When Rising needed an extra dose of bite heading into last weekend’s Western Conference Final, head coach Rick Schantz added Jordan Schweitzer into the starting 11. A defensive addition, Schweitzer wasn’t expected to produce the lone goal for Rising in the club’s eventual win in penalty kicks.
But after receiving a pass from Santi Moar, who has now been involved in all four Rising goals this postseason, Schweitzer fired a low shot from outside the box. The attempt, just his fifth shot of the season, struck an El Paso defender, looped upwards over the Locomotive FC goalkeeper, dipped just below the crossbar, and put Phoenix ahead, 1-0, in the 18th minute.
“Tenacity, hard work… Jordan is a very honest player,” said Schantz. “He’ll do whatever is asked of him. He’ll leave his heart on the field.”
That’s the type of commitment that has Rising playing for a championship in 2020. Now, according to goalkeeper Zac Lubin, who made five saves before stopping another shot in the penalty-kick shootout, focus is what’s required to bring a title back to Phoenix.
“I’ve lost two finals now,” said Lubin. “This is my third in five years. All I am thinking about is, what is it going to take to win? Having gone through it and experienced those losses, right now, we cannot be thinking about what happens after the game or how we’ll celebrate. We need to be thinking about the first minute, what are we doing then? The 45th minute, how do we win the second half? The most important thing is to be focused now.”
In the way, Tampa Bay Rowdies present a different challenge.
“They have a lot of experience,” said Schantz. “They play a different system, in a 3-5-2, with a lot of movement and interchange up front. Their midfield is very athletic. They can run with anybody. They’re humble and will take what you give them. They’ve very dangerous out wide on the left side. It’s going to be an exciting game with two contrasting styles. That will make it fun.”
“To start, there is going to be a ton of energy,” added Lubin. “They defend really well. They press a little bit. Their early goal helped them a ton against Louisville. Even though we’re on the road, we’re going to try and dictate the game. We’ll play the way we want to play.”
Having won a Western Conference Championship just two years ago, Rising is laser focused on taking the final step this Sunday.
“To be here and have this opportunity, we are aware of how much work went into getting here,” said Schantz. “Two years ago, when we won the Western Conference Final, it was pure jubilation. We were so happy. It was like we were satisfied. This time was different. We celebrated, but all everyone kept saying is ‘one more to go.’
The team that is most prepared for every moment is usually the team that succeeds. When it gets to that moment when your body wants to shut down, the mental toughness of this group is hard to prepare for – you either have it or you don’t. These guys are ready.”
When Rising needed an extra dose of bite heading into last weekend’s Western Conference Final, head coach Rick Schantz added Jordan Schweitzer into the starting 11. A defensive addition, Schweitzer wasn’t expected to produce the lone goal for Rising in the club’s eventual win in penalty kicks.
But after receiving a pass from Santi Moar, who has now been involved in all four Rising goals this postseason, Schweitzer fired a low shot from outside the box. The attempt, just his fifth shot of the season, struck an El Paso defender, looped upwards over the Locomotive FC goalkeeper, dipped just below the crossbar, and put Phoenix ahead, 1-0, in the 18th minute.
“Tenacity, hard work… Jordan is a very honest player,” said Schantz. “He’ll do whatever is asked of him. He’ll leave his heart on the field.”
That’s the type of commitment that has Rising playing for a championship in 2020. Now, according to goalkeeper Zac Lubin, who made five saves before stopping another shot in the penalty-kick shootout, focus is what’s required to bring a title back to Phoenix.
“I’ve lost two finals now,” said Lubin. “This is my third in five years. All I am thinking about is, what is it going to take to win? Having gone through it and experienced those losses, right now, we cannot be thinking about what happens after the game or how we’ll celebrate. We need to be thinking about the first minute, what are we doing then? The 45th minute, how do we win the second half? The most important thing is to be focused now.”
In the way, Tampa Bay Rowdies present a different challenge.
“They have a lot of experience,” said Schantz. “They play a different system, in a 3-5-2, with a lot of movement and interchange up front. Their midfield is very athletic. They can run with anybody. They’re humble and will take what you give them. They’ve very dangerous out wide on the left side. It’s going to be an exciting game with two contrasting styles. That will make it fun.”
“To start, there is going to be a ton of energy,” added Lubin. “They defend really well. They press a little bit. Their early goal helped them a ton against Louisville. Even though we’re on the road, we’re going to try and dictate the game. We’ll play the way we want to play.”
Having won a Western Conference Championship just two years ago, Rising is laser focused on taking the final step this Sunday.
“To be here and have this opportunity, we are aware of how much work went into getting here,” said Schantz. “Two years ago, when we won the Western Conference Final, it was pure jubilation. We were so happy. It was like we were satisfied. This time was different. We celebrated, but all everyone kept saying is ‘one more to go.’
The team that is most prepared for every moment is usually the team that succeeds. When it gets to that moment when your body wants to shut down, the mental toughness of this group is hard to prepare for – you either have it or you don’t. These guys are ready.”
