Dark clouds and thunder and lightning descended upon the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, but this certainly wasn’t special effects planned for the Sarasota Paradise’s debut as a professional soccer team.
That debut, with a stadium full of fans who had come to celebrate with the team, was pushed back by the dangerous weather — lightning strikes were hitting nearby. Game time was moved from 7:30 p.m. to 9:10 p.m.
The Paradise, who announced their move to professional soccer Feb. 19, 2025, had to wait just a bit longer…