Paradise Snap Skid in Win Over Corpus Christi
By: Ryan Flynn
Coming into a midweek clash with Corpus Christi FC, the Sarasota Paradise were in serious need of a rebound. Three straight losses, including two shutouts, had left the Paradise down in 15th place as they continued to search for a cohesive team identity. Wednesday’s game provided a step in the right direction, as goals from Anderson Rosa and Sander Røed helped power the Paradise to a 2-1 win over the Sharks.
The Paradise came out of the gate strong, controlling possession down the wing in the opening ten minutes, but failing to get any shots on goal due to a lack of action up the middle. Their first real chances, crosses in the 16th and 19th minutes, were fired harmlessly over the opposing goal, creating an uneasy feeling among the home crowd that they hadn’t fixed their lack of finishing. Stellar defense from Sutton, including a fingertip save in the 36th minute, left the game scoreless until the 41st minute when Anderson Rosa received a short pass from Sander Røed and sent a shot past Corpus Christi keeper James Talbot to give the home team a 1-0 lead. They held that lead into halftime, eager to build on it in the second half.
The energy from the first goal seemed to have worn off on the Paradise out of the break as Corpus Christi looked like the stronger team, pressuring the Sarasota defense for the opening minutes, forcing Sutton into making crucial saves to preserve the lead. The Paradise would swing the momentum their way in the 63rd minute, when a pass deflected off Jorgen Petterson and found the feet of Røed, who blasted it past Talbot to make it 2-0 Sarasota. The momentum swing would send the Paradise into a prevent defense, as they battled the Corpus Christi attackers to preserve their shutout. The shutout would last until the 79th minute, when Sharks defender Blake Bowen sent a ball past Sutton to make it a 2-1 game with just ten minutes left. The final ten minutes saw the Paradise do everything they could to prevent a tying goal, as Corpus Christi attempted to break through their defense to no avail until the final whistle blew, signaling a Sarasota win.
Player Quotes
“Very happy for the boys, they deserved to win. We said the keys to the game were controlling the tempo and making sure we started on the front foot. We wanted to make sure we kept turning the volume up and got the result” – Mika Elovaara, Head Coach
“Super excited to be back and playing with the guys. Been waiting for this for a moth, great to get three points. We were forward minded and dared to be brave, that’s why we got the win” – Sander Røed, Midfielder
“Been a great week so far and I’m happy to finish [it] with three points. Don’t really know what to expect coming from a different league and a different country, but I’m relieved we got the win” – Amadeus Sögaard, Center back
Up Next
The Paradise travel to face USL Championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies in the PRINX USL Cup on Saturday, April 25 before returning home to resume league play against Forward Madison FC on May 2.
