Written By: Ryan Flynn
Sarasota Paradise fell to Charlotte Independence 3-2 on Saturday evening, turning in a valiant effort against one of the top teams in League One.
Paradise nearly jumped out to an early lead, winning a free kick just outside the box in the 8th minute. Anderson Rosa’s shot narrowly missed going in as it hit off the bottom of the post, keeping the game scoreless.
Paradise keeper Alex Sutton brought the crowd to its feet with a save just minutes later. A cross into the box from Charlotte’s Javen Romero found Jon Bakero at the far post, who headed it towards goal. Sutton tracked the ball and made a key stop, keeping the game scoreless and receiving his first round of chants for the night.
Charlotte scored first in the 16th minute, Souiabou Marou heading in a corner from Jon Bakero to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead. The goal gave Bakero the single-season record for assists in USL League One with 15.
Paradise would equalize in the 23rd, capitalizing off a Charlotte miscue. The Paradise high press forced a Charlotte turnover, with Ethan Bryant intercepting a misplaced pass. With open space and Sander Røed matching his stride, Bryant drew the keeper out of his box and played the ball across to Røed, who rifled it in to tie the game at 1-1 and give the Norwegian his fifth goal in three games.
Sutton would have several more acrobatic saves throughout the first half, diving to deny shots by his fingertips in both the 28th and 39th minute, getting raucous applause and chants from the crowd each time he did so.
The teams traded possession through the first fifteen minutes of the second half, with neither side able to find a breakthrough, the stingy Paradise defense working to keep Charlotte out of goal.
The home side would grab the lead in the 65th off a perfectly executed counterattack. Winning possession back from the Independence, Kisa Kiingi quickly found Emilano Terzaghi to kickstart the play. Seeing an opening, Terzaghi launched a through ball that bounced past two Charlotte defenders and landed at the feet of a sprinting Jonathan Bolanos. Now one-on-one with Charlotte keeper Matt Levy, Bolanos would draw him out to the edge of the box, dancing around Levy’s attempt at a block and putting the ball in a wide open net to give Sarasota a 2-1 lead.
The Paradise defense would clamp down for the next twenty minutes of game time, with the defense working to keep Charlotte out of the six yard box and preserve their lead. Anderson Rosa would earn cheers from the crowd in the 72nd, making a textbook sliding tackle on Prince Saydee just outside the six yard box to keep Sarasota ahead 2-1.
Charlotte nearly equalized in the 79th, with Saydee’s shot banging high off the crossbar, allowing Sarasota to stay in front.
Sarasota had a chance to increase their lead in the 84th, when a shot on goal by Terzaghi was blocked on the goalline by the hand of a Charlotte defender, awarding Paradise a penalty kick. Stepping up to the spot, Anderson Rosa’s shot towards the left was saved by Levy, keeping the lead to just one goal.
The slim lead would catch up to Paradise towards the end of the game. The visitors would find an equalizer of their own in the 88th, Souaibou Marou receiving a through ball from Viggo Ortiz and sprinting downfield to put the ball past Alex Sutton, leveling the game at two apiece. They would secure the winner in the last kick of the game, with Joey Skinner whipping a ball in from the left hand side, finding Stefano Pinho who connected with the ball and put the away team in front 3-2.
With four games left, there is still much to be excited about in Paradise. Twelve goals in the last three games and holding their own against a top-two opponent bodes well for the team as they continue their push for the playoffs
STATS TO KNOW
- Anderson Rosa: Led offensive threat with 0.76 xG and 0.33 xT, plus 7 interceptions.
- Aaron Walker: Defensive anchor with 5 interceptions, 5 tackles, and 88% challenge success.
- Jonathan Bolanos: Created chances with 0.32 xT and 1 shot assist.
QUOTES
“These are the moments where we have to stick together and just still, we’re still in there. We still can get that playoff spot, and that’s the important [thing] now. Take game by game.” – Sander Røed
“We were very good for long stretches in the game, that’s a good team in Charlotte. All credit to them. I’d say If we have a takeaway, we know we can’t just play 89 minutes of football, we have to play 90 plus. We’ve got to prioritize defending when the time comes and win our battles. Even though I felt like we won a lot of battles tonight, one battle or two battles can hurt you.” Aaron Walker
“Our strength is our togetherness and our strength is the way we play as a team and unfortunately today it wasn’t enough for a point even. There’s plenty that we can take from this and continue to iron out the details because that’s what we’ve done all season long. After the game we talked to the team about a wound and the importance of scars in life and in soccer. We’ve got an open wound right now but we know that it is going to heal and there’s going to be a scar. Those scars become strength when you go through things together. We will learn from this and are very excited that we have another opportunity to play against the Richmond Kickers on Saturday and go for another win.” – Head Coach Mika Elovaara
Sarasota Paradise vs Charlotte independence Game Highlights 10.3.2026
UP NEXT
Paradise continue their push for the playoffs next week, welcoming Richmond Kickers to Premier Sports Campus on Saturday, October 10.