Sarasota Paradise

Sarasota Paradise is an American soccer club based in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, competing in the South Florida Division of USL League Two. The club began play in 2023 and plays their home matches at Premier Sports Campus.

Sarasota Paradise

Founded	October 26, 2022
Stadium	Premier Sports Campus Lakewood Ranch, Florida
Owners	Audigr Group Inc.
Head coach	Mirko Dakovic
League	USL League Two
2024	1st, South Florida Division Playoffs: Conference Quarter Finals
Website	https://www.sarasotaparadise.us/
Home colors Away colors

The club is partly owned by Audigr Group Inc., a joint venture between entrepreneurs Marcus Walfridson and Kenneth Bethune.^[1]

Sarasota Paradise will join the professional league USL League One in the 2026 season.^[2]

History

It was first announced on October 27, 2022, that a team in Sarasota would be joining USL League Two for the upcoming 2023 season, simply known at the time as Sarasota USL. Owned by operated by Sarasota Professional Soccer LLC with support from Audigr Group Inc., the clubs' branding and identity was to be decided through a Name the Team contest, with the results announced January 2023.^[3]

Club branding was announced by owner Marcus Walfridson on January 14, 2023.^[4]

Sarasota Paradise made their league debut on May 20, 2023, a 1–0 loss away at Miami AC.^[5] They made their home debut on June 3, 2023, defeating FC Miami City 2–1 in front of a crowd of nearly 500 spectators.^[6] The team finished 4th in the South Florida Division, 6 points behind division winners Weston FC. Their final home game of the season garnered 1086 fans in attendance. Defender Hosei Kojima was selected to the 2023 USL League Two Team of the Year, drafted number 17 in the MLS Superdraft, and is now playing for MLS side St. Louis City SC.^[7][8]

On July 13, 2023, Walfridson announced his hopes for the club to turn professional and join USL League One in either 2025 or 2026.^[9]

In their second season, Sarasota Paradise secured their first South Florida Division Championship in club history with a 1-0 victory away against St. Petersburg FC. Sarasota Paradise remained undefeated at home throughout the season. Key results included a commanding 4-0 win over Miami AC, a thrilling 4-4 draw with Tampa Bay United, and a decisive 3-0 victory against Weston FC. This success earned the team a spot in the playoffs, where they faced Brave SC. ^[10]

On February 19, 2025, Sarasota Paradise was announced as an expansion team in USL League One of the third division of the United States soccer league system to start play in the 2026 season.^[11]

Stadium

Sarasota Paradise played their 2023 and 2024 home matches at Charlie Cleland Stadium at Ihrig Field, located on the campus of Sarasota High School, just south of downtown Sarasota.

The club will begin play at Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch for their 2025 season.^[12]

Players and staff

Technical staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Mirko Dakovic
Assistant coach	Jamie Hutchison
Assistant coach	Glodi Konga
Assistant coach	Mark Macphee

Roster

Position	Name	Number
Forward	Kai Tamashiro	7
Defender	Jaden Berman	3
Defender	Mikey Burke	2
Defender	Roman Holt	47
Forward	Seth Mahlmeister	9
Midfielder	JP Jordan	6
Midfielder	Valerio Tatafiore	10
Defender	Enzo Panozzo	14
Defender	Michael Carboni	13
Defender	Felipe Rojas	12
Midfielder	Victor Van den Broek	14
Defender	Hosei Kijima	16
Forward	William Pierce	18
Forward	Caleb Powell	19
Midfielder	Christian Leon	15
Midfielder	Ben Goldberg	22
Forward	Ryan Sims	26
Forward	Isaiah Easley	30
Forward	Oliver Dahlen	35
Forward	Andres Friere	21
Goalkeeper	Charlie Farrar	38
Goalkeeper	Brendan Reilly	29

Year-by-year

Year	Division	League	Regular Season	Playoffs	Open Cup	Average Attendance
2023	4	USL League Two	4th, South Florida	Did not qualify	Did not qualify	426
2024	4	USL League Two	1st, South Florida	Conference Quarter Finals	Did not qualify	N/A

Honors

League

• USL League Two South Florida Conference
  • Winner (1): 2024

Player

Year	Player	Country	Pos	Honor
2023	Hosei Kijima	JPN	D	Team of the Year

References

1. "Audigr Starts USL Team". audigr.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
2. "Sarasota Paradise to join USL League One". USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
3. "Amateur soccer league expanding to Sarasota". ABC7 WWSB. October 27, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
4. "Sarasota Paradise pre-professional soccer team set to begin play in May at SHS". Herald-Tribune. January 14, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
5. "Miami AC vs. Sarasota Paradise - Final Score - May 20, 2023". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on November 25, 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
6. Kohn, Ryan (June 7, 2023). "Sarasota Paradise soccer team scores on and off field in first home game". Observer. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
7. "Hosei Kijima Selected in THE BEST 11 of The Nation". Sarasota Paradise. August 15, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
8. "Presenting the 2023 USL League Two Team of the Year". USL League Two. August 11, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
9. Kohn, Ryan (July 13, 2023). "Sarasota Paradise feeds local hunger for soccer". Observer. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
10. "Paradise Playoff and Season Recap". Sarasota Paradise. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
11. "Sarasota Paradise to join USL League One". USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
12. "New Home Field for Paradise". SarasotaParadise.us. Sarasota Paradise. December 19, 2024. Archived from the original on February 14, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.