The Opposition Report II — MD31 vs Sarasota Paradise
Fort Wayne Football Club hosts a Sarasota Paradise side rebuilt since the 2-2 draw in March, with a playoff place riding on the result for both clubs.
Saturday, October 17 | 7:30 PM ET | Ruoff Mortgage Stadium, Fort Wayne, IN | ESPN+
Prior Proceedings
All-Time vs Sarasota Paradise (W-L-D): 0-0-1
MD2 Recap & Analysis
The first meeting was our second professional match, in March at Lakewood Ranch. Lilian Ricol scored the first professional goal in club history in the 31st minute, and Ryan Becher doubled the lead five minutes later. Our 3-5-2 owned the middle of the pitch against Sarasota’s flat 4-4-2 for most of that first half. Then Sarasota’s Sander Røed pulled one back in first-half stoppage time, Jonathan Bolanos leveled it in the 63rd minute, and the second half belonged to the hosts. We left Florida with the club’s first professional point and a lesson: two-nil is the most dangerous lead in football.
The Sarasota side coming to Fort Wayne is a different team. The flat 4-4-2 is gone. In each of their last three matches, Sarasota lined up in a 4-1-4-1, with defensive midfielder Aaron Walker holding in front of the back four. Bolanos still attacks from the left side ahead of fullback Anderson Rosa. Both are having outstanding seasons for the Paradise. Røed now leads the line and is in the best scoring form of his season. Striker Emiliano Terzaghi, the all-time leading scorer in USL League One history, arrived from Portland Hearts of Pine in June and gives Sarasota depth off the bench. Swedish center back Amadeus Sögaard Linderoth arrived in April. Two late-August additions complete the usual starting XI: right back Kisa Kiingi, on loan from USL Championship side Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, and right winger Romain Gall, a former U.S. men’s national team attacker.
The results followed. Sarasota has lost once in nine matches, and over the last month, they have created nearly twice the quality chances they have given up. The form is real.
The Matchup II
Sarasota arrives needing a win. A draw or a loss ends their season. A win for us clinches a playoff place.
This ultimatum, win against Fort Wayne FC or be eliminated from the playoffs, will dictate the entire strategy for Sarasota Paradise heading into this match. It will force how they want to play, to how they need to play. Winning at all costs is their vulnerability. If we go up a goal, Sarasota needs to open up even more. If we go down a goal, they could decide to bunker. The managerial tactics of this match will play a factor in how this game unfolds and finishes.
Three things decide whether we get the result we need: win the middle of the pitch, shut down their left side, and stay compact while making our chances count.
Central midfield is one of the weaker areas on this Sarasota team. Their midfielders are solid on both sides of the ball without excelling at either: not ball winners, not chance creators. Their job is connecting the defense to the attack, and it has been working for them. Taking a strong position centrally against an average midfield can win the possession battle, and possession will be important in this match. You cannot score when you don’t have the ball.
Jonathan Bolanos and Anderson Rosa make Sarasota’s left side one of the most dangerous combinations in the league. Rosa overlaps from fullback, Bolanos is dangerous on the dribble, and much of Sarasota’s attack starts there. Kabiru Gafar against Rosa is one of the battles to watch. If Gafar keeps Rosa defending, that side goes quiet. Whoever we start at right back gets Bolanos one-on-one, and that’s not an easy assignment. Whichever center backs we pair will need to be aware of that danger, and with Aleksandar Vukovic suspended after his red card at Union Omaha, we’ll have at least one fewer center back to choose from.
Staying compact keeps Bolanos from finding room to run, and we have given up too many chances on the break this season. Patience matters just as much. A team that has to win will want to play quickly, and patient buildup frustrates that. Slow the game down when it needs it, and speed it up when the chance is there. If Sarasota chases the game, space opens behind them, and they have leaked late goals all season. When those chances come, we have to take them. Their set-piece defense is among the best in the league, so our goals will likely come from open play, and their goalkeeper, Alex Sutton, has been beatable this season. Every shot on target counts.
Most of their recent wins have come against the bottom of the table, but this is a good team, maybe even a great team now, and they don’t want their season to end. Playing controlled, calm and smart, while matching their intensity, will be important. Sarasota comes to Fort Wayne with their season on the line. Expect an electric and passionate atmosphere on the field. We must match it at first whistle.
Always FWD