- March 26, 2025
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Lakewood Ranch has a sports team to call its own.
The Sarasota Paradise, a semi-professional soccer club, debuted at Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch March 18 after playing its first two seasons at Sarasota High School.
The Paradise lost 2-1 to FC Naples in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup, but the night felt like a win regardless of the result.
After averaging 500 fans and maxing out at 1,038 fans in its first two seasons, the Paradise drew 2,248 fans for its first match at Premier's 3,000-plus capacity stadium.
Club founder Marcus Walfridson wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I’m very satisfied,” he said. “Last week I was thinking, ‘Will we get a thousand people?’”
Walfridson said 900 people bought tickets the day of the match, and the size of the turnout was so unexpected that the concession stand sold out of food during the match.
It’s not surprising that people are excited about the Paradise.
The club announced last month that it will be promoted from U.S. League II to U.S. League I in 2026 — making it a professional soccer club.
Fans who attended the inaugural match had a variety of reasons for paying $10 to $26 for tickets for a semi-professional soccer match on a Tuesday night.
Luis Martinez found out about the Paradise from a flier he saw at State College of Florida and wanted to support the local team in a family-friendly environment.
“You get to bring your kids and it gives them something to do, especially during spring break,” he said. “It also motivates them to play.”
Chris Tillet said he lives in Palmetto and didn’t want to make the trek down to Sarasota High, but the new location at Premier changes that.
“I might buy season tickets,” he said. “It’s affordable to come enjoy some soccer, and what else am I doing on Tuesday night? I don’t have kids and it’s a nice place to come hang out.”
Barry Williams said he lives close to Sarasota High, but wasn’t interested in watching the Paradise the last two years. The club’s increased marketing presence, however, piqued his interest.
“I’m more knowledgeable about them now,” said Williams, who was wearing a Paradise jersey he had recently purchased. “I didn’t know who they were back then. I feel like their marketing has been getting a lot better.”
Fans in attendance didn’t have much to cheer about for most of the match, but that changed with a flurry of scoring in the final 20 minutes.
A scoreless tie was broken when Naples player Karsen Henderlong scored in the 79th minute, but the Paradise answered just 11 minutes later when Nico Colacci scored to knot the score at 1-1.
Colacci stood triumphantly with his hands raised high after he scored before he rushed to the crowd for a jubilant embrace.
“It was amazing,” said Colacci, who grew up in Lakewood Ranch. “The atmosphere was absolutely unbelievable. It was better than I could have expected. I’m just glad we could put on a show for our fans in the first-ever home game here. It was a dream come true for a local boy.”
Many Paradise players like Colacci might not be around when the 2025 season officially begins at home on May 17 against St. Petersburg football club.
The club typically mines its talent from Division-I college programs. With the spring semester still ongoing, the Paradise had to hold a local tryout — and had just five days of practice together — to prepare for the U.S. Open Cup.
“This summer we have top D-I college guys coming in, so maybe a third of these guys will be on the roster this summer,” Walfridson said. “It was basically local pride today. You saw guys who bled for the jersey. I love them all, and my heart goes out to them and to the fans. I’m very grateful for the people who came out today.”
