Match Preview Presented by Mayo Clinic
Phoenix Rising FC tries its luck in Vegas this Saturday, June 1, vs. Lights FC. The match will be broadcast live on Arizona’s Family Sports and streamed on ESPN+ beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Nearly 150 Phoenicians plan to make the trip to Vegas to support Rising as it looks to rebound from a pair of 2-1 road losses last week.
“Whether it is the eight or nine fans that sat behind our bench in Rhode Island singing the entire game or its 300 or more, it makes a massive difference,” said Rising head coach Danny Stone. “It’s an incredible thing to have as an organization. I’m happy we’ll have that backing and support this weekend. That extra support in the stadium coupled with needing to bounce back from last week will be extremely powerful. It reminds you of who you are playing for back home. This gives us a little edge. I can’t wait to see them. They make a huge difference to us.”
Rising played well in a three-game week that began with a 2-0 win vs. Miami on May 18. Phoenix took the lead in a midweek U.S. Open Cup match in Seattle before falling 2-1 to the four-time cup champion. Rising then traveled to Indiana to play a red hot Eleven side was 4-0-1 in its last five games. Phoenix took a 1-0 lead, then made a costly pair of mistakes to fall, 2-1, again.
“Between Seattle and a tough third game of the week in Indy, we deserved more than we got from a performance point of view,” said Stone. “We must find ways in those games to reward ourselves for what we feel was a week that was approached well overall. Moving forward, the team feels it has more to go after now. We’re not satisfied. We need to push together and push further.”
Rising’s opponent on Saturday, Vegas (3-7-2), unlike Indy, is 0-3-2 in its last five games. It’s leading scorer Valentin Noel, has five goals in 11 appearances this season while Jean-Claude Ngando leads the team with 21 chances created. Former league MVP and Rising star Solomon Asante also signed with Lights during the offseason. He has one assist and eight chances created in 11 appearances.
“This is going to be a good team we face on Saturday,” said Stone. “They’ve played games where results haven’t gone their way, but they still played well. We go to Vegas this weekend expecting to see a team that plays well. It is an improved team from last year. Every team in the league, on their day, will cause you problems.”
Last season, the away trip to Vegas (August 26) galvanized Phoenix. The team came from behind twice to win 3-2, then went on its first of two, three-game winning streaks.
“I have a clear memory of that game,” said Stone. “Manu [Arteaga] scores an incredible overhead kick. We’re 2-1 down and Gabi Torres comes in and has a very big impact on the game. The first half was frustrating. Halftime was heated. The second half, the players had a reaction to what was said. Certain games during the season can be a catalyst. That was one of those games. It proved to the group that they had it within them to grind, to fight and to come back from being down. That previous proof gives real steel and confidence when faced with having to do it again.”
Preview: Rising Takes on Lights, Saturday at 7:30 PM
