaten New York Cosmos and drawn Spokane Velocity at home the week prior. They matched up against a Forward Madison side on a six-game unbeaten streak of their own, one that had carried them to a top three spot in the league table. Madison boast an impressive unbeaten streak at home, totaling 13 straight games without a loss dating back to the start of the season.
Sarasota controlled possession in the first half as the game remained scoreless through the first thirty minutes. They struck first in the 38th courtesy of a wonderful team goal. After receiving a pass from goalkeeper Alex Sutton, Amadeus found Anderson Rosa who made his way down the left flank into Madison territory. Rosa played a beautiful through ball to Jonathan Bolanos who took a touch around the Madison keeper and crossed a ball that Brendan Krueger slotted home to give Paradise a 1-0 lead and Krueger his second goal in three games. The goal also gave Bolanos his second assist of the season, tied for fourth on the team. Sarasota took the lead into halftime having controlled possession throughout the half as they looked for more in the second.
Claudel Ngoubo equalized for Forward Madison at the 54th minute mark, thanks to a well placed cross from Geni Kanyane. The cross found Ngoubo at the back post, with the striker striking the ball first time, bringing the score level at 1-1.
Once level, Sarasota’s defense stepped up to deny Madison the lead on numerous occasions. Just five minutes after the equalizer, Amadeus broke up a promising Madison attack with a perfectly timed slide tackle to keep the score level. Kisa Kiingi did the same a minute after Amadeus, showing the resolve of the Paradise defense as they worked to keep Madison out of the goal.
Sarasota nearly had a chance of their own in the 65th when, after an initial cross from Jonathan Bolanos was blocked, Ethan Bryant received a ball from Anderson Rosa and had his shot drift inches to the right.
The Paradise defense came up big again in the 70th minute. Alex Sutton’s short goal kick was intercepted by a Madison attacker, creating a dangerous opportunity. Amadeus made another crucial sliding tackle that dispossessed the ball and, after blocking the follow-up shot allowed the defense to regroup and deny their opponent another chance on goal.
Sarasota’s defense continued to withstand pressure from the Madison offense, with Sutton making a tremendous diving save in the 76th minute, denying Ngoubou a chance at another goal and preserving a point for Paradise.
Amadeus made his presence known one last time in the early seconds of stoppage time past 90 minutes, heading away a dangerous cross from Ryan Carmiachael that preserved the Paradise lead until the final whistle, ensuring them a share of the points.
SATS TO KNOW
- Brendan Krueger (RW): Key defensive contributor with 5 tackles, 83% challenge rate, and 0.57 xG.
- Anderson Rosa (LWB): Creative outlet with 0.17 xT and 38 passes, though less effective defensively (25% challenge rate).
- Amadeus (CB): Solid distribution with 61 passes, 2 tackles, 2 interceptions, 50% challenge rate.
QUOTES
“I am proud of the team for getting a point on the road, Madison is not an easy place to visit. We made a few tactical adjustments to prepare for the opponent and I thought our performance was strong. We will continue to work hard every day to keep the unbeaten streak going and give our fans more wins to celebrate.” – Mika Elovaara, Head Coach
UP NEXT
Paradise look to stretch their unbeaten streak to six as they return home on Saturday, September 19 to face Greenville Triumph.