The Sarasota Paradise starting lineup. Provided photo.

A packed house at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch ushered in a new era of Sarasota Paradise soccer. On March 18, the Paradise squared off against FC Naples on the opening night of the 110th edition of the U. S. Open Cup. The Open Cup is the country’s oldest ongoing national soccer competition, which pits teams from all three tiers of the United States professional soccer system against amateur-level teams in a battle for soccer supremacy.

This year’s tournament features 96 total teams, 64 of which are professional including 16 from Major League Soccer. For the Sarasota Paradise, who fell 2-1 to FC Naples in the opening round, participation in the tournament signified a step forward for the organization and showed promise for the Paradise’s future in Sarasota.

The Paradise are currently a United Soccer League 2 (USL2) team, but are set to make the jump to the fully professional USL1 in 2026. Against FC Naples (USL1), the Paradise held tough, keeping the game scoreless until the second half when FC Naples scored at the 78th minute to go up 1-0. The Paradise were also fielding together a talented, yet cobbled-together roster—many of the team’s regular players are still in the midst of their collegiate seasons and will join the team when the regular season kicks off May 17.

The Paradise fought back, however, with the help of local talent. With just three minutes left in regulation, down 1-0, Lakewood Ranch native Nicholas Colacci found himself all alone with the ball in FC Naples’ backfield, streaking toward the goalkeeper.

“My little brother Antonio actually fed me the pass that led to the counterattack,” says Colacci. “I got one-on-one with the keeper and he made a nice save on my shot, but luckily I was able to follow up, get the rebound and put it in the net. A striker’s instinct is to always follow your shot no matter what.”

While a late goal from FC Naples ultimately vanquished the Paradise’s chances of progressing through the Open Cup, the tenacity the team displayed and outpouring of support from fans was undeniably promising.

“We couldn’t have had a better turnout,” says team captain Felipe Rojas. “It’s sad that we lost, but this is a pro team that we played tonight and we put up a great fight.”

The Sarasota Paradise starting lineup. Provided photo.

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