Sarasota Paradise forward Andres Freire signs autographs after his two goal night. Provided photo.

It is said that good things come to those who wait. It’s a good thing then, that Sarasota Paradise forward Andres Freire is a patient man, or at least he appeared to be on Saturday night in Lakewood Ranch, when the Paradise bested Miami AC 2-0. Although the Paradise dominated from the first touch, logging two shots on goal in the first three minutes, Freire, a Sarasota native, did not score until the 30 minute mark.

Freire’s goal was unassisted, a beautiful arcing lob from just right of the Miami AC’s goal area that found the top right corner of the net. It put the Paradise up 1-0 in the first half, a lead that, while small, was never put in doubt, due to Paradise's stifling back line. Miami AC struggled to gain any momentum in the first half, logging its first shot on goal only at the 31 minute mark.

“The approach was to be physical,” said Paradise defender Felipe Rojas of the back line’s attitude. “The other team came with a different formation, so we had to adjust a little bit, but we have solid, versatile defenders that can move up, get high, be good on the ball and be strong defensively. Having that balance is crucial to being a strong team.”

While Miami AC’s pressure intensified in the second half, Freire all but put the game away in the 57th minute, when he converted a corner kick to score his second goal. It was Freire’s fourth goal of the season and an indicator of a player that is catching fire—Freire scored both goals in the Paradise’s previous game, a 2-1 victory over Fort Lauderdale United, then the fifth ranked team in all of United Soccer League 2 (USL2).

“His first goal was world class. The second goal, like a real striker, his nose finds the ball and he finds a way to put it away,” said Head Coach Mirko Dakovic. “We had a very tough game (last) Wednesday night against the fifth ranked team in the country. They were 5-0 and we walked out with three points. I was happy with our performance, but felt we had some fatigue from that game. It took a lot out of us, but credit to our group, they found a way to dig deep and get three points here tonight.”

The Paradise’s next home game will be against Fort Lauderdale United on June 18 at 7:30pm, 5895 Post Blvd, Lakewood Ranch, 34211.

Sarasota Paradise forward Andres Freire signs autographs after his two goal night. Provided photo.

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