Sarasota Paradise saw off Greenville Triumph 6-0 in USL League One's group stage on Friday evening. The hosts moved well ahead of schedule, putting three goals past their visitors before the interval. To be fair, this wasn't the most comfortable win of the season, but the result was never really in doubt after the opening exchanges.
A. Rosa opened the scoring in the fourth minute, and B. Krueger doubled the advantage thirteen minutes in. That's when you know a game is slipping away for the opposition. The visitors had a chance to respond but couldn't find a way back into the contest.
R. Gall made it three before the break, then S. Roed added a fourth just before the whistle. By then the visitors had been forced into changes, bringing on D. Boyce, T. Sims and C. Evans all at the restart. It's always a sign when a manager makes three substitutions at half-time.
J. Bolanos got a fifth in the fifty-fourth minute, and Roed completed his brace six minutes later. The substitutes were already being brought off, with Roed and Gall going first. That's not how you want to see your best players coming off.
D. Watters picked up a yellow card in the fifty-second minute, while Benton received a booking on ninety-five. The hosts made seven changes in total, handing appearances to M. Nour, E. Lee, Watters and Bolanos. The depth has helped them through this run.
Paradise sit tenth with thirty points from twenty-six games, while Triumph remain fifteenth on twenty-three. The visitors have lost three of their last five, and this result extends that run. And here's the thing — it's not as bad as it could have been, given how they've been performing lately.
