Sarasota Paradise pre-professional soccer team set to begin play in May at SHS
Starting in May, Marcus Walfridson hopes the familiar phrase "another day in paradise" is quickly followed by "another game for the Paradise."
The 41-year-old, a head coach of professional soccer clubs in Norway and his native Sweden, is the managing partner of the latest addition to the United Soccer League's League Two (USL2), the Sarasota Paradise.
The team's nickname was arrived at through a Name the Team competition. The top three levels of professional soccer in the United States are Major League Soccer (MLS), the USL Championship, and the USL League One, the National Independent Soccer Association, and MLS Next Pro.
USL2, formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is the largest pre-professional soccer league in North America, with more than 100 clubs across the country. Last year, 113 teams, split into 16 regional divisions across four conferences, participated.
For its inaugural season, which starts in May and ends in July, the Paradise will play in League Two's Southeast Division. It's comprised entirely of Florida-based clubs, including the Tampa Bay United and The Villages SC. There are also clubs in Lakeland, Orlando, Port St. Lucie, Lauderhill, St. Johns, Miami, and Weston.
The Paradise's schedule will be released at the end of the month, but the team will play the seven home games of its 14-game schedule at Sarasota High School. Walfridson, who spent two years putting his venture together, said it's been his dream since childhood to live in the United States. He visited a friend in Sarasota several years ago and fell in love with the area.
"I had the American dream since I was a kid," he said. "I wanted to find a way out (of Sweden). How can I get to the US? What do I know? Well, I know soccer. If you had said 20 years ago that you were going to start a soccer team in Sarasota, I'd have probably said you were an idiot. Today, it makes perfect sense. It's bigger, more vibrant, and younger.
"If you had said 20 years ago that you were going to start a soccer team in Sarasota, I'd have probably said you were an idiot. Today, it makes perfect sense. It's bigger, more vibrant, and younger. We're looking to be impactful in the community and to help build a better community. We're here for the long haul. This is where I want to live. It's my dream place."
Most of the players in USL2 are collegiate age, with the dream of eventually turning pro. "From a sporting standpoint, absolutely, the players' goal is to become professional," said Joel Nash, the vice-president of USL2. "With the World Cup coming up (in 2026), we want to introduce new people to the sport. (The Paradise) is the team for Sarasota, in Sarasota, the people of Sarasota, and with a true community feel."
The Paradise players will have connections to the area; indeed, many may be familiar to area soccer fans. "We won't have to drive to Tampa to see high-level play," said Cole Richardson, the team's director of operations, the girls soccer coach at Sarasota High, and the daughter of Riverview boys soccer coach Ed Stroop.
When Richardson played an integral role in securing Sarasota High School for the Paradise's home games, Walfridson brought her aboard as a full-time employee. "He saw how on top of things I was," she said.Walfridson said it was important for the team's home venue to be near downtown Sarasota. The Paradise's headquarters will be located on Main Street. "The area speaks to me," he said. "There's a lot of culture, a lot of growth."
And now, a Paradise of a different kind.
Players interested in trying out for the Paradise, or for ticket information, visit sarasotaparadise.us.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota Paradise pre-professional soccer team set to begin play in May
